Ponant boss promises agents ‘exclusive' port access ahead of UK focus
Ponant has promised agents access to 'exclusive' ports if they book one of its sailings, after partnering with a luxury expedition line earlier this year.
The French cruise operator 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 hosts 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.
Itineraries are constantly being updated and revised, with Ponant's destination team always on the lookout for unique port stops, Gastinel said.
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.
Ponant believes Aqua Expeditions' range of destination offerings will bring a great advantage to its own expertise in operating in unique and remote places, particularly when it comes to the world's rivers.
The company operates three river ships, including Aqua Mekong in Asia and Aqua Nera and Aria Amazon in South America, priding itself on docking overnight in remote ports.
'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'
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