Ponant Cruises

Top Reasons To Choose Ponant Cruises

• Ponant offers a 5+ star cruises for its passengers so that you can enjoy and relax on your trip and that you are in a peaceful state of mind during your trip. This state of mind is what you pay for; a stress free atmosphere where you are not really worried about anything about the outside world.
• They have given a lot of importance to the ambiance on the ship and they claim to make no compromises on the comfort of their guests. Their cafes, restaurants and bars, all have a vibe that is unmatchable and you will love to spend time there even if you are not having anything from their menu.
• They offer some of the best cuisines provided on any of the cruise ship out there. French cuisine is of course the specialty on this ship and they have some of the most authentic French dishes on the menu. But that is not it if you are not really into the French food that much and would like to have something different then there are other dining options as well.
• Their explorer class of ships goes to places that most ships don't even dare to go close to because of how remote these places are. The explorer class of cruises is specifically designed for such type of travels and you can go on some really long tours on these ships without feeling any different than traveling to some quiet and easily accessible city of Europe.
• Ponant has some of the latest ships in its fleet and most of these ships were constructed in the 21st century so they have the best technology out there. These ships are equipped with very advance technology and have a very flawless design. The benefit of traveling with a modern ship is that you get a feeling that you are safe and the ship must have met all the international safety standards.
• Most of the customers have only got good things to say about Ponant cruises and the customer reviews that are this good mean that the customers have put their trust on the brand and as we all know word of mouth spreads faster than anything so you need be assured that their claims about a very luxurious trip are authentic and they must be satisfied with the service over there are Ponant which is why may be they choose travel with them.
• The ships in the fleet of Ponant are midsized and can accommodate a number of people which means that just like its sister company, Paul Gauguin, they also offer a very exclusive way of travel for their passengers so that each one of them can enjoy their own special moment at the ship. This compact size of ship also allows it to dock at those very small ports as well so that you can visit each and every place easily and no place is left out due to the lack of mobility.
• Their itineraries include a lot of destinations around the world. These destinations include, Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Australia, America, Caribbean, The Arctic, Antarctica, Mediterranean and Pacific Islands along with many other destinations that are very much secluded.
• They offer themed cruises for those who are interested in traveling with a single focal point which will be the theme of your cruises. The themes that they offer may include Golf, Music, Art, Literature and History. This is a great way for regular travelers who may be bored by the same atmosphere of cruise every time and wanted a little change.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ponant Cruises

• What kind of trips can I take with you?

  There are a lot of different trips that these cruises take you on and they provide you with a variety of options to choose from. There are trips that visit conventional destinations for about a week or ten days but then they also offer trips that are much longer and visit a bit more distant places than usual. There are also themed trips that are carried out by this cruise company in which your cruise has a specific theme like music or literature and you can feel that theme on board as soon as you step on the ship.  

• How much would a tour cost?

  Like most other cruises prices of Ponant Cruises are also not definite and they have too many different standards and packages that determine the price that you will be paying for your cruise. They have divided their staterooms with extent of luxury that each of these staterooms provide and the prices are mostly dependent on what type of stateroom you have chosen for your trip and it's not just the luxury in the interior of staterooms but also the services that are provided in each category of stateroom that make a lot of impact on the price of the package. The starting prices for an 8 day cruise by Ponant Cruises are in between $5000 and $8000 for each person.

• Can I take my family with the guide and not be stuck with other people?

  Taking a tour guide with your family is possible only if your land excursion has private tours included in it otherwise if your family size is less than an average group size for a trip then you might have to bear with other tourists sharing the same tour guide with you.

• Can I tell the agent what I want out of the trip?

  Telling an agent about your expectations for the trip is a good way to start planning your trip. By doing this you will have an assurance that this is what you want to do. The travel agents have a lot of knowledge about the subject of cruising and they might even be able to clear any of your questions or fears about the cruise before you can go ahead and book one for yourself.

• Do they have support that can help me regardless of what time?

  Yes, they do offer a very nice customer support by providing their customers with a phone number that they can call at any time of the day. This number is available on their website and they also have a contact form on their website that allows their customers to connect to a Cruise Consultant from Ponant online.

• What do the guides do for you?

