Ponant tips (plus comparing with other operators)

[Quickstatus]

Since there are some AFF Ponant experts here, I thought it might be good to have a Ponant thread

My convictions about Ponant not being for everyone are now pretty confirmed. In my experience, Americans don't do well with Ponant as a rule. Their cultural mores are just too different to the Ponant French/European vibe. My observation is Australians mostly do well with Ponant - we appreciate the fully inclusive nature and the absence of real tipping pressure, and our general outgoingness lends itself to enhancing the small ship atmosphere. I think Ponant is getting better in understanding the Australian market and I think that is reflected in what they are doing in our neck of the woods.

Can you elaborate a bit more about the small ship vibe and the how certain attitudes can enhance or detract from that vibe?

 

[RooFlyer]

Chalkie will of course answer you, but for me, not confined to Ponant - small ships attract people who want to get out and see the world, and not just sit back and watch it go by. Of course even more active people get out and DIY, but then, some places you need a cruise to get to!

The age spectrum on the cruises I've been on is definitely skewed to 'older folk' (I would say due to the cost, and time involved) but there are always a fair number 40-60 and a sprinkling of 'youngsters'.

But you have to differentiate between 'expedition' cruises, and more 'classic type' cruises. I've only done expedition cruises, but I'm doing some classics in 2026 (wharf arrival, probably bus tours to local sites or organise-yourself tours) - but all on small ships - pax count 250 max, many something like 180 max. Happiness is a half-filled ship, like my last one.

At breakfast there is chatter about the mornings excursion and whether we might see this or that. At lunch, its "did you see ..." The people I meet on my cruises are, like me, significant travellers to many places.

You don't have to, but you get much more by mixing with others, exchanging travel ideas or even knowledge about the current trip.

I probably wouldn't differentiate so much as Chalkie wrt nationality appeal. Americans will go on American cruise lines; Australians would do the same, if there were any left. The French def go Ponant, but the further you get from Paris the fewer % of French you will get - I was a bit surprised that there were as many as abt 30% French on my Indonesian cruise. Of the non-French, I mixed mainly with an Australian orthopaedic surgeon; an American-French couple, living in Switzerland doing high level molecular biology research; an American anaesthesiologist; Aussie property developer, wife and their friends; bunch of Aussie singles from 'all walks'.

If I had a choice, and the $$, I would go SilverSea - overall classier (and more expensive), but don't do the 'no single supplement' like Ponant. Done 2 cruises with them - incl my all time best, to Antarctica.