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
T
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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