The Authentic Cruise Company

Itinerary

Day 1: Oslo
Day 2: Gothenburg
Day 3: Arendal
Day 4: At sea
Day 4: Stavanger
Day 5: Ålesund
Day 6: At sea
Day 6: Hellesylt
Day 7: Olden
Day 8: Bergen
Day 1: Oslo
Day 2: Gothenburg
Day 3: Arendal
Day 4: At sea
Day 4: Stavanger
Day 5: Ålesund
Day 6: At sea
Day 6: Hellesylt
Day 7: Olden
Day 8: Bergen
Owner's Suite
Privilege Suite
Prestige Suite
Grand Deluxe Suite
Deluxe Suite
Prestige Cabin
Deluxe Cabin
Owner's Suite

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • A private return transfer
  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savory canapes and a fruit basket every day
  • A living room with armchair, sofa convertible into a double bed and TV
  • A bedroom with king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • A bathroom with shower, spa bath and smart mirror
  • A one-hour treatment for one person in the wellness area among the body and face treatments
  • A private terrace of 40 m²: 2 deckchairs, jacuzzi, lounge area with a sofa and an armchair
  • Two panoramic sliding windows
Privilege Suite

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savory canapes and a fruit basket every day
  • A king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • A lounge area with chaise longue and armchair
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private balcony of 8 m² with 2 armchairs
  • A panoramic sliding bay window
Prestige Suite

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savory canapes and a fruit basket every day
  • A bedroom with king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • A living room with sofa convertible into a king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm), armchair, TV and sliding courtesy door
  • Two bathrooms with shower
  • A private balcony of 8 m² with four armchairs
  • Two panoramic sliding windows
Grand Deluxe Suite

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savory canapes and a fruit basket every day
  • A bedroom with a king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • A living room with convertible sofa, armchair and TV
  • A bathroom with shower, spa bath and smart mirror
  • A private terrace of 32 m² with two deckchairs and a dining table for four people
  • Two panoramic sliding windows
Deluxe Suite

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • A king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • An armchair and a sofa (90 x 190 cm)
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private balcony of 3.5 m² with two armchairs
  • A panoramic sliding bay window
Prestige Cabin

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • A king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • A meridian
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private balcony of 4 m² with two armchairs
  • A panoramic sliding bay window
Deluxe Cabin

Benefits

  • 24 hour room service
  • Unlimited Wi-Fi included (random satellite reception depending on navigation and latitude)
  • Individual air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and wardrobe space
  • Dressing table and hair dryer
  • Hermès high-end bath products
  • Mini bar included
  • Nespresso coffee machine and kettle
  • Electronic safe
  • Satellite direct dial telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (random depending on your navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110/220 volt installation
  • Two PRM cabins

In addition to the services common to all our suites and cabins:

  • A king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) and TV
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private balcony of 4m² with two armchairs
  • A panoramic glass door with hinged opening and a porthole
The Le Nautilus
Grill Restaurant
Room Service
The Le Nautilus

Towards the rear of deck 4 you’ll find a panoramic restaurant large enough to accommodate all our passengers at one sitting. Offering a different concept than on our other ships, this space is open to the exterior and serves buffets of salads, desserts and cheeses. Our discreet and attentive staff provide a table service for hot meals.

  • 260 m2 (2,800 ft²)
  • Wine cellar
  • Deck 4
Grill Restaurant

An exterior grill restaurant on deck 3 offering a relaxed ambiance and atmosphere:

  • Capacity: 70
  • Views out over the pool deck
  • Grilled meats and a variety of salads and desserts
Room Service

Whether you wish to have breakfast in the privacy of your stateroom, savour a snack in the middle of the day or enjoy your dinner in an intimate setting, our Room Service is available for you. Have a gourmet interlude and treat yourself from a varied menu at any time of day or night.

Excursions
Hydraulic Platform
Excursions

Excursions & land itineraries

Each itinerary has been thoughtfully created by our teams to offer you a complete excursion experience. You can discover the hidden gems of the regions you visit in line with your interests.

