Tag: POnant

Ponant releases 2025 European ‘Grand Voyages’

February 16, 2024 baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Ponant releases 2025 European ‘Grand Voyages’

Ponant has launched a selection of bespoke European Grand Voyages – sailings made of back-to-back combined itineraries offering the best of Europe to be experienced in 2025

Ponant invites long-haul travelling guests from Australia and New Zealand looking at extended European stays to consider these combined itineraries designed to offer exceptional value for travellers seeking enriching and immersive journeys through Europe in 2025.

Grand Voyage – Antalya to Venice
  • From 17 May to 1 June 2025
  • 15 nights on board L’Austral
  • 16 ports of call visiting 5 countries including Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy.
  • A captivating journey to uncover Greece’s ancient wonders, complemented by a stop in Turkey. Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Mycenae ruins, Epidaurus theatre, Delos Island, and Ephesus historical sites. Experience a diverse itinerary featuring vibrant cities, cultural landmarks, and pristine beaches across the Cyclades and beyond. Sail between the Aegean, Ionian, and Adriatic Seas, discovering Greece, Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia. Enjoy included excursions at each port, carefully curated by destination experts. Explore Vieste, a picturesque new port of call in Puglia, and visit UNESCO sites such as the Acropolis of Athens and the Diocletian’s Palace in Split. Traverse the iconic Corinth Canal and delve into the charm of Lecce from Otranto.
Grand Voyage – Lisbon to Antalya
  • From 18 April to 17 May 2025
  • 29 nights on board L’Austral
  • 28 ports of call visiting 7 countries including Portugal, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Turkey.
  • An in-depth sailing experience in the Mediterranean to uncover the vibrant cities of the Iberian Peninsula and its rich cultural heritage including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the tower of Belém in Lisbon, Valencia’s Silk Exchange, and Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces in Barcelona. Continue through the legendary Strait of Gibraltar after a captivating stopover in Morocco. Discover geological wonders and historical treasures in Lagos, in Southern Portugal before sailing to the enchanting Balearic Islands, including Palma de Mallorca. Explore majestic landscapes and ancient sites from Barcelona to Malta via Sardinia and Sicily, including Arab-Norman Palermo and the temples of Ggantija. Dive into Sardinia’s treasures in Alghero and Cagliari and immerse yourself in Sicily’s lifestyle during four stops. Explore the historical sites and natural wonders of the Maltese Island of Gozo before continuing your voyage through Malta, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Explore the captivating city of Syracuse in Sicily before crossing the Corinth Canal, connecting the Ionian and Aegean Seas.
Grand Voyage – Helsinki to Lisbon
  • From 13 August to 8 September 2025
  • 26 nights on board Le Lapérouse
  • 24 ports of call visiting 12 countries including Finland, Netherlands, UK, France, Spain, and Portugal.
  • A curated voyage tailored featuring engaging discussions with Smithsonian Journey’s experts and included excursions at each port of call. Highlights include exclusive presentations with former Polish President Lech Wałęsa in Gdansk and visits to four UNESCO World Heritage sites along the Baltic Sea. Continue to explore iconic cities of the Hanseatic League and Flanders, with stops in charming coastal towns like Scheveningen. Cultural highlights include Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, Antwerp’s connection to Peter Paul Rubens, and Bruges, the “Venice of the North.” The cruise also explores significant sites like Mont-Saint-Michel and Santiago de Compostela, with opportunities for remembrance at Omaha Beach, a visit to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and tasting Porto’s renowned wines.

Ep148 – Ponant Navigates to Carbon Neutral, Queen Anne, Listener Question, Maritime History & Fact or Fiction

Ep142 – Ponant Celebrates 35 years, Fact of Fiction and Cruise News

Ep113 – Norwegian Prima, Robotron, HAL’s Culinary Cruises, Revolutionising the Internet at Sea and more

Le Ponant’s transformation

December 20, 2021 quality_baz Ocean Cruises Comments Off on Le Ponant’s transformation

Le Ponant, PONANT’s iconic three-masted sailboat, is undergoing a transformation to offer guests an exclusive travel experience. Entirely refurbished with a sophisticated new design by Jean-Philippe Nuel studio.

