Ponant has recommenced luxury expeditions to the Arctic following its recent restart of French voyages. Between now and September 2020, Ponant will be undertaking no fewer than five itineraries to the Arctic, four of them brand new.

Ponant has introduced an online portal for travel agents and trade partners in Australia and New Zealand to assist them with their sales and marketing efforts to promote the luxury cruise brand. Training is incorporated as an important and integral part of the platform to ensure agents can access the best and latest resources to provide confidence when responding to clients’ needs.

Ponant’s resumption of cruising this month and next is set to include inaugural voyages for the recently launched Le Bellot. The ultra-luxury small ship cruise line is proposing a series of all-new expedition cruises circumnavigating Iceland, operating round trip from Reykjavik.

Ponant has unveiled details of a new to market 12-night tropical expedition of Southern Australia departing in late March next year. Cruising between Melbourne and Fremantle on the small luxury ship Le Bellot, the sailing will visit Tasmania, three ports in South Australia, cross the Great Australian Bight and call in at two ports in Western Australia.

In a move that reflects the growth of interest in luxury small ship cruising – and expedition cruising in particular – CLIA has opened the new Ponant training module for both CLIA members and non-members alike.

French luxury cruise line Ponant has frozen operation of its entire fleet, effective 15 March 2020, and introduced flexible rebooking options in response to the current COVID-19 public health crisis. A return-to-service date remains “undetermined”, the company said in a social media post.

APT has unveiled its 2021 Small Ship Cruising program, comprising three brochures. Next year’s program features APT’s own fleet of expedition ships complete with zodiacs, as well as luxurious cruise ships, including Ponant’s soon-to-launch Le Bellot in the Kimberley.

International expansion, the delivery of a further two new ships in the PONANT EXPLORERS series, and the acquisition of Paul Gauguin Cruises all contributed to Ponant achieving sales of €380 million (approximately AU$624 million) last year.

Cruisers are seeking far-flung, pristine destinations in 2020, driven by a desire for immersion in each location, according to global luxury travel network Virtuoso. The network recently unveiled its cruise trends for the year in time for ‘wave season,’ occurring January through March, when savvy travellers book voyages to benefit from special incentives.

Ponant has released all new itineraries aboard its new hybrid electric polar exploration vessel, propelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), for 2021-2022. Le Commandant Charcot is the world’s first limited-capacity cruise ship to be propelled by LNG.

2020 heralds the arrival of a further fleet of new luxury ocean ships, including two newcomers to cruising, Virgin Voyages and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

French luxury cruise company Ponant will add two new expedition cruise vessels for its recently acquired South Pacific division, Paul Gaugin Cruises, after inking a deal with shipbuilder Fincantieri.