Ponant has promised agents access to ‘exclusive’ ports if they book one of its sailings, after partnering with a luxury expedition company earlier this year.
The French cruise line acquired a majority stake in Aqua Expeditions in January 2025, marking a key milestone in its journey towards cracking the UK market. It says that the small ship company, which specialises in river and expedition cruises, will enhance its ability to reach more remote destinations – a cornerstone of Ponant’s USP.
“Aqua Expeditions will allow us to bring our guests to protected, lesser-explored places, such as the Galapagos,” Herve Gastinel, chief executive officer at Ponant Explorations Group, told TTG Luxury on board the Le Laperouse last week.
“For me, our destinations have to be exclusive. They have to be untouched, where tourists do not usually go.”
With over 130 destinations in its portfolio, Ponant already offers a wide range of options for the roughly 80,000 passengers it carries every year.
“For me, our destinations have to be exclusive. They have to be untouched, where tourists do not usually go”
The line’s fleet of 13 vessels sail everywhere from Italy to Sri Lanka, as well as the US, Canada and Australia. Most recently, it became the first cruise line to offer a ‘trans-arctic voyage’ on its Le Commandant Charcot, an ice breaker named after the French polar scientist Jean-Baptiste Charcot.
Untapped ports
Perhaps proving the point, Gastinel spoke to TTG Luxury against the backdrop of a little-visited port on the French Riviera during Le Laperouse’s first ever Seminar at Sea fam trip to have invited UK agents onboard.
The ship was anchored a few hundred metres’ off the coast of Menton, a quiet town with strict regulations for cruise ships; vessels more than 30 metres in length are prohibited from docking and must rely on tender boats instead. There are also only 10 available stops per year, half of which are reserved for Ponant.
“The future is slow luxury,” said Gastinel. “Guests want to take the time to discover the place. Ticking a box isn’t satisfactory.” Quality over quantity underpins its stance on destinations, which are just as important to its clientele as the ship itself.
“The future is slow luxury. Guests want to take the time to discover the place”
‘Human-sized’ ships
Ponant’s downsizing strategy complements this plan, with its smaller ships bringing access to more ports.
Wassim Daoud, head of sustainability and CSR at Ponant, recently told TTG Luxury that the company is looking to “limit the number of guests on its [future] ships to under 200,” adding that there are no plans to build larger vessels.
Gastinel confirmed this vision, describing Ponant’s fleet of ships as “human-sized.” It currently operates only one vessel with a capacity for over 300 people, while its recently launched catamaran, Spirit of Ponant, hosts just 12 guests and four crew members.
Decarbonisation plans
“The sea is our playground. We have a moral obligation to protect it”
The project will combine six new sustainable technologies, such as a low temperature fuel cell, new sailing models and onboard carbon capture. Gastinel says that the “design phase [of the ship] has been completed” and its architects are now “testing different concepts” for its interior. Construction will commence at the beginning of 2026 and is expected to take at least three years.
There is no legal protection on the technologies being trialled, which means, in practice, they could also be adopted by competitors. Gastinel is not fazed by this possibility, however, emphasising that Ponant’s main priority is “contributing to the decarbonisation of the maritime industry.”
“If somebody else wants to use this technology, that’s okay,” he added. “The sea is our playground. We have a moral obligation to protect it.”
