This was approximately our 40th cruise, one of the most, if not THE most expensive (per day), and definitely the most disappointing. We went to meet friends who have cruised with Ponant before; this was our first time. The ship is lovely and clean. Our cabin, though small, was adequate with surprisingly good storage space. The bed was comfortable, and our cabin steward was unobtrusive and ...
We chose this cruise for the interesting itinerary. We actually did a back to back, staying onboard for the next cruise around Svalbard in the Arctic. Friendly, helpful staff and a beautiful ship, but there were issues. Our bed was two cots with a mattress topper that was different heights. Not the normal bed for a 5th floor room. We could not put our luggage underneath. We always are able to do ...
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 ...
DH and I are veterans of many "luxury" and a few non-luxury cruises, with no particular favorite line. We like to mix and match depending on itinerary, timing, and other factors. We wanted to combine a pre-cruise land trip to Ireland with a classical music cruise, and then a land trip in Scotland, where we would disembark.
We booked this one-week port-intensive "Music in Celtic Lands" cruise ...
I notice that none of the other reviews talk about money. I'm therefore assuming this ship and itineraries are for people seeking to explore certain destinations and will pay whatever it takes to do so.
In that case I would echo the other excellent reviews.
However, almost everyone I spoke to on this 2 day ship visit, said that they had a great time, but they really had to think about if ...
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 ...
It was our second journey with Ponant, this time to Madagascar and vicinity. The ship is in great shape and feels very new. We used a regular balcony cabin and found it of a decent size and ample amount of storage space. The food and the service were fabulous. The shore tours were great. The team of naturalists was very good. Local guides were reasonably prepared. The lectures in preparation for ...
Chose this cruise for the destination and the fact that it was a small ship and expedition. All excursions were expedition with an experienced naturalists leading each off ship experience. Dining was exceptional. Staff on board took care of every detail to maximize your experience. Destination did not disappoint. There was entertainment each evening and while we did not dance the night away, I ...
This was our 14th cruise, the second on Ponant, and we sought it out because we are tired of the large ship cruises. Ponant offers expeditionary experiences, rather than the traditional "rest, relax and party" cruise, so we approached our time with that expectation.
We were incredibly impressed. The ship is graceful, beautiful and very comfortable. Appointments are sophisticated and of the ...
This cruise was a few years coming because of Covid, cancellations and non-refundable payments. However, it was well worth waiting for. Food, crew, comfort, organisation, helpfulness, friendliness, arrival and departure processes were all excellent. This was an Expedition cruise which meant we had twice-daily expeditions on zodiacs to either explore or land on Antarctica. These expeditions were ...