The Authentic Cruise Company

Itinerary

Day 1: Bordeaux
Day 2: Quiberon
Day 3: Brest
Day 4: Saint Peter Port
Day 5: Saint-Malo
Day 6: Dartmouth
Day 7: Saint Mary's, Isles of Scilly
Day 8: Kinsale
Day 9: Dublin
Day 1: Bordeaux

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you’ll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described it as Versailles plus Antwerp, and why the painter Francisco de Goya, when exiled from his native Spain, chose it as his last home (he died here in 1828). The capital of southwest France and the region’s largest city, Bordeaux remains synonymous with the wine trade: wine shippers have long maintained their headquarters along the banks of the Garonne, while buyers from around the world arrive for the huge biennial Vinexpo show (held in odd-number years).Bordeaux is, admittedly, a less exuberant city than many others in France, but lively and stylish elements are making a dent in its conservative veneer. The cleaned-up riverfront is said by some, after a bottle or two, to exude an elegance reminiscent of St. Petersburg, and that aura of 18th-century élan also permeates the historic downtown sector—“le vieux Bordeaux”—where fine shops invite exploration. To the south of the city center are old docklands undergoing renewal—one train station has now been transformed into a big multiplex movie theater—but the area is still a bit shady. To get a feel for the historic port of Bordeaux, take the 90-minute boat trip that leaves Quai Louis-XVIII every weekday afternoon, or the regular passenger ferry that plies the Garonne between Quai Richelieu and the Pont d’Aquitaine in summer. A nice time to stroll around the city center is the first Sunday of the month, when it’s pedestrian-only and vehicles are banned.

Day 2: Quiberon
Day 3: Brest
Day 4: Saint Peter Port

Cobblestone streets, blooming floral displays, and tiny churches welcome you to this wonderfully pretty harbour. The town of St Peter Port is as pretty as they come, with glowing flower displays painting practically every street corner and window-ledge with colour. As the capital, and main port of Guernsey, St Peter Port puts all of the island’s gorgeous beaches, wonderful history and inspiring stories at your fingertips. Feel the gut punch of the midday gun firing at Castle Cornet, which stands guard over one of the world’s prettiest ports. This 800-year-old, Medieval castle offers staggering views of the harbour from its imposing, craggy island location, and you can look out across to the looming shorelines of the other Channel Islands from its weathered battlements. With four well-tended gardens, and five museums offering a rich overview of Guernsey’s history, you’ll want to leave a few hours aside to explore the many treasures that lie within the castle’s walls.

Day 5: Saint-Malo

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground for phenomenal sailors. Many were fishermen, but others—most notably Jacques Cartier, who claimed Canada for Francis I in 1534—were New World explorers. Still others were corsairs, “sea dogs” paid by the French crown to harass the Limeys across the Channel: legendary ones like Robert Surcouf and Duguay-Trouin helped make St-Malo rich through their pillaging, in the process earning it the nickname “the pirates’ city.” The St-Malo you see today isn’t quite the one they called home because a weeklong fire in 1944, kindled by retreating Nazis, wiped out nearly all of the old buildings. Restoration work was more painstaking than brilliant, but the narrow streets and granite houses of the Vieille Ville were satisfactorily recreated, enabling St-Malo to regain its role as a busy fishing port, seaside resort, and tourist destination. The ramparts that help define this city figuratively and literally are authentic, and the flames also spared houses along Rue de Pelicot in the Vieille Ville. Battalions of tourists invade this quaint part of town in summer, so arrive off-season if you want to avoid crowds.

Day 6: Dartmouth
Day 7: Saint Mary's, Isles of Scilly

St Mary’s is the Isle of Scilly’s largest island with a population of 1800 residents and an area of 6.58 square Kilometres; this is the gateway to the rest of the magnificent islands. Hugh town -a beautiful Old town with its own beach, nature reserve and church is the main attractions of St Mary’s, with tiny streets brimming with shops to pick up the perfect souvenir. St Mary’s is a hidden gem, with long stretches of white sandy beaches and a breath-taking untouched landscape. The coastline holds many archaeological sites along with miles of splendid walks along the coastal and country paths.

