PONANT Americas

PONANT Americas: luxury and expedition cruises with departures through 2028

PONANT Americas is the U.S. market division of a luxury and expedition cruise line that offers voyages to polar regions, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania. Its offering is built around its own fleet of sailing ships, yachts and icebreakers, and a catalog of itineraries that combines remote destinations with onboard experiences.

A fleet organized by ship type

The company structures its fleet into several families of vessels. The sailing ships include Le Ponant and Spirit of Ponant. The Sisterships yacht series consists of L'Austral, Le Boréal, Le Lyrial and Le Soléal. The Explorers series comprises Le Bellot, Le Bougainville, Le Champlain, Le Dumont d'Urville, Le Jacques Cartier and Le Lapérouse. They are joined by the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot. The group also offers voyages from Aqua Expeditions and Paul Gauguin Cruises, whose ship is the m/s Paul Gauguin.

Destinations and itinerary themes

The catalog covers the Arctic and Antarctica, North America and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Coast, Africa and the Middle East, the Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands, Asia, the Pacific Islands and Oceania, as well as transatlantic crossings and ocean repositioning voyages between ports.

Voyages are grouped by theme: Explorations, Expeditions, Timeless Discoveries, Culture, Music and Dance, Art and Literature, Art of Living, Luxury and Craftmanship, Gastronomy and Oenology, Well-being and Sports, Society and Planet, and History and Geopolitics. The company maintains alliances with Smithsonian Journeys and The Explorers Club for select departures with guest speakers.

Onboard experience and guest services

The onboard offering is presented under the French touch concept, with hospitality, gastronomy and guest partners. The cruise line offers customized options, refined service and programs such as Ponant Yacht Club, Refer a Friend and Status Match, as well as insurance. Customer tools include brochure download, quote request and a voyage search by destination, month and theme.

Scheduled departures and catalog offers

The site shows departures planned between 2026 and 2028. Some examples of published itineraries are the ocean voyage between Puntarenas (Costa Rica) and Cabo San Lucas (Mexico), 7 nights aboard Le Bellot; the jazz festival in alliance with Jazz at Lincoln Center between Helsinki (Finland) and Bergen (Norway), 10 nights aboard Le Commandant Charcot; the ocean voyage between Dunedin (New Zealand) and Lautoka, Viti Levu Island (Fiji), 7 nights aboard Le Soléal; the voyage between Walvis Bay (Namibia) and Dakar (Senegal), 12 nights aboard Le Dumont d'Urville; the voyage between Guam and Kobe (Japan), 5 nights aboard Le Jacques Cartier; the Great Austral Loop with included package between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires (Argentina), 18 nights aboard Le Lyrial; the journey through Panama, Colombia and the Caribbean islands between Colón (Panama) and Fort-de-France (Martinique), 10 nights aboard Le Lapérouse; and the voyage between Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain), 13 nights aboard L'Austral.

The catalog listed prices per person in double occupancy, subject to availability and including the Ponant Bonus discount, as well as promotions such as the Tempting Tahiti offer with up to $1,000 shipboard credit on select 2026 and 2027 French Polynesia departures, and complimentary hotel stays on select Le Commandant Charcot departures.

Alliances, awards and recent activity

The cruise line has announced collaborations with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for Antarctic expeditions with oceanographic experts, with Smithsonian Journeys for a set of 2028 voyages and with The Explorers Club for featured speakers on its 2027 voyages. It has also scheduled a full circumnavigation of Antarctica aboard Le Commandant Charcot in 2028 and expanded its French Polynesia offering with two ships starting in winter 2026/2027. In January 2026, the company was recognized as Best Expedition Cruise Line in the 2026 TPG Awards by The Points Guy.