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 on Australian lines,, 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.

 

[Chalkie]

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



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

@RooFlyer has mentioned an important distinction to observe about Ponant: the "classic" cruise vs expedition. I've only been on expeditions. The small ship vibe on expeditions is about seeing new and different things, and interacting with the other pax and crew about the new and different things everyone has been seeing. I also agree with his comments about the other pax you tend to encounter on smaller ships.

Since my first expedition to Antarctica with Ponant, I've approached each subsequent expedition with the attitude that I am incredibly privileged to be going places and seeing things that are outside the ken of most travellers. I am enthusiastic about the journey and the exploration. I know I will meet interesting people among the other pax and crew, and making those new connections will enhance the experience. If you are on a small ship with a majority of enthusiasts, whether they be French or from elsewhere, that attitude will make the trip more meaningful and enjoyable.

On the other hand, if there are malcontents and disaffected in the passenger manifest, that will detract from the vibe and on a small ship, it can sometimes be difficult to avoid them. On our French Polynesia expedition, there was a party of six or so pax who were labouring under the misapprehension (which made me wonder whether they'd done any reading beforehand about the Paul Gauguin and the 14 day trip around French Polynesia) that they were on a Cunard liner in the Queen's Grill. They were unhappy and would tell anyone who glanced in their direction why they were so unhappy. Similarly, on my last Antarctica trip, there was a group of Americans who sort of took over the observation deck bar and loudly told anyone who glanced their way why Ponant wasn't as good as [insert name of virtually every other cruise line on which they'd been]. This is while dramatic scenes of nature are unfolding around them, such as humpback whales in feeding pods around and under the ship, and icebergs of incredible shape and size all around.

Now that I've been on a few different Ponant expeditions, this is my formula for making them successful for me (bearing in mind I am extroverted, speak some French and German, eat and drink anything and everything, and mix easily with people):

1. Let the maître d' know you will sit anywhere at dinner in the main restaurant. Do this for a couple of nights so the maître d' gets to know you're a safe pair of hands, and then if you don't want to dine with others sometimes, s/he will look after you with a nice table.
2. Try and get to know the cruise director and hotel manager.
3. Engage with the expedition team.
4. Sign up for any "dine with..." and wine tasting events on offer.
5. If there seems to be a shortage of "dine with..." events, create your own - put together a table of four and invite two expedition team members or the cruise director, hotel manager, doctor, members of the entertainment team etc. We've had some very memorable dinners this way.
6. Do all the activities and excursions. I am a scuba diver and my French Polynesia and eastern Indonesian expeditions offered diving. This of course gave me access to a recreationally like-minded group of people and it also meant there was always someone to have a coffee or drink with, and the divers invited each other and the diving team to dinners, which added to the social interest of those trips.

I mentioned in @RooFlyer's trip report the importance of having a good senior team on board. This is where I can see how Ponant experiences can differ greatly and might fall apart. I've been very fortunate on each of my expeditions to have had excellent senior staff onboard who were clearly doing a great job with leading the crew to deliver an exceptional experience for the guests.

 

[RooFlyer]

5. If there seems to be a shortage of "dine with..." events, create your own - put together a table of four and invite two expedition team members or the cruise director, hotel manager, doctor, members of the entertainment team etc. We've had some very memorable dinners this way.

Oh, I didn't think you could do that; thanks. Once, I wanted to dine with the geologist in particular and was told no, you can't choose. I'll go about it in a different way next time

 

[Chalkie]

Oh, I didn't think you could do that; thanks. Once, I wanted to dine with the geologist in particular and was told no, you can't choose. I'll go about it in a different way next time

The trick is issue the invitation personally, get in early and have a couple of options open. The organisation of the "dine with..." experiences on my Ponant trips has varied significantly. On some, the cruise director announced them and there were also announced in the daily newsletter. On others, no mention - the lists just appeared at reception so you had to look at reception every time you walked past to see what had popped up.

Usually the way I've done it is to speak with the expedition team member at a landing or after their lecture (if early enough in the programme) or in the main bar at an event to introduce myself and say "I'd love to talk to more about this. Are you free on [night] to join us for dinner?". They've always accepted the invitation (I think because when they dine with guests they can have whatever they like to drink ).