Ponant Expedition Cruises Reviews

The only ship of this capability and what an opportunity so we had to take advantage of it. The following describes the actual experience we had. Flight from Paris We were offered the opportunity to pay to upgrade to business class and accepted it, the flight was supposed to leave at 10 a.m. but we did not leave the terminal, on a bus, to the plane until after 10:05. We had to carry ...

My experience on the Ponant La Boungaville cruise from Malta to Nice was, for the most part, a mix of positive emotions and some disappointments. Let me start by highlighting the best aspects of this journey: The standout of the cruise was undoubtedly the presence of Andrea, the cruise director. From the moment I stepped onto the ship, Andrea proved to be an exceptional host. Not only did he ...

We enjoy small ship cruising and desired to try a ship/cruise line new to us and we’re taken with starting on the Thames. The ship is new. The physical plant is excellent. The excursions are average to excellent depending on the sites and guides. We had two average and one excellent guide on at three excellent sites. The food is average. The service is impersonal. Waitstaff’s English is spotty at ...

We wanted to see Maya sites and wanted to try Ponant. We have sailed on Cunard, Celebrity, Oceania, Windstar, Seabourn, Holland America and Viking - 20+ cruises in all, 6 on Seabourn. I would say 80-90 percent of the passengers spoke French as their primary language. We enjoyed that. The officers are French, the staff Indonesian or Filipino. We were rather taken aback to see the captain ...

First, let me say that I really enjoyed my 9 day cruise on Ponant’s Le Jacques Cartier. The trip started in Istanbul and ended in Venice. It’s a luxury cruise line and much to my liking, it caters to the small passenger market. I believe there were 164 or so passengers on the cruise. So it creates an environment that caters to meeting people and moving about at an easy pace. None of the facilities ...

It is my second attempt to explore and visit the New Zealand subantarctic islands. 2 years ago, I was on the Spirit of Enderby which I am going to call "SoE". That trip was booked by a travel agent which I trusted. The result however was something I never do again. I can't handle SoE. Sharing a small room, small shower, toilet that isn't allowed to flush toilet paper etc etc.. well, you get the ...

Hubby & I chose the cruise because we wanted a short cruise that included a Panama Canal crossing. This cruise was an expedition cruise focusing on national parks in Costa Rica & Panama. Started in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica and ended I. Panama City, including a Pacific to Atlantic crossing of the Panamá Canal. We’re not naturalists but thought it may be an interesting experience. This review is ...

Our second cruise with Ponant, this time on their new ship, Le Bougainville. Our cabin on deck 5 was ready as we embarked early in Istanbul.. we found the cabin to be comfortable, enough space for 2, a comfy bed, lovely verandah. The linen was good quality. The bathroom was ideal, great Hermes products that were replenished daily. An excellent shower. The cabin was cleaned well each day. ...

We spent two days in Bali before embarking. We chose this cruise for the remote expedition excursions, and we were not disappointed. Mick, the expedition director, created some wonderful and unusual experiences on fairly isolated Indonesian islands. Expedition staff was excellent. Lectures were excellent. Weather was hot and muggy, but we expected that. Two of our excursions had to be ...

This was our fourth cruise with Ponant and we are big fans of this French cruiseline. We love the small ship experience, Ponant's first class service, food and crew. We were excited to experience their newest ship, Le Laperouse on it's maiden voyage (actually it's second week sailing around Iceland). The ship is beautiful, obviously everything was brand new. The capitan was great and very ...