From June 2022, this legendary sailing ship will set sail again, offering tailor-made itineraries off the beaten track in Greece and Croatia. Sales are now open for 20 departures and 3 new itineraries.

On the programme, exclusive ports of call, sublime and wild landscapes, and a series of immersive activities including glass-bottomed kayaking, snorkelling, stand up paddleboarding, cycling and hiking, all in tune with nature.

 

“Croatia, under the sails of Le Ponant”

Pomalo – a word that means ‘living outside of time’ in Croatian – sets the tone for this sailing which will reveal the riches and wonders of the Dalmatian coast, Croatia and Montenegro. Le Ponant will sail from Dubrovnik to the magnificent Bay of Kotor, before dropping anchor near Mljet, an island renowned for its national park, Korcula, Komiza and the island of Vis, Stari Grad on the island of Hvar, the delightful Pučišća, and finally the Elaphite archipelago.

Dubrovnik, Croatia – Dubrovnik, Croatia – 8 days, 7 nights – 12 sailings from June to August 2022

 

“Island hopping from Dubrovnik to Athens”

On this unique cruise, Le Ponant will sail to the Peloponnese, to the island of Paxos, the port of Fiskardo on the island of Kefalonia, very close to Ithaca, the fortified peninsula of Monemvasia, the island of Kythnos and its scrubland landscapes, and finally Lavrio, a peaceful marina near Athens. Magnificent landscapes, full of emotion and history, between the Ionian and Aegean Seas.

Dubrovnik, Croatia – Lavrio, Greece – 7 days, 6 nights – From 28 August to 3 September 2022

 

“The Cyclades, in the wake of Le Ponant”

This sailing is an invitation to rediscover the wonders of the Greek archipelago, its islands of white rock, their picturesque white houses and the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea. From the port of Lavrio, a short distance from Athens, Le Ponant will set sail for the Cyclades and the Saronic Islands with exclusive ports of call in Tinos, Polyaigos, Folegandros, Monemvasia, Kythnos, and finally Spetses.

Lavrio, Greece – Lavrio, Greece – 8 days, 7 nights – 7 sailings from September to October 2022

 

Bookings for summer 2022 departures now open

Image Credits: ©PONANT_Studio Jean-Philippe

Ponant pioneers safety regulations in the polar regions

October 27, 2021 quality_baz Expedition Cruises Comments Off on Ponant pioneers safety regulations in the polar regions

Ponant pioneers safety regulations in the polar regions

Image Credit: Ponant, Nathalie Michel

Ponant, the world leader of luxury expeditions, and an expert in navigation in polar regions for over two decades, recently organised the world’s first international rescue exercise in a remote polar zone. During a trial voyage to the North Pole with its polar exploration vessel, Le Commandant Charcot, the company raised the bar again for maritime safety and standards in polar tourism. 

The one-off on-site scenario was live coordinated between Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, the United States and Norway, as well as the PONANT teams aboard and PONANT’s head office in Marseille, France. The exercise took place over a 24-hour period on the ice, during which the 67 participants had to set up a polar survival camp among other tasks. American and Canadian coastguards, as well as Norwegian Arctic rescue experts were also present as observers.

The objectives of the simulated rescue exercise were to optimise the coordination between the region’s international rescue centres and conduct medical research and behavioural studies on participants to understand the impact of spending long periods of time on the ice. Conclusions are being shared with polar environment experts and will help the expedition cruise industry and rescue centres across the world to not only devise new safety strategies, but also improve their knowledge about the impacts of such a crisis situation.

For Ponant, the exercise was also an ideal opportunity to test all the rescue and safety equipment, particularly the Ice Cube, the group survival kit, the floating polar shelters and the survival suits. Developed and designed from scratch by Ponant, they currently exceed the existing safety criteria established by the tourism industry as well as the military. 

With the tools developed by Ponant and the organisation of such a large-scale exercise, the company continues to set new standards of safety at sea, as well as pioneering new ways of exploration.