A French yacht with an open bar and a bow that breaks ice.
Ponant is the French luxury expedition line: six Explorer-class yachts of 184 guests with the Blue Eye underwater lounge, four slightly larger Sisterships, the 32-guest sailing yacht Le Ponant, and Le Commandant Charcot, the only luxury icebreaker afloat, which reaches the geographic North Pole and the Ross Sea. It suits travelers who want Zodiac landings and small harbors with Ducasse-designed menus, Champagne at the open bar and French style on board, from Antarctica and Svalbard to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Kimberley and the South Pacific. SmartCruiser shows every Ponant sailing with taxes and fees included, puts SmartCruiser picks first, and adds SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit per stateroom on sailings where the line allows it.
Three ways to sail with Ponant
Pick one and the list below filters to it; the same yachts do expeditions and yacht cruising, so the month decides the trip.
Polar expeditions
- Antarctica from Ushuaia on the Explorer yachts and Sisterships, November to March, with Zodiac landings twice a day
- Le Commandant Charcot into the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea and to 90 degrees north under hybrid-electric power
- Svalbard, Greenland and the Northwest Passage in the Arctic summer
Best for: serious polar travel with French comfort
Mediterranean by yacht
- Corsica, the Amalfi Coast, the Greek islands, Croatia and Turkey from spring to fall
- Harbors the big ships cannot enter, overnights in port, the marina open for swimming
- 7 to 10 nights, often with a chef, a sommelier or a musician on the program
Best for: couples, foodies, a first small-ship cruise
The Kimberley and the Pacific
- Australia’s Kimberley coast from Broome to Darwin, April to September: Horizontal Falls, Montgomery Reef, rock art by Zodiac
- Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, Vanuatu and French Polynesia on the Explorer yachts
- 10 to 14 nights with expedition guides and a dive team on many departures
Best for: repeat expedition travelers, snorkelers and divers
Ponant deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Ponant voyage on every yacht, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or a Special SmartCruiser rate. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting by date, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Ponant sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where Ponant sails
Pick a region and the list above filters to it.
Lines you may also like
Ponant sits between the luxury lines and the hard-core expedition lines; these are its nearest neighbors.
When to go
The yachts follow the seasons around the globe, so there is a Ponant voyage every week of the year.
Ponant questions we answer every day
What is included on Ponant?
An open bar with Champagne, wine and spirits, menus designed with Alain Ducasse, Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service, every Zodiac landing and cruise on expedition voyages, and a parka to keep on polar departures. Shore excursions on yacht cruises, spa treatments and premium labels are extra. Many fares from the US include or package flights, which we compare against booking your own.
Is Ponant French-speaking?
Bilingual. Announcements, lectures and menus are in French and English, the crew speaks both, and on Antarctica and Arctic departures sold in North America the mix of guests is usually half and half. Expect French bread, cheese and wine at the standard you would hope for.
How fit do I need to be, and what about the Drake Passage?
For expeditions you need to climb in and out of a Zodiac with crew help and walk on snow, sand or rock; for yacht cruises there is no requirement at all. The Drake takes two days each way from Ushuaia and can be rough; the yachts are stabilized and the doctor has patches. Le Commandant Charcot is the steadiest ship in the fleet, and some Antarctica dates fly part of the route.
How big are the ships and the cabins?
The Explorer yachts carry 184 guests in 92 staterooms, every one with a balcony, and have a marina, a pool and the Blue Eye lounge beneath the waterline. The Sisterships carry 264, Le Commandant Charcot 245 with suites and a snow room, and Le Ponant just 32 under sail. Cabins are hotel-sized rather than cruise-ship sized; the Prestige and Deluxe suites are the most popular upgrade.
Do I need a passport or visa?
A passport valid six months beyond your trip. US citizens need no visa for Argentina, Chile, the EU, Norway, Iceland or French Polynesia; Australia requires an electronic visa for the Kimberley, and Papua New Guinea issues one on arrival. We confirm every country on your itinerary when you book.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, excursions on yacht cruises and spa treatments are extra unless the fare you choose says otherwise.
Talk to a Ponant specialist
Tell us whether you want ice, islands or both, and we match the yacht, the deck and the dates to the way you like to travel. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.