PONANT: LE CHAMPLAIN LAUNCHES WITH THE UK TRADE IN MIND

FRENCH cruise line Ponant’s latest luxury ‘Explorer’ ship welcomed its first customers aboard last month.

Le Champlain is the seventh in the company’s fleet, which will grow to 12 ships by 2021.

Ponant attracts 30,000 passengers a year, but the company hopes the new ships will see that figure double by 2021 – and the UK will be key to fuelling that growth, said Herve Bellaiche, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

“We see big opportunities in the UK and Germany. We don’t have a distinct brand identity in the UK and we need to better explain who we are and what we offer,” he said.

“There have been luxury cruise lines and explorer cruise lines before us, but we are the first to combine the two. We intend much closer engagement with the trade, through fam trips, workshops, visits to UK agencies and more,” added Bellaiche, who promised that all bookings will arrive through travel agents.

Features aboard the 92-stateroom ship – which Ponant calls a ‘yacht’ – include private balconies, a spa, a gym and dining areas that open onto the outside.

But the jaw-dropper is Blue Eye, a lounge-style space located within the hull beneath the waterline featuring two large eye-shaped windows that allow guests to view any passing marine life.

Ponant operated 200 cruises last year, a figure that it is looking to grow to 460 in 2021.

ponant.com