PONANT is expanding its presence in India to support the company’s growth and provide a local base to address the unprecedented increase in luxury expedition cruising demand in the country.

PONANT is celebrating 35 years in 2023, revealing a new global media campaign that carries the tagline of “Nature is our guide”. The promotion was previewed to Australian media last week in Sydney by Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT — who also revealed further details about the next vessel in the French luxury expedition cruise line’s fleet, Ship 14.

PONANT is expecting to reveal details of a new carbon-neutral passenger vessel in the coming weeks, the luxury cruise operator’s Global CEO, Hervée Gastinel has revealed today in Sydney.

Almost a century after Explorer Umberto Nobile crossed the Artic via the North Pole aboard the Norge airship, PONANT is preparing to set a new record as the first cruise line to sail through both geographic and magnetic North poles in one journey, setting sail in September 2024.

PONANT has unveiled its new Japanese luxury expedition program for 2024 featuring sailings in the Nippon archipelago as well as three new itineraries never offered before. Commencing in March 2024, PONANT is expanding its programme with the addition of sailings in Kyushu’s islands between Kagoshima and Fukuoka, and in the Seto Inland Sea from Kagoshima to Kobe.

PONANT has released its 2024/2025 sailing program of Antarctica to be operated by three ships – Le Lyrial, L’Austral and Le Boréal. Off the schedule for the 24/25 season is the deployment of the luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot.

PONANT and Relais & Châteaux renew partnership with two exclusive gastronomic New Zealand voyages in 2023

PONANT and the Paris Opera (Opéra national de Paris) have joined forces in an unprecedented partnership for an outstanding voyage in 2024. Six dancers from the Opera’s ballet company including prima ballerinas Valentine Colasante and Mathieu Ganio will be invited onboard to promote dance beyond theatreland for the delight of guests.

Having firmly established a foothold in the expedition space, Ponant Asia Pacific is set to place a greater emphasis on filling the French luxury cruise line’s yachting program, new regional head, Chris Hall, says.

Ponant’s luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, made its first-ever voyage to the Oceania region this week, with the 240-passenger French-flagged ship docking in Lyttelton on Sunday. Le Commandant Charcot arrived into Christchurch’s cruise port following a 3.5-week half circumnavigation of Antarctica from Ushuaia, Argentina sailing through Marie Byrd Land and the Ross Sea.

PONANT’s Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker, has been able to give her guests one of the most exclusive wildlife viewing experiences on the planet – reaching the emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island, in the Weddell Sea, on two unique voyages.

PONANT has welcomed the return of small expedition ship Le Lapérouse to Sydney Harbour after more than three years, kickstarting its highly anticipated 2023 season.