Ponant: Our Cruise Line Guide

The back story

Fleet: 14 ships: Le Commandant Charcot, Le Ponant, Spirit of Ponant, 4 Sisterships and 6 PONANT EXPLORERS (ponant.com, Oct 2026) · Guests per ship: 12 (Spirit of Ponant) to 264 (Sisterships); 245 on Le Commandant Charcot (ponant.com) · What’s included: Open Bar, 24/7 Wi-Fi, port taxes, one included activity per stop (ponant.com FAQ) · Sails to: Antarctica, the Arctic, the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific · Language on board: French and English (ponant.com FAQ)

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   Ponant: the back story

   Ponant·

   A French line that began with one three-masted sailing yacht and now takes small ships, flying the French flag, from the Antarctic ice to the Kimberley.

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The fleet

Who it suits. On a budget: First-timers who want a small ship: a lower-deck balcony stateroom on a PONANT EXPLORER, booked early for the PONANT Bonus, or a departure with the single supplement waived. Mid-range: A Deluxe or Prestige Suite on the Explorers or Sisterships, on a Mediterranean or Caribbean voyage with an included activity at every stop. Luxury: The Owner’s or Duplex Suite on Le Commandant Charcot in the high Arctic or the Weddell Sea, with dinners at Le Nuna.

1. L

   245 guests

   Le Commandant Charcot

   Ponant·Polar exploration ship·€€€€

   The high polar exploration ship: hybrid-electric and powered by liquefied natural gas, with two laboratories and Le Nuna by Alain Ducasse.

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2. L

   32 guests

   Le Ponant

   Ponant·Sailing yacht·€€€€

   The three-masted sailing yacht where it all began, and the first sailing ship to earn the Relais & Châteaux distinction (2023).

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3. S

   12 guests

   Spirit of Ponant

   Ponant·Private-charter catamaran·€€€€

   A Lagoon Seventy 7 maxi-catamaran chartered whole in the Seychelles: you choose the dates, the length and the route.

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   Up to 264 guests

   Ponant Sisterships

   Ponant·Expedition yachts · Sistership class·€€€

   Le Boréal, L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial: small expedition yachts built to reach remote shores and ports reserved for small vessels.

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5. P

   184 guests

   PONANT EXPLORERS

   Ponant·Expedition yachts · Explorer class·€€€

   Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont d’Urville, Le Bellot and Le Jacques Cartier, each with the Blue Eye underwater lounge.

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The suites

1. O

   1,237 ft²

   Owner’s Suite, Le Commandant Charcot

   Ponant·Signature suite·€€€€

   The largest suite in the fleet: 1,237 ft² for up to six guests aboard the polar flagship.

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2. D

   1,011 ft²

   Duplex Suite, Le Commandant Charcot

   Ponant·Signature suite·€€€€

   A two-level suite of 1,011 ft² for up to four guests on the polar ship.

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3. G

   527 ft²

   Grand Privilege Suite, Le Ponant

   Ponant·Signature suite·€€€€

   The largest suite aboard the sailing yacht: 527 ft² for up to five guests.

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Dining on board

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   Alain Ducasse

   Le Nuna

   Ponant·Fine dining · Le Commandant Charcot·€€€€

   Aboard Le Commandant Charcot: in Ponant’s words, the only Alain Ducasse restaurant at sea.

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   Ducasse Conseil

   Le Nautilus

   Ponant·Restaurant · Explorers and Sisterships·€€€

   The gourmet restaurant on the PONANT EXPLORERS and Sisterships, with menus by Ducasse Conseil.

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   Relaxed evenings

   Céleste

   Ponant·Grill and buffet·€€€

   The grill on the Explorers and Sisterships: a generous buffet with hot dishes served by the chef.

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4. L

   Market cooking

   Le Diamant

   Ponant·Restaurant · Le Ponant·€€€€

   The restaurant aboard Le Ponant, cooking with regional produce bought at markets along the route.

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5. I

   Seats 79

   Inneq outdoor bar

   Ponant·Outdoor bar · Le Commandant Charcot·€€€

   Le Commandant Charcot’s outdoor bar on Deck 9, serving sweet and savoury dishes from 11am to 6pm.

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   French producers

   Ponant tastings

   Ponant·Tastings and afternoon tea·€€€

   Kaviari caviar, Berman Ibéricos pata negra, Pierre Hermé macarons, Bordier butter and cheeses, and Valrhona chocolate.

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Spa and wellness

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   Explorers and Sisterships

   Ponant spa (Sothys & Davines)

   Ponant·Spa and fitness·€€€

   Treatments, massages and hairdressing with SOTHYS and Davines, plus a hammam or sauna and a fitness room.

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   Snow room

   Le Commandant Charcot wellness

   Ponant·Polar wellness·€€€€

   A Nordic-inspired wellness area with an indoor pool, snow room and Blue Lagoon.

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Life on board

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   PONANT EXPLORERS only

   Blue Eye underwater lounge

   Ponant·Underwater lounge

   On the PONANT EXPLORERS, a lounge bar below the waterline with two large portholes.

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2. N

   Naturalists and Zodiacs

   Ponant·Expedition team

   About ten naturalist guides on every expedition, and double that on Le Commandant Charcot.

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3. E

   Evenings on board

   Ponant·Dress code and entertainment

   Casual-elegant by day, cocktail dress for gala evenings and white, or black and white, for the Officers’ evening.

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Where it sails

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   Both polar regions

   Where Ponant sails

   Ponant·Itineraries

   Antarctica and the Arctic, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Amazon, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Asia and the Pacific.

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What’s included and how to book

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   All-inclusive

   What the Ponant fare includes

   Ponant·Inclusions

   An Open Bar (most drinks, champagne included), 24-hour Wi-Fi, port taxes and one included activity at every stop.

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   About €10–12 a day

   Ponant gratuities

   Ponant·Service charges

   Tips are at your discretion: an anonymous envelope is left in your cabin at the end of the voyage.

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