New Ponant ships embrace small luxury

French-owned Ponant has bucked the trend for bigger ships with an order of 4 luxury yachts. The first of the new Ponant ships will debut in the northern Summer of 2018, with the remaining two coming the following year.

The line tells CruiseOyster the new Ponant ships will combine great design, cutting-edge technology, small capacity and respect for the environment. They say these new ships will enable Ponant to offer an even wider range of destinations.

The names of the four new yachts have been revealed. They pay tribute to the great French explorers who set sail to discover new continents. The vessels will be named Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville and Le Kerguelen.

Ponant tell us the new yachts will remain true to its philosophy. “Ponant has made the choice of smaller capacity ships, in contrast with the giant hulks that are so popular in the cruise industry today.”

Indeed, each of the new Ponant ships will have just 92 cabins, making it feel more like a private club. Something that will no doubt add to the air of exclusivity. Each yacht will have 110 bilingual French-English crew ensuring attentive, personalised service.

Guests on the new expedition yachts can expect a new standard in luxury too. Each vessel will have 88 stylish ocean-view staterooms with private balconies. There will also be 4 rear-facing suites with bay windows and a large private terraces. Each yacht will also feature an infinity pool with wake views, a restaurant with a terrance, a theatre and a Zodiac fleet for exploring.

The Ponant expedition yachts are a new generation of ships that are among the safest in the world. They are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and will be certified for cold weather, ice expedition cruises.

The new Ponant ships will also be among the most environmentally friendly afloat, with cutting-edge green technology including:

• A dynamic positioning system to avoid dropping anchor, thereby protecting the sea bed.
• Silent and fuel-efficient electronic propulsion.
• FarSounder sonar providing 3D vision of the sea bed at different depths.
• Diesel engines that can run on lighter, less-polluting MDO (Marine Diesel Oil).
• Wastewater and sewage treatment systems on board.
• Low-energy bulbs for lighting.

Ponant tell us that specific information about the voyages of the new expedition yachts will follow in the next few weeks. For more information about Ponant visit their website ponant.com.