Day 8: Kinsale
Day 9: Dublin

Dublin is making a comeback. The decade-long “Celtic Tiger” boom era was quickly followed by the Great Recession, but The Recovery has finally taken a precarious hold. For visitors, this newer and wiser Dublin has become one of western Europe’s most popular and delightful urban destinations. Whether or not you’re out to enjoy the old or new Dublin, you’ll find it a colossally entertaining city, all the more astonishing considering its intimate size.It is ironic and telling that James Joyce chose Dublin as the setting for his famous Ulysses, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man because it was a “center of paralysis” where nothing much ever changed. Which only proves that even the greats get it wrong sometimes. Indeed, if Joyce were to return to his once-genteel hometown today—disappointed with the city’s provincial outlook, he left it in 1902 at the age of 20—and take a quasi-Homeric odyssey through the city (as he so famously does in Ulysses), would he even recognize Dublin as his “Dear Dirty Dumpling, foostherfather of fingalls and dotthergills”?For instance, what would he make of Temple Bar—the city’s erstwhile down-at-the-heels neighborhood, now crammed with cafés and trendy hotels and suffused with a nonstop, international-party atmosphere? Or the simple sophistication of the open-air restaurants of the tiny Italian Quarter (named Quartier Bloom after his own creation), complete with sultry tango lessons? Or of the hot–cool Irishness, where every aspect of Celtic culture results in sold-out theaters, from Once, the cult indie movie and Broadway hit, to Riverdance, the old Irish mass-jig recast as a Las Vegas extravaganza? Plus, the resurrected Joyce might be stirred by the songs of Hozier, fired up by the sultry acting of Michael Fassbender, and moved by the award-winning novels of Colum McCann. As for Ireland’s capital, it’s packed with elegant shops and hotels, theaters, galleries, coffeehouses, and a stunning variety of new, creative little restaurants can be found on almost every street in Dublin, transforming the provincial city that suffocated Joyce into a place almost as cosmopolitan as the Paris to which he fled. And the locals are a hell of a lot more fun! Now that the economy has finally turned a corner, Dublin citizens can cast a cool eye over the last 20 crazy years. Some argue that the boomtown transformation of their heretofore-tranquil city has permanently affected its spirit and character. These skeptics (skepticism long being a favorite pastime in the capital city) await the outcome of “Dublin: The Sequel,” and their greatest fear is the possibility that the tattered old lady on the Liffey has become a little less unique, a little more like everywhere else.Oh ye of little faith: the rare ole gem that is Dublin is far from buried. The fundamentals—the Georgian elegance of Merrion Square, the Norman drama of Christ Church Cathedral, the foamy pint at an atmospheric pub—are still on hand to gratify. Most of all, there are the locals themselves: the nod and grin when you catch their eye on the street, the eagerness to hear half your life story before they tell you all of theirs, and their paradoxically dark but warm sense of humor. It’s expected that 2016 will be an extra-special year in the capital, as centenary celebrations of the fateful 1916 Easter Rising will dominate much of the cultural calendar.

Owner's Suite
Grand Privilege Suite
Grand Deluxe Suite
Privilege Suite
Prestige Suite
Deluxe Suite
Prestige Stateroom
Superior Stateroom
Deluxe Stateroom
Owner's Suite

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and a basket of fruit every day
  • A bedroom with king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A living/dining room with sofa, TV, 4-seater table and sliding courtesy door
  • A bathroom with shower and balneo bathtub
  • A one-hour spa care for one person in the well-being space, chosen from the facial and body treatments on offer
  • A private 12 m² balcony
  • Three panoramic sliding bay windows
Grand Privilege Suite

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and a basket of fruit on arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and a basket of fruit every day
  • A bedroom with a king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A second bedroom with a king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A lounge with sofa, TV, two armchairs and two sliding courtesy doors
  • A bathroom with shower and bath
  • A private 12 m² balcony
  • Three panoramic sliding bay windows
Grand Deluxe Suite

