PONANT/Paul Gauguin Cruises welcomed a group of travel partners from around the country to Darwin earlier this week to a very rare ship visit of ms Paul Gauguin. The 330-passenger luxury ship was passing through the Northern Territory capital having just undergone its latest refurbishment in Singapore which was centred on sustainable engine enhancements to meet Ponant’s stringent green credentials.

A new world first is on the cards for PONANT EXPLORATIONS as it confirmed its luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot will embark on a full circumnavigation of Antarctica between January and March 2028.

PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ Le Commandant Charcot will visit Australia for the first time in February 2026 as the final destination of an Antarctic semi-circumnavigation, and the starting point of an exploration of Eastern Antarctica.

A new chapter is underway for PONANT as it becomes PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP, following its recent acquisition of a majority stake in Aqua Expeditions.

The first wave of PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ new event series, Discovery Sessions, featuring Paul Gauguin Cruises, has taken place across Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.

PONANT was one of two luxury travel and cruise companies recognised at the final gala of The Summit in Monaco this month, Forbes Travel Guide’s annual conference attended by hundreds of luxury partners from around the world.

PONANT has appointed Fiona Stewart as its new State Manager for Western Australia & South Australia, as the cruise line seeks to strengthen its presence in those areas.

A brand-new itinerary from PONANT EXPLORATIONS will take travellers along the Côte d’Azur, aboard Le Ponant from May 2026.

PONANT will return to the St. Lawerence River in Canada over winter as part of a newly released program of 16 departures from October 2026 to March 2027 on board Le Commandant Charcot. The program will also encompass expeditions in the Baltic Sea, Norway and Greenland.

PONANT is holding a series of Discovery Sessions to inspire travel advisors and their clients in February and March at venues across Australia.

A recent voyage aboard PONANT’s Le Commandant Charcot saw a team of 20 scientists from around the world study the effects of global warming in the rapidly changing polar region.

PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP has acquired a majority stake in Aqua Expeditions. Backed by Artémis Group, the award-winning small ship expedition company will join the Ponant family as a standalone business unit.