FTB57: Ponant, Aurora

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ISSUE 57 SPRING 2018

FRENCH CHIC Ponant’s Le Lapérouse will soon cruise Australia’s Kimberley region

A DATE WITH DUBAI Fall in love with the Middle East’s most modern metropolis

WITH COMPLIMENTS OF YOUR LOCAL CRUISECO CRUISE SPECIALIST

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Crystal Bach, one of four Rhine Class river ships

Ponant’s brand-new Explorer-class vessel Le Lapérouse

THE WORLD IS

YOUR OYSTER French-flagged small-ship line Ponant is cementing itself as the world leader of luxury expedition cruising, with six new state-of-the-art vessels.

WORDS: RODERICK EIME

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he allure of small-ship expedition cruising is changing the world of travel as never before. Driven by customers’ quest for spectacular exotic scenery and extraordinary wildlife encounters, pioneering adventure-cruise lines such as Ponant have responded with class-leading ships capable of delivering these unforgettable experiences along with cut-above comfort.

With 30 years of maritime experience, Ponant is now one of the world’s leaders in boutique cruising, its gleaming vessels possessing state-of-the-art technological and environmentally sensitive inclusions.

Steering clear of crowded, commercialised ports, Ponant vessels are designed to reach remote locations

inaccessible to larger cruise vessels, where guests are likely to be greeted in local cultural fashion, such as by a flotilla of indigenous canoes and the songs of traditional people.

Ponant’s modern fleet includes four sister ships—Le Boréal, L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial. More recently, Ponant has embarked on a build program, turning out dedicated expedition vessels—the ‘Explorer’ class includes new ship Le Lapérouse—designed to be as much at home within the sheer gorges of the Kimberley as they are in the balmy waters of the Caribbean or French Riviera.

The pièce de résistance on these Explorer ships is, without doubt, the much-lauded multi-sensory Blue Eye

lounge, which is actually below the waterline and is fitted out with special projectors and audiovisual equipment, delivering a hitherto-unimaginable ‘submarine’ experience to guests, which Ponant calls “bionic and biomimetic”.

Imagine listening to your favourite symphony interspersed with the natural music of the ocean, while mesmerising marine creatures cavort outside the giant portholes or are projected onto the walls of the lounge via underwater cameras.

Travellers already familiar with the Ponant style will feel immediately at home within the subtly elegant interior of the Explorers. While the new ships are only slightly smaller in outward dimensions than Ponant’s existing ships, passenger

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CRUISE LINE UPDATE

Travellers already familiar with the Ponant style will feel immediately at home within the subtly elegant interior of the Explorers.

The light-filled Panoramic Restaurant

The cosy Observatory offers expansive views

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: CHRISTOPHE DUGIED

numbers have been reduced, from a maximum of 264 per vessel in the current fleet to just 184, housed in 92 suites and staterooms, in the Explorer ships, further enhancing the feeling of space and privacy. Each of Ponant’s Explorers will also have a relatively light 1C ice rating, making them theoretically capable of operating in some polar regions.

On each of the six new ships, seven styles of all-exterior cabin are spread across four decks, ranging from the opulent Owner’s Suite, with 75sqm of exclusive space—and a hot tub—to the entry-level Deluxe Staterooms, each totalling 23sqm including the private balcony that adorns every stateroom.

Numerous amenities and conveniences

©PONANT

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: PHILIP PLISSON

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: CHRISTOPHE DUGIED

The stylish-yet-homely Owner’s Suite features warm and inviting decor

are included, such as a flat-screen TV with an airline-style entertainment program, an iPod player and wi-fi.

Dining takes place in either of the two restaurants on board each Explorer ship.

The expansive and elegant Panoramic Restaurant seats all guests in a single sitting, with a French-inspired à la carte menu, full table service and an outdoor area. The smaller, convivial Grill is where you can enjoy more casual buffet dining and, as the name suggests, grills and carvery. Naturally, each offers full bar service and an extensive wine selection.

While a jacket and evening gown may be worth packing for the captain’s cocktails, most times you can leave your tuxedo and sequins at home. Dress code is typically ‘resort chic’, reflecting more comfort and practicality than high fashion.

All documentation and announcements are bilingual: in French and English.

The high-tech theatre on each Explorer vessel can seat the full complement of passengers, who gather here to enjoy SPRING 2018 9

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: NICK RAINS

Le Lapérouse will spend a full season cruising from Broome to the stunning Kimberley

itinerary-focused lectures—as well as live entertainment on some voyages.

