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Ships

Le Ponant Le Ponant

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Ship
Le Ponant
Overview

A luxury yacht offering you an exceptionally welcoming and relaxed experience, our iconic sailing ship promises you the ultimate travel experience.

Unique of its kind, Le Ponant is one of the most majestic sailing vessels in the world. With 16 spacious cabins and suites, one crew member per passenger, a dedicated chef, and authentic and exclusive experiences to be enjoyed at every stop, designed for and with you, the ship redefines the concept of luxury yachting and promises you an extraordinary experience.

In addition to its tasteful and refined design by Jean-Philippe Nuel, it has many innovative and environmentally friendly amenities.

Great Destinations

Enjoy the sea at the rhythm of the wind, sailing as close as possible to the coasts to discover, with new-found interest, routes that are as quintessential as they are exclusive.

The hidden ports of untamed Corsica, mythical Greek islands and Italy's thrilling coastline—these cruises reveal the deep and secret soul of world-famous destinations. You will sail from one port to another in complete ease, without ever having to touch your suitcases.

French Riviera

  • The French Riviera is famous worldwide for its iconic cities: Nice, Cannes and Monaco. This land, rich in colours, flavours and history is particularly appreciated by all who love true luxury and relaxation

Corsica

  • Picturesque villages, idyllic beaches, rich gastronomy and ancient traditions, the ‘Island of Beauty’ (Île de beauté), as it is known, generously reveals its charms to all who approach it and offers a wonderful relaxing break under the Mediterranean sun.

Italian Coastline

  • From hectic Naples to picturesque Amalfi via romantic Capri, we approach some sublime shores where one jewel follows another.

Greek Islands

  • Patmos, Mykonos and Santorini are names that inspire dreams of a tranquil haven. The now-legendary Greek islands offer their visitors a harmonious blend of culture, traditions and spectacular landscapes

Malta & Sicily

  • Steeped in an incomparably relaxed approach to life, these quintessential Mediterranean islands, with their mix of Italian and Greek influences, conceal many treasures waiting to be discovered.
Dining

Gastronomic Restaurant

A la carte meals are served at the table in the gastro restaurant. At lunch, a selection of dishes inspired by contemporary French brasseries will be offered. At dinner, it is time to sample the grand traditions of French fine dining, with menus to go with one of the best wines from our cellar, as recommended by our sommelier.

Grill Restaurant

The atmosphere is more casual at the grill restaurant with its set buffet menu. From breakfast to dinner, there is a range of healthy, gourmet, hearty and sophisticated buffet options to satisfy all tastes.


An Environmentally Friendly Ship

Conserving the environment is one of our priorities. We have therefore chosen to invest in innovations and equipment at the cutting edge of technology, with the aim of achieving the highest standards possible in the sector.

  • Le Ponant is the only yacht in the world with a hybrid propulsion system. This uniquely designed three-masted schooner can rely solely on its sails but also can connect to the electricity network in certain ports to limit its ecological impact.
  • On board, we have banned the use of plastic in straws, laundry bags, cups and individual food portion packaging. Packaging is collected from our warehouses. Unavoidable plastic waste is sorted and entrusted to resource-recovery companies, who monitor its traceability until its elimination.
  • Le Ponant is equipped with a complete desalination and wastewater treatment system. This biodegradation process works without the use of chemicals. It provides clean water and meets the highest quality standards.
  • On board, 60% of packaging is recycled, while the rate elsewhere in the world is only 20%. The rest is 100% traced. We have on-board compactors adapted to each type of waste and are working to optimise their management on land.
Activities and Entertainment

Pool & Sun Deck

The spacious, comfortable outdoor areas of our ships offer superb ocean panoramas. A heated seawater pool and solarium are located on the uppermost deck of our sisterships (Le Boreal, L'Austral, Le Soleal and Le Lyrial) and on the deck 3 of our PONANT EXPLORERS.


Shop

On board all our ships, our shop is open during sailing. It features a selection of gifts and souvenirs: clothing, jewelry, beauty treatments, postcards and accessories.