Hidden creeks, ancient cities, UNESCO world heritage sites… the world reveals its hidden gems as you journey along the routes taken by travellers. In keeping with our ethos “Accessing the worlds treasures by sea”, we offer a wide choice of land excursions during all our cruises (except for expeditions). Chosen by our PONANT experts for their cultural value and historic interest, these excursions can last a few hours or a few days. If you need to stay on land overnight, we take care of your stay from start to finish, until you rejoin your ship. These longer excursions mean you can discover the unmissable sites of the region you are visiting, like Cuzco in Peru for example or the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

You can access these trips by pre-booking two months before your departure date.

Hydraulic Platform

  • Access on board much easier than on any other cruise ship
  • Facilitated Zodiac disembarkation and embarkation during expeditions
  • Swimming in the sea and the practice of various water sports, such as kayaking or paddle
The Pool
Panoramic Lounge
Lounges & Bars
Theatre
Shop
Leisure Area
PONANT Studio
Open Bar
Excursion Reception and Office
The Blue Eye
The Pool

  • A swimming pool with a panoramic view equipped with a counter-current swimming system
  • A pleasant solarium
  • A bar and an outdoor lounge equipped with sofas and armchairs
Panoramic Lounge

  • Library, internet area, bar, “live” entertainment on certain evenings

  • Direct access to the panoramic terrace
Lounges & Bars

The various different lounges allow passengers to meet up and share quality time together.

The main lounge is the ideal place to relax with a drink and enjoy the various activities that have been organised such as dancing classes or theme evenings.

The cosy piano bar is a panorama lounge with breathtaking views of the horizon.

The outside bar is a great space for relaxing and is handy for accessing the swimming pool* and its solarium.

The Main Lounge – Deck 3

  • A main lounge of 200 m²

  • Able to accommodate all of our passengers to share friendly moments and attend daytime or evening entertainment
Theatre

The Theatre* is the most unique meeting space on board. It’s the largest space on the ship and regularly accommodates all the passengers. It plays host to shows and entertainment as well as conferences from our experts, naturalist guides and guests of honours. The Theatre makes every cruise unique and enriching thanks to its constant and very accessible events.

Settle comfortably into your seat and enjoy a range of different shows, concerts and performances organised by the professional dancers and musicians onboard.

Special musical evenings, dance evenings and culture and music quizzes are held In the Grand Salon lounge onboard Le Ponant. Additionally, traditional local music concerts, featuring styles such as Corsican polyphony and Caribbean steel band music, are performed out on deck in the open air by bands specially invited onboard for the purpose.

  • 188-seat capacity
  • Cutting edge audio and lighting technology
  • LED stage background wall enabling the projection of ultra-high resolution media

*As Le Ponant has a different layout due to its smaller size, it cannot accommodate certain equipment.

Shop

On board all our ships, a shop is open during sailing. It offers a selection of presents and souvenirs: clothing, jewellery, beauty products, postcards and accessories.

Leisure Area

Dedicated to leisure and relaxation, the libraries onboard all our ships stock a range of books and board games. This space is also equipped with Wi-Fi connected computers.

All the ships have a special area for children onboard known as the Le Kids Club. Books, television, board games and consoles (PS4 or Wii™) are all provided for their use and enjoyment.

PONANT Studio

A photography and videography team escort you throughout your trip. These professionals capture the most beautiful moments of your cruise, which you can share with family and friends upon your return. Meet them on DECK 5 (DECK 6 on the PONANT Explorers ships) at the photo/video area, where you can also order souvenir pictures and videos.

Open Bar

From the moment you board and throughout your cruise, your unlimited drinks are included*, at any time of the day. A drink with friends at the bar, refreshments on your return from an excursion or in the calm of your Stateroom’s balcony: enjoy a large selection of beverages (mineral waters, cold drinks, cruise wines, beer, champagne, spirits, coffee, tea). A selection of premium alcoholic drinks is also available “à la carte”.

