PONANT is the World Leader in Luxury Expeditions with ultra-modern, intimate ships, offering attentive service and well-designed itineraries that touch all corners of the globe. PONANT has been sailing the seas of the world for over 30 years. Every cruise is a blend of adventure, exploration, and discovery—all experienced in luxurious comfort, even in the heart of the most remote regions.

Each year PONANT offers more than 400 awe-inspiring cruises onboard its 12 luxury small ships, which are able to easily navigate small waterways and visit remote destinations not accessible by large cruise ships. From Zodiac® landings in Antarctica to hikes in the Arctic, from immersion in Japanese culture and revisiting classic Europe, to the natural beauty of the Seychelles, PONANT presents these destinations—over 450 ports on all seven continents—through a new lens.

PONANT’s ships are not only the most elegant and most comfortable small vessels in the world today, they are also the most eco-friendly.

Each of PONANT's Sisterships, Explorer series, and Polar Expedition Yacht, Le Commandant Charcot, are certified “Clean Ships” by Bureau Veritas, one of the world’s foremost stewards of ecologically sound travel. These state-of-the-art systems and processes ensure that we can:

• Cut carbon emissions by 40% with a silent electric propulsion system.
• Keep in a fixed location on the seas without need of an anchor with a sophisticated GPS and propulsion system, called Dynamic Positioning.
• Conserve, filter, treat, and recycle all water we use.
• Treat wastewater with advanced filtration systems.
• Sort, compact, and store all wastes aboard for recycling ashore.
• Use CFR and LED lighting throughout ships, which uses just 10% of the electrical power of older systems.
• Keep our distance from marine animals via advanced sonar that provides the bridge with rolling 3D views of the ocean floor, icebergs, and ice floes.

From the second you set foot onboard, as your senses ignite and your taste for adventure engages, the “PONANT Difference” is palpable: our expeditions focus outwards, to what is happening beyond the ship. Nature is our entertainer. Discovery is our purpose. While on expedition there is always a larger intention.

That is not to say your comfort aboard the ship is overlooked; quite the contrary. Each of our 12 small expedition ships features understated elegance on board, with French-inspired cuisine, fine wines, and chic design. We are proud to partner with Sothys, Veuve Clicquot, and Ducasse Conseil to bring the highest-quality spa treatments, champagne, and culinary delights to you no matter where in the world we are anchored. The ships also feature fabrics by Pierre Frey, beauty products from Hermès, macarons by Ladurée, and tea from Palais des Thés, rounding out your luxury onboard experience.

PONANT’s legacy of over 30 years of excellence at sea is inspiring new alliances as well. PONANT is proud to partner with Smithsonian Journeys, the travel program of the Smithsonian Institution, to offer a collection of unique travel experiences focused on culture, history, and the natural world. Each of these special cruises features Smithsonian Journeys Experts onboard, the secret ingredient that can create unforgettable travel experiences. Look for the PONANT | Smithsonian Journeys logo for these curated itineraries that celebrate our instinct to explore.

PONANT offers to you chic cruising without the crowds: experience the comfort of a private cruise onboard vessels of an intimate size, exclusive to between 64 to 264 guests.

Each of our cruise ships has elegant and uncluttered interiors, delight in the fun and casual elegance onboard without the formalities. Crew members, all versed in elegant discretion, will see to it that you enjoy a welcome that will make your cruise a unique experience. You will savor an exquisite dining with French and international cuisine, with complimentary wines included at lunch and dinner.

During your cruise aboard one of our ships, discover exceptional sites and come closed to landscapes so often inaccessible to large ships. Enjoy also seminars with international experts, passionate about their subjects, giving a further dimension to the sights you see.

PONANT offers to you an alternative to many other traditional cruise lines: discover the world with French chic and elegance.