L'Austral Review

Antarctic expedition

Review for Antarctica Cruise on L'Austral
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Akasapo
6-10 Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jan 2019
Ship anchored in spectacular bay as we go ashore in zodiac
Penguins nesting
Fascinating little creatures
Animal life on the continent
Midnight scene from our cabin

We chose this cruise because of the small ship size (220 passeners), the fact that it was spending 6 full days at the white continent and that it would be sending us ashore on zodiac rafts. We were very impressed with the friendliness and service by the staff at every level from dining to the excursions. We were very excited about seeing the majesty of Antarctica and the ship's captain and crew did not disappoint. We felt they made every effort to insure that our cruise and shore experiences were excellent. The lectures were very good and informative although some of them didn't relate to the particular cruise we were on. Would have liked more specifics and history about Antarctica. The ship's store was also lacking, not in size but in products. Would have loved to see more items that were specific to our cruise i.e., clothing, hats, sweatshirts, shirts, etc, that related to Antarctica. The food service was excellent but the cuisine was just average for a cruise line. We expected a little higher end fare, especially on a French cruise line. We also felt that pre-cruise Ponant could have sent a little more information about preparing for the cruise to Antarctica and what to expect on board. Because of the uniqueness of this particular cruise a little more up front information would have been appreciated. Our criticisms are minor in what was otherwise a wonderful experience. It was one of those trips of a lifetime being able to experience Antarctica up close and we have already recommended Ponant as an excellent choice to friends

Cabin Review

Cabin Balcony room

For a small ship on a short cruise it was fine. A little tight near the window sliders because we had to store one of our luggage pieces there.

Port Reviews

Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego)

Basic tour around the city. If you wants quick basic overview it's fine.

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