A fitness and spa facility is located on the topmost sundeck.

Public spaces aboard include a plush main lounge and bar adjoining the outdoor pool area at the stern, which leads down to the marina. On some older ships in other fleets, access to Zodiac excursion tenders and watersport facilities can be troublesome. But the Ponant Explorers employ a unique, three-position hydraulic platform for easy loading of the inflatable boats and deployment of paddleboards and kayaks.

A second panoramic lounge is located forward and above the bridge for superb viewing of spectacular vistas in the exotic lands the vessels will visit. There’s even a small kids’ club for junior adventurers.

As you read this, the first of these new vessels, Le Lapérouse, will be setting out on her debut voyages through Europe and the Mediterranean en route to Australia.

Notably, Le Lapérouse will spend a full season in Australia’s ancient north-west, where she will explore the majestic

The ship’s many Zodiacs make a breeze Take aexploring cable car to the top of Koblenz for breathtaking views

FACT FILE Cruise line: Ponant, Yacht Cruises & Expeditions Ships: Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain (2018); Le Bougainville and Le Dumont-d’Urville (2019), Le Surville and Le Bellot (2020) Max. guest capacity: 184 Facilities: 2 restaurants, outdoor bar, panoramic lounge, underwater lounge, theatre, infini y pool, solarium, spa and fitness entre, Zodiacs and other watersports equipment, boutique.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: NICK RAINS

Le Lapérouse will spend a full season in Australia’s ancient north-west, where she will explore the majestic waterways of the Kimberley.

waterways of the Kimberley. Renowned for its awe-inspiring waterfalls, savage gorges, harsh savannah and an Indigenous heritage dating back tens of thousands of years, the Kimberley region of Western Australia is fast gaining a reputation as an authentic wilderness experience of global significance. Cruise fares for a 10-night voyage departing on July 22, 2019, start at $11,150 per person, twin share in a Guaranteed Deluxe Stateroom.

After cruising the Kimberley waterways, Le Lapérouse will return to waters explored by its namesake mariner—whose full name was the unwieldy Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse. After ranging widely in the South Pacific and Australia, the brave and well-liked French seafarer was lost somewhere in the Solomons in 1789, with his ship and all his men—though recent evidence suggests that some crew may have escaped in a smaller vessel, surviving for long enough to make it to northern Australian waters.

Australians will be spoiled by getting early access to this thoroughly modern vessel, but it won’t be long before Le Lapérouse is joined by her five intrepid sister ships. By 2020, all six will be plying the oceans far and wide, affording unprecedented global coverage to Ponant guests with a thirst for adventure.

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CUTTING EDGE IN THE ICY ARCTIC A great name in Australian exploration returns to the Arctic in high-tech form.

WORDS: RODERICK EIME

W

hen today’s prominent adventure cruise lines were still studying cocktail recipes and rehearsing stage shows, Aurora Expeditions was forging new paths for explorers in the world’s polar regions.

Back in 1992, Aurora Expeditions was making pioneering cruises to Antarctica and beyond, years before the journey occurred to most of today’s travellers.

Founders Greg and Margaret Mortimer were explorers and adventurers in the truest sense. Sydney-born Greg is one of Australia’s most accomplished mountaineers, having conquered Annapurna II in 1983, Mount Everest in 1984—without oxygen, Mount Minto in Antarctica in 1988, K2 in 1990 and Manaslu in 2002. He has been awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) and three Australian Geographic Society medals. Such was the genesis of Aurora Expeditions, setting in stone the ethos and spirit of true expedition cruising.

Mortimer sold Aurora Expeditions in late 2008, but has continued to consult both governments and the private sector on Antarctic policy.

Like Greg Mortimer himself, Aurora Expeditions has been the quiet achiever of Australian small-group travel and expedition cruising; only recently has the company sought to substantially elevate its position in the market, with the announcement of a brand-new ship, appropriately named Greg Mortimer.

Not your average expedition ship, the environmentally friendly Greg Mortimer will employ the latest in maritime technology.

Its hull will utilise the revolutionary patented X-BOW® design, which has been proven to greatly reduce the impact of rough seas such as those encountered frequently in the Drake Passage, en route to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Other innovative inclusions are the retractable observation platforms for exceptional wildlife and scenic viewing, and a custom-designed transom for effortless deployment of kayaks and other watercraft.

Given Aurora Expeditions’ 25-plus years of small-ship experience in the polar regions, it is not surprising that the 104-metre Greg Mortimer will begin its program in Antarctica, with its maiden voyage departing Ushuaia, Argentina on October 31, 2019.