*It doesn’t include premium alcoholic drinks indicated in the Bar Menu. It is valid only for individual personal consumption, without limitations.

Excursion Reception and Office

On board the sisterships (Le Boreal, L’Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial) and PONANT EXPLORERS, the reception desk and the excursion desk are arranged side by side to facilitate all your requests.

Reception: our receptionists can accommodate you 24 hours a day on all our ships (from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Le Ponant) to answer all your needs, such as room service, etc.

The excursion office: the excursion team is available at all times to tell you about the onshore programmes, organise group or private excursions and to manage transfers at the start or end of the cruise.

On Le Ponant, the receptionist will answer all your questions about excursions.

  • A 140 m² (1,500 ft²) space
  • A reception/concierge service
  • The excursions desk
  • The onboard administrative services
  • The sales office operated by our Customer Manager
  • Our 50m² (540 ft²) shop selling a line of clothing, jewellery, beauty care products, postcards and various accessories.
  • The facilities accessible to persons with reduced mobility
The Blue Eye

Every ship** in the PONANT EXPLORERS series features the Blue Eye. Located in the hull, below the waterline, this unique multi-sensory lounge that is unique to Ponant cruises plunges you into the heart of underwater life. Sight, hearing, and sensations… With digital screens, hydrophones and Body Listening sofas, you can experience the complete and unprecedented spectacle offered by the seabed.

Accessible to all passengers and equipped with a bar, the Blue Eye is an exceptional place to share a drink in a unique atmosphere.

** Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-D’Urville, Le Jacques Cartier and Le Bellot.

The Spa
The Gym
The Hairdressing Salon
The Spa

All our ships feature an onboard spa. Equipped with massage cabins and a Turkish bath (Sister ships) or a sauna (Explorers), the spa offers a wide choice of top-of-the-range treatments provided in association with SOTHYS™ or CLARINS (Le Bellot and Le Jacques-Cartier only), leading French spa and wellness centre brands.

Discover a range of facial treatments, aromatic baths, exfoliation and body massage treatments designed to provide moments of complete relaxation. You can also supplement your beauty ritual with additional services such as hair-removal, makeovers, manicures and pedicures.

Prices and details of services in the PONANT Yacht Spa menu.

The Gym

The gyms on our ships are equipped with the very latest Technogym© equipment and machines. Treadmills, exercise bikes, Kinesis Wall© strength training machines and many other types of equipment are all provided in a laid-back relaxing environment. The wide floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the sea add undeniable charm to the exercise sessions.

Each day also begins with organised morning workout sessions, either out in the open air or in the theatre. These are supplemented by water aerobics in the pool, or in the sea off the beach for PONANT passengers, when the situation allows it.

The Hairdressing Salon

Provided in partnership with KÉRASTASE® and L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL®, the hairdressing salon offers a complete range of top quality treatments designed to strengthen, nourish and reinvigorate hair’s shine and brilliance. Our stylists are available to serve all your styling, highlighting, colouring, cutting and tailored hair advice needs.

Laundry
Smoking Policy
Power Adapters
Age Restrictions
Languages
Telephone
Wi-Fi
Medical Facilities
Guests with reduced mobility
Packing Tips
Dress Code
Sustainable Development
Laundry

Your stateroom Officer will be able to take care of your laundry**. The washing and ironing of your clothes will take between 24 and 48 hours. Only ironing** can be delivered on the same day. As dry-cleaning is not possible on the ship, please only give us clothes that can be washed in water.

** These services are not free of charge and are billed directly to your stateroom account.

Smoking Policy

Closed spaces such as the lounges, the dining room, the staterooms and the reception are non-smoking areas. We invite you to smoke in designated outdoor parts of the ship.

Power Adapters

Adapters are provided on board, they are available at the reception office of our ships.

