Ponant Europe - River Cruise Reviews

John and I were delighted to discover this one-off food- and wine-centric itinerary on the L’Austral. We enjoy the French ambiance, excellent food, and great wine onboard Ponant’s ships. This cruise promised more of the same by including a Michelin-starred guest chef, guest experts on wine and cheese, and special wine and gastronomic events. The Ponant Corporate Chef was also onboard this ...

This was a Smithsonian Journey and on a previous cruise we met a lovely couple and we became good friends. They had booked this trip and asked if we would consider doing so and enjoy a holiday together. Sadly this trip did not compare in any way with our previous experience while cruising with Ponant. The only special part was meeting our friends. Our cabin left a lot to be desired, ...

Great WiFi and easy to get on and off the boat, great butter and cheese...other than that is was like being on a geriatric prison boat. Same food everyday Extremely minimal service Small Dark rooms with the toilet separate from the sink. No bars to sit at No comfortable seating Morose staff Not enough staff 2 hours to eat each meal and then nothing else... Very little to ...

On its website the company promotes this ship in a manner which is quite misleading and leaves one very disappointed. In particular: “The Art of cruising A la Francaise”, “exquisite dining with French cuisine” “our gourmet cuisine is worthy of top fine dining restaurants “, “French chic and elegance” “Crew members, all versed in elegant discretion” “fully bilingual service on board”, Well, the ...