This luxury line runs cruises from the North Pole to Antarctica, and the tricolour flag is a feature on the deck of every Ponant ship. Photo / Sara Bunny
This luxury line runs cruises from the North Pole to Antarctica, and the tricolour flag is a feature on the deck of every Ponant ship. Photo / Sara Bunny
Sara Bunny goes on an expedition with the world’s only French cruise line
Up on the ship’s bridge, surrounded by glowing screens and dials, a few French sailors within earshot of our group are stifling a laugh. We’re getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the captain’s domain, and the questions aregoing slightly off-piste. “What would happen if I had one too many cocktails and fell overboard,” someone asks, only half joking. “Don’t worry,” smiles Captain Pierre-Marie Ducournau, “we would turn the ship around and come back to get you.”
Onboard Le Soleal, one of 13 luxury vessels run by French cruise company Ponant, there is so little to worry about that the anxious modern-day brain starts to conjure up fanciful scenarios. On this ship, with its chic interior decor in calming neutral tones, the only real concerns are whether you should fill in an afternoon with a swim, snorkel trip or snooze, and whether you can squeeze in a cheese board alongside dessert.
I’m on Ponant’s 12-day expedition cruise, Ancient Cultures of Papua New Guinea, where exploring exotic Solomon Sea islands before savouring the evening’s degustation menu is all in a day’s work. The ultimate combination of adventure and creature comforts, this is the sort of cruise where a cool glass of sav is always waiting after an excursion in the tropical heat, cushions stay magically plumped, and there’s a tiny snack on a tray beside the bed when I arrive back at my stateroom each night. It all sounds rather posh, but with “casual elegance” part of the company ethos, it’s starched linen and seamless service with a relaxed and friendly vibe.
The downstairs restaurant, L'Eclipse, onboard Le Soleal. Photo / Studio Ponant
Our vessel boasts all the bells and whistles you would expect from a 5-star cruise line, including a fancy spa, two restaurants, a pool bar and a piano bar. My sophisticated stateroom is slightly corporate but ultra comfy; there’s an espresso machine for morning coffee on my private balcony, excellent shower pressure and a lineup of complimentary Hermes toiletries on the vanity. With a transparent wall in the bathroom, there’s the option to bathe with a view out to sea, or you can slide the cover across and take a plain old ordinary shower if staring at seagulls while completely starkers just feels too weird.
Staterooms onboard boast private balconies, cushy furnishings and soft neutral colours. Photo / Studio Ponant
For the thirsty, there is a set range of drinks included in your fare, plus a staggering wall of wine fridges in the downstairs restaurant for those who wish to splash out on extra-special drops. For the culturally and environmentally curious, there are daily seminars in the onboard auditorium on everything from the history of betel nut chewing to the formation of coral reefs.
But as the only cruise line sailing under the French flag, it’s also a Francophile’s delight. Here, the evening shows feature Moulin Rouge-style can-can dancers and whimsical homages to Paris, and speciality French pastries are wheeled out each afternoon in the main lounge. On all Compagnie du Ponant cruises, instructions over the ship PA system are given in French first, followed by English, and each voyage attracts a significant number of French-speaking passengers. The international crew have all the major languages covered so you don’t need to be able to speak a word of Francais, but I find it never hurts to have a bubbly “bonjour” at the ready.
A mall-sized floating mega-ship this is not, and it seems all the better for it. Le Soleal can cater for up to 264 guests, and this trip we’re travelling light at about 150 passengers onboard. The captain says smaller-capacity ships allow for more frequent visits ashore on the zodiac inflatables, and for me, seeing the same set of faces each day soon makes for easy banter at the pastry table. The 60-or-so English speakers on our trip include a large contingent of Aussies, a smattering of Americans and a handful of Europeans, and the vast majority are mature-aged travellers.
Like all Ponant ships, Le Soleal's compact size lets guests enjoy more personalised service. Photo / Studio Ponant
As a lone ranger among a slew of couples, a newbie cruiser among travel connoisseurs and the only Kiwi onboard, I’m quick to paint myself as an outlier in the group. But between plenty of friendly strangers coming over to chat and my increasing boldness at gate-crashing other people’s tables at dinner time, I soon meet far more people than I would have if I was travelling in a twosome. Ponant offers a range of cruises with no single supplements, meaning solo travellers on these particular trips can luxuriate in their own double stateroom without extra cost.
The sleek reception area onboard Le Soleal. Photo / Studio Ponant
As the nearly two-week voyage draws to a close, I’m fearing how I’ll survive back in the real world without an upstairs bartender, or the little pre-slumber snacks I now believe are necessary for vital sustenance. One retired Aussie couple tells me they often book their next trip before they’ve finished the current one. “You just get hooked on the cruise life,” they tell me. I wouldn’t have believed it before, but I think they might be right.
CHECKLIST: PONANT
DETAILS
Ponant offers a variety of cruises and expeditions throughout the world, with the next Ancient Cultures of Papua New Guinea cruise setting sail from November 12-23. See ponant.com for details.