European Standard Sockets

The 220 volt 50 hertz alternating current is distributed by sockets meeting European standards. Onboard power is 200 volt AC (European standard) and 110 volt AC (North American standard). For safety reasons, hair irons and clothes irons cannot be used in staterooms. Please note that on Le Ponant, 110 volt AC is only available in stateroom bathrooms.

Age Restrictions

Children under one year of age shall not be authorised to embark on the ships.

For children aged between 1 and 8 years old, an authorisation to board the ship must be made in writing to PONANT. Subject to agreement, a liability waiver must be completed and returned to the company to validate the registration.

On classic cruises (“yachting”), children are accepted from the age of one, with a maximum of 5 children between 1 and 6 years old on board.

On “expedition” cruises children are accepted from 6 years old (except cruises aboard Le Commandant Charcot) and must be fully independent during all the outside activities organised and during disembarkation in rubber boats, be sufficiently tall to sit on the inflatable sides of the boats, and old enough to understand, and immediately respond to the orders given by the persons in charge. As a result, children’s participation in any activity in an inflatable boat shall be subject to the agreement of the Captain and of the Expedition Head, depending on the sea conditions, and the difficulty of disembarking at each location visited. The ships do not carry Parka’s in children’s sizes. Parents must arrange to bring a suitable Parka for children. In all cases, children and young people under the age of 18 are at all times on board or on land under the full and total responsibility of their parents or carers.

For all “expedition” cruises on board Le Commandant Charcot, children are accepted from 8 years old only.

Children aged 4 years or more can be welcomed in the Kid’s Club when the service is offered on board

Languages

The crew are bilingual in French and English. All signage and announcements made are in French and English. On certain cruises, crew members also speak other languages.

Telephone

A satellite telephone system is at your disposal for contacting anyone, anywhere in the world. The cost of the call is added to the stateroom account (€6/minute). Calls that you receive can be transferred directly to your stateroom or to any other communal area on the ship. To receive or send faxes, please see Reception.

Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi internet access is available on all of our ships, in both the staterooms and the communal areas. One or several computers are at your disposal in the recreation centres. Please note that the Wi-Fi connection may be discontinued depending on the navigation area and landscapes that may block the vessel from satellite coverage, especially at high latitudes (no connection possible beyond 80° North or South), or for technical reasons beyond our control.

Medical Facilities

There is a doctor on board available to the passengers on all our ships:

  • The schedules of consultation are listed each day in the log book (emergency consultation 24/7).
  • The Sisterships, PONANT Explorers and Le Commandant Charcot also have a hospital for any small surgery.
  • During the excursions, the passengers are accompanied by a doctor or a nurse.
  • There is a fee for consultations on board . The price may vary according to the time and place of the consultation (hospital or staterooms). You must also pay for medications.
  • The doctor on board is not authorised to distribute sick leaves and prescriptions. Only accounts and invoices are provided which may be used by the passenger to obtain a refund from his/her health insurance if his/her contract allows.

Medical Consultations

There is a charge for medical consultations undertaken by the doctor or nurse on board. The price can vary according to the time and place of the consultation (hospital or stateroom). Any medication must also be paid for by the passenger. If using medications on a regular basis make sure to bring adequate supplies for the duration of your cruise.

Special Medical Treatment

If you have any special treatment, we ask you to inform the reservation service when you register for the cruise, to note it on the information sheet before departure, then inform the on-board crew at the moment of departure and always keep your medication with you for the duration of the cruise.

Seasickness

Our ships (except Le Ponant) have stabilisers equipped with dynamic fins which adapt to the movements of the ship. This system allows the ship to anticipate and compensate for the pitching and tossing of the sea to achieve greater stability. Passengers suffering from seasickness will see their symptoms alleviated and are pleasantly surprised to not feel uncomfortable during their journey. However it is wise to bring travel motion medication with you for peace of mind.

Guests with reduced mobility

Our Sisterships, PONANT EXPLORERS and Le Commandant Charcot were designed for people with reduced mobility in mind:

  • Specially designed staterooms;
  • Access ramps allowing easy movement in communal areas;
  • Posters, signage and stateroom numbers are translated into Braille.

