Ponant is gearing up for a series of new itineraries during the 2024-25 winter season, the company announced in a press release.
According to the company, the voyages sail to Central America, Greenland, Scandinavia and beyond, with highlights that include a festive sailing set to be attended by French chef Alain Ducasse.
In Antarctica, Ponant created a new expedition to the Ross Sea, which extends from the Antarctic coastline out into the Southern Ocean.
According to the company, the itinerary was ?designed to follow in the footsteps of legendary polar explorers and will be joined by the lecturer and guide Jonathan Shackleton, a descendant of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and the historian Lucy Scott, the great-granddaughter of Captain Robert Falcon Scott.
The 21-night journey sails between Feb. 16 and Mar. 9, 2025, and features a visit, ice and weather conditions permitting, to Cape Adare, home to the world’s largest colony of Adélie penguins.
With a focus on wildlife lovers and aspiring marine biologists, the expedition also sails to Macquarie Island, a breeding place for more than 3.5 million seabirds, and the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand, home to Snares crested penguins, New Zealand fur seals, New Zealand sea lions and more.
Earlier this year, Ponant and The Explorers Club joined forces to offer weeks-long, science-led expeditions to remote areas of the world.
In December 2024, the company is offering an eight-night itinerary through Belize and Honduras aboard Le Bellot.
The sailing is highlighted by opportunities to discover the UNESCO sights of the Belize Barrier Reef and to dive in the Great Blue Hole, as well as participating in cultural encounters with the Garifuna communities.
In 2025, the partnership also includes new polar itineraries to Greenland that sail from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to Disko Bay and other parts of the destination.
A highlight will be the Explorers Club member and storm chaser, George Kourounis, who will join one of the expeditions for a citizen science project for NASA.
Working alongside guests, he will collect data that will help inform the cloud identification algorithms NASA uses with their orbiting satellites.
The itineraries take place onboard Le Commandant Charcot, which will sail in Scandinavia in the winter for the first time this season.
According to Ponant, the ship will offer new itineraries created to immerse passengers in the region’s towns, Christmas markets and winter traditions, like dog sledding and reindeer rides.
With two departures in December, the ten-day “Scandinavian Wonderland & Christmas Markets” itinerary will sail to cities along the Baltic Sea, including Stockholm, Gotland, Gdansk and Helsinki.
Guests will also have the opportunity to meet French chef Alain Ducasse, who will be onboard for one of the sailings.
The company also said it is paving the way for winter exploration cruises in the North, with four ice-breaking voyages through Canada’s St. Lawrence River in January and February.
Marking the first time a cruise ship sails in the region during this timeframe, the sailings will take place onboard the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot.
The 13-day expeditions will combine sub-zero activities like kayaking, ice fishing, dog sledding and skijoring along with visits to Indigenous Innu and Mi’kmaq communities, wildlife sightings including caribou and black bears and Northern Lights chasing.
Ponant also highlighted a series of 2025 cruises to the South Pacific and Australia onboard the Paul Gauguin.
According to the company, the Boutique Crossing Collections sail to destinations that include Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Bali, with a full calendar of onboard lectures led by renowned scientists, authors and other experts.
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Publish date : 2024-10-10 23:50:00
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