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and a basket of fruit on arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and a basket of fruit every day
  • A bedroom with a king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A lounge with sofa, TV and a sliding courtesy door
  • A bathroom with shower and a balneo bathtub
  • A private 12 m² balcony
  • Two panoramic sliding bay windows
Privilege Suite

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • Butler service
  • An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and a basket of fruit every day
  • A bedroom with a king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A living/dining room with sofa, TV, 4-seater table and sliding courtesy door
  • A bathroom with shower and bath
  • A private 12 m² balcony
  • Three panoramic sliding bay windows
Prestige Suite

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival
  • An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and a basket of fruit every day
  • A bedroom with king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A lounge with two armchairs, a TV, a sliding courtesy door and a sofa convertible to a king-size bed (180 x 190 cm)
  • Two bathrooms with shower
  • A private 8 m² balcony
  • Two panoramic sliding bay windows
Deluxe Suite

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • Priority boarding
  • Champagne and a basket of fruit on arrival
  • Service of a steward
  • An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and a basket of fruit every day
  • One king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A lounge area with a sofa (167 x 70 cm) and an armchair
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private 5 m² balcony
  • A panoramic sliding bay window
Prestige Stateroom

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • One king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private 4 m² balcony
  • A panoramic sliding bay window
Superior Stateroom

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • A king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A window or round porthole
Deluxe Stateroom

Services provided

  • 24h room service
  • Inclusive Internet access Wi-Fi (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
  • Individually-controlled air conditioning
  • Dressing room with shelves and closet
  • Dressing table and hairdryer
  • Hermès top-of-the-line bath products
  • Minibar included
  • Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
  • Electronic safe
  • Direct line telephone
  • Bose Bluetooth speaker
  • Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
  • 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
  • Three ADA staterooms

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms:

  • One king-size bed (180 x 190 cm) or two single beds (90 x 190 cm) and TV
  • A bathroom with shower
  • A private 4 m² balcony
  • A window and a panoramic glazed swing door
Le Céleste
La Comète
Room Service
Le Céleste

A la carte meals are served at the table in the gastro restaurant. At lunch, a selection of dishes inspired by contemporary French brasseries will be offered. At dinner, it is time to sample the grand traditions of French fine dining, with menus to go with one of the best wines from our cellar, as recommended by our sommelier.

To the rear of deck 2 you’ll find a gastronomic restaurant big enough to seat all passengers together at one sitting.

  • Deck 2
  • 3,980 square feet
  • Capacity: 268
  • Breakfasts, lunches and dinners, French and international cuisine, elegance and refinement
  • Wine cellar
La Comète
  • Deck 6
  • Enjoy breakfasts, buffet lunches and themed dinners in a relaxed atmosphere at the grill restaurant on Deck 6.
  • 2,530 square feet
  • Interior capacity: 150
  • Exterior capacity: 60
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
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.

The Main Lounge
The Panoramic Lounge
Exterior Bar
Excursion Reception and Office
Theatre
Recreation Area
Shop
The Main Lounge

  • Deck 3
  • 2,740 square feet
  • Interior capacity: 110
  • Exterior capacity: 30
  • Tea rooms, bar, programme of live musical entertainment, dance floor
  • Access to the exterior terrace
The Panoramic Lounge

  • Deck 6
  • 1,185 square feet
  • Library, internet space, bar, live entertainment on certain evenings
  • Direct access to the panoramic terrace
Exterior Bar

  • Deck 6
  • Lounge area with seating for 50
  • Overlooking the pool deck
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.

Theatre

The 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.

  • Deck 4
  • 2,690 square feet
  • Capacity: 250
  • Conference room, concert hall/multi-purpose auditorium
  • Audiovisual equipment
Recreation Area

  • Deck 5
  • Studio Ponant: Special area for viewing and ordering photos/videos
  • Kids Club (games area + Wii and PS4)
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.

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
Services
Wi-Fi
Medical Facilities
Guests with reduced mobility
Dress Code
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

PONANT ships are non-smoking, even on the stateroom balconies. Smoking is only allowed in the exterior parts of the ship designated for the purpose.

Power Adapters

A number of electrical outlets are provided for our cruise guests to use in our common areas.

European power 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.

On classic cruises, 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 (consult the list of cruises concerned).

