A cruise from Otaru to Osaka was what we took. Ship is well appointed tho staterooms leave little room for 2 people to move around especially if you wanted to share a drink together. Bathroom small with half tub. Entertainment on board were a singer and 2 piano players - thats it. The ports of call were very similar looking at old houses and temples. However the cherry blossoms were spectacular ...
We chose Le Soleal because we wanted to visited Japan and cruise on a relatively small ship.
We are hard pressed thinking of any negatives in regard to the ship, the crew, the food, the destination and the fabulous Japan experts, marine biologist, ornithologist and knowledgeable guides.
We visited places on the Seto Inland Sea which see very few tourists. We had such warm and welcoming ...
This is my second Ponant cruise and I found both cruises to be of a very high calibre in relation to food and experiences. Ponant is an 'all inclusive' line, with the sub-Antarctic cruise including all meals, drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic) at all times, including a mini bar which is re-stocked daily to your specifications.
The food is toward the Epicurean, but more standard fare was also ...
We are destination driven cruises, so If a ship is going where we like to travel, we will book & travel on it.
This last cruise, also happened to be over Xmas & I wanted a break from cooking for up to 16 people for lunch.
We boarded the ship on 14 December in Dunedin New Zealand, as our tour was the Sub-Antarctic Cruise.
The service from our Cabin attendants was fantastic, everything was ...
Trip of a lifetime at a suitable time to a magical place on a comfortable ship.
Unfortunately the ship had been damaged and required repairs in dry dock. We were not informed that there were MAJOR changes until a few days before departure. Some passengers found out about changes on arrival for departure.
Communication throughout the whole process was almost non existent and totally in ...
I travelled with Ponant to Antarctica in January 2020 with my Son, aboard Le Soleal on the 11 day “Emblematic Antarctica”, this being my first cruise with Ponant.
From first contact with Ponant’s Australian office, which is located in Sydney, it was apparent that the standard of customer service was going to be impeccable. This was demonstrated by being able to speak with the same staff ...
Day 7 of our Ponant “Luxury” cruise. Today they told us that, because of maintenance, there will be no water on board from 2pm until 5pm. Typical of this remodel cruise. But first things first….DO NOT, EVER TAKE A PONANT RELOCATION (ie remodel) CRUISE. There are only 88 passengers on this cruise from Ushuaia Argentina to Easter Island instead of the 249 capacity so I guess they thought they ...
Background: We were on Le Soleal for a 20 day cruise that turned out to be 24 days due to a precautionary 14 day CV19 quarantine. Originally scheduled to go from Argentina to Tahiti with stops throughout the South Pacific, we were able to make only one stop due to the CV issue. Fortunately no one on the ship had showed signs of the virus at the time we left on March 24.
Many things can be ...
This report includes information on our February 3-19, 2020, “Beyond the Polar Circle” expedition cruise on the Le Soléal with Ponant. Although we had traveled on a “drive by” cruise of the Antarctic Peninsula in 2007 on the Golden Princess, this expedition offered the opportunity to experience the Antarctic region in more depth and the possibility of better wildlife sightings. Unfortunately, the ...
Having made numerous cruises on various lines (20 +) I can honestly say Ponant really misses the mark. Cruise is billed as high end with gourmet dining, luxury cabins and exciting entertainment all to be accompanied with outstanding French service standards.
Rooms are clean, not spacious but such should be expected on a small ship. Toilet is in a separate room from shower making it somewhat ...