Smooth sailing
THERE’S A MOMENT, AS THE sun glances over the horizon, when the Mediterranean turns into a peach, each coral ray of early morning light reflected and rounded across the surface of the sea in all its vastness. It’s a stirring way to begin the day, made even more memorable when glanced from your private PONANT balcony.
The French-flagged cruise line doesn’t shy away from pinch-me moments, nor life’s little luxuries, for that matter. One of the world’s youngest and most modern fleets, PONANT’s 12 ships are as intimate as they are innovative, with the newest incarnations bedecked with trimmings like underwater lounges for spotting marine life, and Scandinavian-inspired spas. Across all there’s a focus on food, with legendary Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse overseeing indulgent culinary offerings.
But everything is designed to complement, rather than outshine, your destination, which means that you’ll gasp while cruising around far-flung Greek islands, swoon when landing in Croatia and feel the force of history when you dock in Turkey.
And then there’s the portfolio of
Arctic expeditions, where polar bears, whales and reindeer follow your wake past icebergs, volcanoes and glaciers in Norway, Iceland, Scotland… among so many other ports, many of them new.
In fact, in summer 2023 alone, PONANT’s boutique ships will embark on some 59 European voyages, offering luxury expedition and yachtstyle cruising across the sun-kissed
Med as well as the Atlantic into
Northern Europe and the Arctic.
What sets PONANT’s all-inclusive voyages apart is style. You don’t just see places; you become immersed in them. In large part thanks to a highly dedicated and supremely knowledgeable team of guides. This destination focus flows back to your ship, whether in on-board lectures or in the dining room, where meals nod to the destinations you float past. Perfectly complemented by a flute of Charles Heidsieck champagne, on pour throughout your journey.
Cheers to that. au.ponant.com
Purveyors of luxury small-ship expedition and yacht-style cruising, PONANT is set to make waves in European waters come 2023.