Plying the pristine waters around Spitsbergen and Svalbard, Greg Mortimer

Guests will be on the lookout for rare sea-life sightings

will venture amid the towering spires of this magnificent Arctic wonderland in search of polar bears, walrus, whales and innumerable species of seabirds.

Like some scene from Game of Thrones, this enigmatic archipelago way above the Arctic Circle is also a land full of history and folklore. Many daring missions to the North Pole began from here, including those of Umberto Nobile, Richard E Byrd and even our own unsung hero, South Australian-born Sir Hubert Wilkins, who led the first submarine expedition to the Arctic in 1931.

Aiming to quench even the most ardent thirst for Arctic adventure, Aurora has constructed one of the most comprehensive polar-region itineraries ever for the new Greg Mortimer.

Appropriately titled ‘Arctic Complete’, this fulsome voyage will explore Svalbard, East Greenland and Iceland over more than three weeks from August 9, 2020.

Beginning in Iceland’s historic port of Reykjavik, Greg Mortimer will sail along the ragged eastern coast of Greenland in search of whales, with sightings of rare fin and blue whales possible. Pods of orcas are frequently observed in these waters, as is the world’s favourite whale: the mighty humpback. Along the Blosseville Coast and through Rømer Fjord, musk oxen can often be seen on the rocky slopes and narwhal close to shore.

It’s important to note that this area of Greenland also hosts Scoresby Sund, the

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CRUISE REGION FOCUS

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SVALBARD HINLOPEN STRAIT

MAGDALENEFJORDEN

GREENLAND

LONGYEARBYEN KAISER FRANZ JOSEF FJORD KING OSKAR FJORD DENMARK STRAIT

REYKJAVIK

At Spitsbergen, Zodiac excursions will take place beneath the dizzying cliffs, amid the cacophonous squawks of millions of nesting seabirds—a sight (and smell!) you’ll likely never forget.

SCORESBY SUND

ICELAND

Cruise line: Aurora Expeditions Ship: Greg Mortimer Max. guest capacity: 160 (100+ kayakers and divers for Antarctica; 140 for the Arctic, except for ‘Inuit Arctic & Beyond’, which can take 160) Facilities: Jacuzzis/plunge pools, dining room, bars, observation deck/lounge, lecture theatre, sauna/ wellness centre, photography/art room, external hydraulic viewing platforms, Zodiacs, library, gym.

ITINERARY On August 9, 2020, Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer will depart Reykjavik on a 22-night cruise through the Denmark Strait en route to Scoresby Sund, King Oskar Fjord and Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, before exploring Svalbard and Longyearbyen. Arctic Complete cruise fares, including Pick your Polar Perk* savings of $1550 per person, now start from AU$16,950 per person, twin share in a Balcony Stateroom. *Valid for new bookings made by October 31, 2018; subject to availability at time of booking.

SHIP IMAGE IS ARTIST’S IMPRESSION ONLY AND MAY VARY.

Balconies feature in 80 per cent of staterooms

Greg Mortimer will feature multiple viewing platforms

largest fjord system on the planet, with massive icebergs the size of city buildings calving off the glaciers and into the ocean.

In Greenland, shore excursions include visits to traditional Inuit communities still living subsistence lifestyles in the harsh Arctic environment. Watch demonstrations of kayaking skills and sealskin preparation as well as beautiful graphic arts, handicrafts and sculpture.

You may even get to taste some of the unique cuisine of the Inuit, particularly the palate-challenging muktuk, made from cured whale skin and blubber.

Houses in Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost town

SHIP IMAGE IS ARTIST’S IMPRESSION ONLY AND MAY VARY.

FACT FILE

This amazing odyssey continues on to Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, where the earnest quest for polar-bear sightings begins. Greg Mortimer will sail as far north as possible in search of these mighty creatures, with a latitude of 80 degrees N entirely likely.

At Spitsbergen, Zodiac excursions will take place beneath the dizzying cliffs, amid the cacophonous squawks of millions of nesting seabirds—a sight (and smell!) you’ll likely never forget.

The journey will wrap up in Longyearbyen, where fascinating repositories of history such as the Airship Museum, North Pole Museum and Svalbard Museum can easily occupy the hours before your flight out from the world s most northerly commercial airport.

With the superbly modern and comfortable facilities of Greg Mortimer as your refuge, this immersive expedition organised by one of Australia’s most experienced Arctic tour companies is sure to satisfy anyone’s Northern-polarregion cravings.

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