  On shore expeditions by Ponant take you to a lot of different places around the world and there is a high probability that you might not be familiar with culture, language or even the maps of those port cities where you may be staying for a couple of days. You will definitely need a tour guide if you want to fully participate in that excursion. Travel guides will tell you each and everything that you need to know about your destination.

• Do they have specialists that are working in each place?

  Yes, they have specialists working at each place. You can easily verify this by looking at the past records of the company and there hasn't been any such incident in the history of this company that a non competent was hired by the Ponant that has cause any hindrance in a great customer experience for their guest.

• What type of way can you travel when you are traveling through Ponant Cruises?

  There is an extensive list of ways in which you can travel with Ponant cruise. The two basic ways of traveling with them are going on a conventional cruise and going on an exploration tour into a lot of almost inaccessible places on earth. You can also travel Ponant cruises on different personalized itineraries. They also offer their guests to travel by air on their flight credits.

• Who customizes the itinerary or things you are going to do ahead of time?

  Their itineraries are very well customized and have been tested many times. You don't need to worry whether these itineraries are viable or not because they were created after extensive research by field experts and there are very few times when these itineraries had to be cancelled but usually they are very accurate and can predict with a very less probability of failure.

• Where do you stay while you are at the destinations?

  The hotels at your destinations are pretty decent and you will have a very comfortable stay at all of your destinations. The Ponant cruise company will only choose the best available option for you so you can relax and have the same sense of luxury on the land as you will have on the sea.

• Is there a single supplement that can be used for travelers who are solo?

  The Ponant Cruise Company does offer zero single supplement offers for solo travelers so that they can take the cruise easily without having to pay too much money as extra money for booking a double occupancy room. This company has ships in its fleet that have staterooms for single travelers and they can easily choose cruises on such selected ships without paying extra money.

• On average, what is the group size like?

  The group size on these ships varies with each different land excursion. Some of the excursion that you book in advance can have very small groups as only a few people might go for that excursion but the usual group size may be much larger than that.

Minimum Age Policy on Ponant Cruises

One person must be 18 years of age or older at time of sailing.

Travel Protection Options on Ponant Cruises

Passengers shall be responsible for subscribing to cancellation/luggage/ assistance/ repatriation/medical insurance(s).

Dining on Ponant Cruises

Breakfast can be delivered to your stateroom on request, or is available in the form of a buffet at the restaurant. Lunch is also buffet style, in the evening a sit-down "French-style" dinner is served. 24 hour room service is available. Please contact our Maitre d' regarding any special dietary needs.

Tipping Policy on Ponant Cruises

Tips are usual practice on cruise ships and are left to your discretion. We suggest an amount of 10 to 12 euros per day/per passenger that will be distributed among the Crew. You will find an envelope for this purpose in your cabin at the end of the cruise. You may deposit this envelope in the receptacle provided at the Reception Desk.

Payments / Refunds on on Ponant Cruises

In order to secure a booking, the guest is required to pay 25% of total cruise price upon confirmation. The final 75% is due no later than 60 days prior to sailing; All reservations are subject to cancellation fees. All cancellations or modifications must be in writing. Any and all guests not reporting for departure or prevented from reporting for departure or waiving for any reason whatsoever the benefit of services included in the program cannot claim any refund. Compagnie du Ponant shall not be required to refund any monies to any guests who must leave the cruise prematurely for any reason, nor shall Compagnie du Ponant be held responsible for any costs, fees, damages or causes of action which result from the transportation expenses incurred by guest's early departure.

For any deposited or fully paid booking, cancellation penalties will be assessed as noted below. These cancellation penalties are applicable on all services booked with Compagnie du Ponant.

• From confirmation of booking date up to 91 days prior departure: 10% of full fare
• 90-61 days prior departure: 25% of full fare
• 60-46 days prior departure: 50% of full fare
• 45-31 days prior departure: 75% of full fare
• Less than 30 days prior departure: 100% of full fare.

Smoking Policy on Ponant Cruises

All the ships are non-smoking vessels. Please smoke only in the outside areas of the ship. The indoor areas (lounges, dining-room, staterooms, reception, etc.) are all non-smoking areas.