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.

Services

On board our vessels you can enjoy the following services:

  • Reception desk 24/7 on our Sisterships, Le Paul Gauguin and PONANT Explorers, and 7:00AM to 11:00PM on Le Ponant,
  • Customer Service Office,
  • Excursions Office,
  • Breakfast in your stateroom,
  • Butler service on Sisterships: for passengers staying in one of the suites on deck 6.
  • Stateroom service (Free & available 24/7),
  • Wake-up service by the reception,
  • Laundry,
  • Boutique,
  • Fitness room,
  • Wellness area,
  • Group sessions of gym,
  • Outdoor pool (except for Le Ponant),
  • Photography/video service (except for Le Ponant),
  • Bars,
  • Postal service,
  • Restaurant,
  • Only onboard Le Commandant Charcot :
  • Alain Ducasse restaurant (Deck 5)
  • Brasero and Blue Lagoon
  • Indoor pool
  • Snowroom
  • Cigare Lounge
  • Private fitness sessions (depending on the availability of the coach, non included, priority for the passengers of the Owner Suite, Duplex Suites, Prestige and Grand Prestige Suites).
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

All the ships have a doctor and a nurse available on board, except Le Ponant, on which there is a nurse and a telemedicine service available:

  • The schedules of consultation are listed each day in the log book (emergency consultation 24/7).
  • The Sisterships, PONANT Explorers, Le Paul Gauguin and Le Commandant Charcot also have a hospital for any small surgery.
  • During excursions, cruise guests are accompanied by a doctor or a nurse to provide first aid when away from the ship.

Medical Consultations

Consultations, medical or surgical treatments, and laboratory-based or medical imagery-based (radiology) analyses carried out on board by the doctor or the nurse have to be paid for. The price can vary according to the time and place of the consultation (hospital or stateroom). The prices for all treatments and procedures are displayed in the waiting room. 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.

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.

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, Le Paul Gauguin and Le Commandant Charcot were designed for people with reduced mobility in mind:

  • Posters, signage and stateroom numbers are translated into Braille.
  • Specially designed staterooms;

Access ramps allowing easy movement in communal areas:
– Decks 3 (307), 4 (407) and 5 (509) on board the Sisterships: three 18 m² double cabins adapted for wheelchair access and fitted with either a double bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm), a bathroom with shower and toilet, and in the case of the cabins on decks 4 and 5 only, a 4 m² balcony fitted with a small exterior wheelchair access ramp.
– Decks 4 (431) and 5 (527) on board the PONANT Explorers: two 27.5 m² double cabins adapted for wheelchair access and fitted with either a double bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm), a bathroom with shower and toilet, and a 4 m² balcony with a small exterior wheelchair access ramp.
– Decks 6 (626 and 628) and 8 (818) on board Le Commandant Charcot: three 28 m² double cabins adapted for wheelchair access and equipped with either a double bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm), a bathroom with shower and toilet, and a 7.5 m² balcony with a small exterior wheelchair access ramp.
– Deck 4 (415 and 416) on board Le Paul Gauguin: two 21 m² double cabins adapted for wheelchair access, with cabin 416 fitted with a queen size bed (160 x 200 cm) and cabin 415 fitted with two single beds (90 x 200 cm), and with both cabins featuring a panoramic window and a bathroom with shower and toilet.

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.

Dress Code

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

Deck 6
Deck 5
Deck 4
Deck 3
Deck 2
Deck 6
  • Pool
  • Grill Restaurant
  • Internet Café
  • Library
  • Panoramic Lounge
  • Panoramic Terrace
  • Grand Deluxe Suite
  • Deluxe Suite
  • Owner’s Suite
  • Staterooms
Deck 5
  • Fitness Room
  • Spa
  • Hammam
  • Hair Salon
  • Image & Photo Desk
  • Bridge
  • Staterooms
Deck 4
  • Theatre
  • Staterooms
Deck 3
  • Main Lounge
  • Shop
  • Excursion Desk
  • Reception Desk
  • Medical Centre
  • Staterooms
Deck 2
  • Marina
  • Gastronomic Restaurant

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.