Theatre

The Theatre* is the most unique meeting space on board. It's the largest space on the ship and regularly accommodates all the passengers. It plays host to shows and entertainment as well as conferences from our experts, naturalist guides and guests of honours. The Theatre makes every cruise unique and enriching thanks to its constant and very accessible events.


Leisure Areas

A choice of books and board games is available on board our fleet. The library on Deck 6 on Le Boreal, L'Austral, Le Soleal and Le Lyrial is also equipped with computers with Wi-Fi. On Deck 5, you will find an image and photo corner, as well as our Kids Club offering various games and a Wii console. All staterooms and suites on our ships are equipped with direct access to video on demand.


Lounges and Bars

The various different lounges allow passengers to meet up and share quality time together. The main lounge is the ideal place to relax with a drink and enjoy the various activities that have been organised such as dancing classes or theme evenings.The cosy piano bar is a panorama lounge with breathtaking views of the horizon.The outside bar is a great space for relaxing and is handy for accessing the swimming pool* and its solarium.


Onboard events

There are performers on board all of our ships. Recruited for their talent in Paris and Rome, they star in multiple shows at the Theatre, after dinner. Throughout your voyage, they host the various entertainment events in the Grand Salon, with the support of our on-board musicians.

During Tea Time or before dinner, our musical duosconsisting of a singer and an accompanying musician play classical repertoires for you. In the evening, they play in concert at the Theatere or invite you to show off your dance moves. Dance evenings are thus co-led by performance dancers who know just how to keep you in step, under the direction of the Cruise Director.

There's plenty of themed entertainment to enjoy in the evenings. Both a soirée blanche (dress-in-white party) and an officers' evening are held on all long cruises. Other types of parties or evening events may also be on the programme, such as karaoke parties, a Casino parties or games evenings.

Films are regularly shown at the Theatre on giant screens. National Geographic features, documentaries related to our expedition route and feature films contribute to the cultural enrichment that is part of our cruise philosophy.


Excursion Reception and Office

On board the sisterships (Le Boreal, L'Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial) and PONANT EXPLORERS, the reception desk and the excursion desk are arranged side by side to facilitate all your requests. 

Reception: our receptionists can accommodate you 24 hours a day on all our ships (from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Le Ponant) to answer all your needs, such as room service, etc.

The excursion office: the excursion team is available at all times to tell you about the onshore programmes, organise group or private excursions and to manage transfers at the start or end of the cruise. 

On Le Ponant, the receptionist will answer all your questions about excursions.


The Blue Eye

Every ship** in the PONANT EXPLORERS series features the Blue Eye. Located in the hull, below the waterline, this unique multi-sensory lounge that is unique to Ponant cruises plunges you into the heart of underwater life. Sight, hearing, and sensations... With digital screens, hydrophones and Body Listening sofas, you can experience the complete and unprecedented spectacle offered by the seabed. 

A Very Special Experience

Le Ponant invites you to enjoy an unforgettable experience. This very welcoming and relaxing ship offers you the unique opportunity to enjoy a private yacht-style cruise, in a small group. Immerse yourself in an exclusive world of personalised service, with a discreet and attentive crew, gastronomy worthy of the best restaurants and exceptional moments at each port of call.

A Tailor-made offer

Because we want your trip to meet all your expectations, we strive daily to offer an experience that is tailor-made for you, carefully taking all your preferences into account before you even step on board. 

To handle all the logistics of your trip and to guarantee true peace of mind, our concierge service is at your disposal. Flights, hotels or transfers – whatever your needs, we are committed to providing you with the best solutions.

On board, our 34 crew members - that’s more than one per passenger - are at your service to respond to all your requests, to take care of your comfort and well-being throughout your trip and to ensure that you enjoy one of the most luxurious yachting experiences available.

Fine Dining

Every day, Le Ponant’s dedicated chef will offer you refined and varied cuisine, creating menus that respect both the flavours of the destinations visited and your individual food preferences, in order to satisfy all our passengers with skilful and efficient versatility.

Concerned about sustainable tourism, we get our supplies directly from the places where we dock and pay particular attention to the origin of the products we use.

