We have done about 25 cruises overall, and with Oceania, SilverSea, Seabourn, Crystal and APT. All top end luxury cruise lines. Ponant is priced at the same level but our cruise was unbelievably awful, FOOD...tasteless, the same every day...poor quality..boring, so I survived on watermelon and lettuce. SUITE..what a joke. They left the door open between two adjoining cabins and called it a suite. We had no need for a second cabin, so we paid double for nothing. SERVICE...It would help if the crew spoke English without an accent one cannot understand and it would also help if the Maitre D did not argue with guests about the poor quality of the food...very defensive. EXCURSIONS...Very expensive and should have been included in the price. ATTITUDE ON BOARD....OK if you are French, not OK if you speak English...felt like we were intruding on the French guests and crew.

DISEMBARKATION....what a joke. They promised to take us to Christchurch and dropped us off at a place called Akaora some 2 hours from Christchurch so we had to pay yet again to get to Christchurch. ITINERARY...Do NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING THIS MOB PUT IN THEIR BROCHURES . We purchased this cruise to visit Norfolk Island, the high light of the cruise. The day before we sailed when I read the itinerary that had been delivered to us only hours earlier, we found a quite different itinerary which cut out Norfolk Island. No explanation and when I asked for compensation from Ponant upon return to Sydney, I received a most arrogant defensive letter ." you should have checked our website to check out what changes we make..". Just awful attitude...rude..defensive...insulting...just like the attitude on board. It comes from the top administration of course, so if you are looking for a far inferior cruise to those I have mentioned above, and you want to eat poor quality food the same every day and have to hassle to get what you have paid for, go for Ponant. If on the other hand you want good service, food, accommodation etc. then there are plenty of other cruise lines that charge the same or less who will respect you as a guest.

Embarkation at Noumea. No preparation...had to wait on street with luggage with no water or refreshments until 5 p.m. boarding. Unusually late for luxury ship, but they were still not ready. Very disorganised. SUITE. We purchased a suite and were given two adjoining cabins with door propped open. We had no use for a second cabin, so we paid double for no suite . FOOD. Just awful. Repetitive. Bland. Overcooked. Poor quality. Tasteless and unattractive I mostly ate watermelon and lettuce. CHRISTMAS DAY. What a joke..a few Read more