Despite these arrangements, each passenger should be able to be independent or travel with a close family member or friend who can give them whatever assistance they require during their trip.

If a person has not been judged suitably fit for travel in complete safety, the company reserves the right to refuse their embarkation. Disembarkation in difficult places or in a Zodiac® is subject to the approval of the Captain, who will always have the safety and wellbeing of the passenger in mind.

Packing Tips

Technical Accessories

We advise you to equip yourself with a ski mask, sunglasses, walking poles (available to purchase in the shop), a waterproof rucksack, binoculars, a technical watch, a mosquito head net (for the Arctic) and a waterproof pouch.

Dress Code

We advise our passengers to wear casual and elegant outfits at their convenience, and more formal attire for the Captain’s Dinner.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is enshrined in the company’s articles of association and has been at the heart of the PONANT project since its inception. Founded over thirty years ago by committed sailors, the company was born out of a desire to share a passion for the oceans and the treasures of the Earth. This responsibility commits us to a respectful dialogue with the environment and the populations we meet and to investing in many fields related to the preservation and development of the natural and cultural heritage of the polar and oceanic regions.

Clean Ships

We were among the first cruise operators in the world to abandon the use of heavy fuels, and our ships are equipped with electric diesel engines and SCR catalytic converters, which enable a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. Our polar exploration ship, Le Commandant Charcot, is a hybrid-electric vessel, propelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). LNG enables a 25% reduction in carbon emissions, an 85% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and a 95% reduction in fine particle emissions. Each time we design a new ship, we equip it with the latest available eco-technologies, enabling us to maintain our position as the cruise industry’s environmental leader, ahead of international regulations in some areas. A commitment recognised by many independent organisations:

  • Our entire fleet is Clean Ship certified by the Bureau Veritas. This certification guarantees that our ships fulfil very precise criteria: emissions levels, waste processing, waste water etc.
  • In 2020, PONANT was recognised as “the cruise operator with the greenest fleet in the world in terms of airborne emissions” by the German NGO, NABU.
  • PONANT was awarded the Prix des Palmes du Tourisme Durable 2020 (Prize for Sustainable Tourism) in the “Voyage” category for the elimination of heavy fuel oil in favour of LS MGO.
  • In 2019, PONANT became the first European cruise company to obtain the North American Green Alliance certificate. This certifies that its members have adopted practices and technologies that are respectful towards the environment.
  • PONANT is also a signatory of the Charte Bleue from Armateurs de France, which commits the maritime sector to act to protect the marine environment.

Wastewater

All of the wastewater is treated by means of processes that exclude the use of chemical products. The recycled water is used to clean the exterior of the ship. The water that is discharged into the sea is treated, drinkable water.

Waste

We have optimised our organisation in order to reduce waste at the source. Waste is nonetheless still produced on board. As of 2020, 60% of this is sorted and recycled, with an objective of 85% set for 2023. We ensure the complete traceability of this waste.

Single-use plastics

We have eliminated the use of single-use plastics (straws, cups, food serving trays, laundry bags etc.). A metallic flask is issued to each passenger on expedition cruises and water fountains are available in the common areas of the ships. We are also developing the bottling of our water in glass bottles.

Deck 7
Deck 6
Deck 5
Deck 4
Deck 3
Deck 7
  • Spa
  • Fitness Centre
  • Hair Salon
  • Sun Deck
Deck 6
  • Panoramic Lounge
  • Art Gallery/Photo & Video
  • Staterooms
Deck 5
  • Bridge
  • Cabins
Deck 4
  • Restaurant
  • Cabins
Deck 3
  • Theatre
  • Medical Centre
  • Cabins 
  • Reception Desk
  • Excursions Desk
  • Shop
  • Main Lounge
  • Grill
  • Pool

Get in touch with our team to start planning

Call and speak to a member of our experienced team today on +44 (0)1491 528 988 or email info@authenticcruises.co.uk.

Alternatively, leave your details and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.