Unforgettable Moments

Our mission is to ensure that you enjoy some unforgettable moments – an integral part of the experience of a trip on board Le Ponant. Whether it’s a lobster barbecue, a theme evening organised on board or at a port of call, or a film screened on the sails, we have dreamed up some exceptional moments for you, which you can participate in throughout your cruise as the mood strikes you. 

Also on the programme are a variety of sports and water activities, with all the necessary equipment you need to enjoy them. So, treat yourself to an experience – more than just a trip – where every moment has been conceived for and with you.

Fitness and Beauty

The Spa

All our ships feature an onboard spa. Equipped with massage cabins and a Turkish bath (Sisterships) or a sauna (Explorers), the spa offers a wide choice of top-of-the-range treatments provided in association with SOTHYS™ or CLARINS (Le Bellot and Le Jacques-Cartier only), leading French spa and wellness centre brands.

Discover a range of facial treatments, aromatic baths, exfoliation and body massage treatments designed to provide moments of complete relaxation. You can also supplement your beauty ritual with additional services such as hair-removal, makeovers, manicures and pedicures.

The Hairdressing Salon

Provided in partnership with KÉRASTASE® and L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL®, the hairdressing salon offers a complete range of top quality treatments designed to strengthen, nourish and reinvigorate hair's shine and brilliance. Our stylists are available to serve all your styling, highlighting, colouring, cutting and tailored hair advice needs.

The Gym

The gyms on our ships are equipped with the very latest Technogym© equipment and machines. Treadmills, exercise bikes, Kinesis Wall© strength training machines and many other types of equipment are all provided in a laid-back relaxing environment. The wide floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the sea add undeniable charm to the exercise sessions.

Each day also begins with organised morning workout sessions, either out in the open air or in the theatre. These are supplemented by water aerobics in the pool, or in the sea off the beach for PONANT passengers, when the situation allows it.

Ship Facts
  • Guest Capacity: 32
  • Built: 1991
  • Refurbished: 2020
  • Decks: 4
  • Length: 88m 
  • Beam: 12m
  • Draught: 4m
  • Gross Tonnage: 1443 UMS
  • Cruising Speed: 10 knots
  • Ice Class: 1 C
  • Classification: Bureau Veritas
  • Flag: French
  • Crew: 34
Categories
Antigua Stateroom
Category Code(s)
ANT
Description Individually-controlled air-conditioning. Double bed or twin beds. Shower. Minibar. Flat screen satellite TV. Desk with stationery and Ipod players. Safe. Hairdryer. Bath robes. Satellite direct line telephone. French bath products. 24hr room service.
Marie-Galante Stateroom
Category Code(s)
MAG
MG
Description Individually-controlled air-conditioning. Double bed or twin beds. Shower. Minibar. Flat screen satellite TV. Ipod players. Video on demand. Safe. Hairdryer. Bath robes. Satellite direct line telephone. French bath products. 24hr room service.
Marie Galante Premium
Category Code(s)
MGP

Please note: Stateroom images and features are samples only. Actual furniture, fixtures, colors, configurations and window/porthole views may vary.

Decks
Stateroom Legend
  • Stateroom Legend
  • ANT Antigua Stateroom
  • MAG Marie-Galante Stateroom
  • MG Marie-Galante Stateroom
  • MGP Marie Galante Premium
Stateroom Symbol Legend
  • Stateroom Symbol Legend
  • Prestige Suite, Privilege Stateroom, or Grand Privilege Suite
Please select the deck plan you will like to see below

Sun Deck

Choose your cabin on Sun Deck
Vendor
Ponant
General

A unique travel experience.

For more than 25 years, PONANT cruises have been offering remarkable experiences to our guests. Sailing aboard one of our ships means enjoying rare encounters with nature in the heart of virgin territories. It means discovering other cultures and traditions, sharing memories with tribes from the other side of the world. It means enjoying the magic of the PONANT Moment.

Innovative itineraries

From 5-star Culture and Leisure cruises to Expeditions, PONANT creates unique itineraries that will meet any traveler's desire for new horizons. Our ships explore every continent, from cultural experience in Northern Europe or a journey of discovery in South America, to an idyllic cruise in the Caribbean or a refined adventure among the Antarctic ice floes.

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