Le Ponant
Ponant ship guide
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Le Ponant approaching the cruise terminal in Grenada, 2017 · Photo: Ein Dahmer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About Le Ponant
Le Ponant is a Ponant cruise ship, in service since 1991. She measures 1,489 gross tons and carries 32 guests with a crew of 33. She sails Mediterranean, Caribbean itineraries. We rate her 3.7 out of 5.
Le Ponant is a three-masted sailing yacht and the ship that started the company: she was built in France by the SFCN yard and went into service in 1991. At 88 metres she is the smallest ship in the fleet, with 16 staterooms for up to 32 guests, one restaurant and a crew of about 33, and she sails under canvas whenever conditions allow. In April 2008 Somali pirates seized her in the Gulf of Aden with only her crew aboard; the hostages were released after about a week. After serving as a test bed for a prototype rigid sail in 2018 and 2019, she was rebuilt to a Jean-Philippe Nuel design with exhaust filters and 16 staterooms, returning in 2022. Her schedule pairs winter cruises in the Lesser Antilles with summers in the Mediterranean, plus spells around Cape Verde.
Ship facts
- Guests
- 32
- Crew 33 · 1:1.0
- Entered service
- 1991
- Refitted 2022
- Length
- 88 m
- Shorter than 89% of 575 ships
- Decks
- 3
Le Ponant is smaller than 100% of the 418 cruise ships in service on Cruise Frog with a tonnage on record, and carries fewer guests than 99%. At 46.5 gross tons per guest she is roomier than 78% of 416; the median ship is 39.4.
Ratings
- Cabins
- 4/5, fleet average 4.3
- Dining
- 5/5, fleet average 5.0
- Entertainment
- 2/5, fleet average 2.0
- Service
- 5/5, fleet average 5.0
- Pools & decks
- 3/5−0.6, fleet average 3.6
- Value
- 3/5, fleet average 3.0
Editorial scores, 1 to 5 per metric; the overall is their average, not an average of reader reviews. Ticks mark the Ponant fleet average across 12 rated ships in service.
More from Ponant
The ships in the fleet closest to her in size.
4.0 ★Le Bellot2020 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Panama Canal · Mexican RivieraLe Bellot is the fifth Ponant Explorer and takes her name from Joseph René Bellot, the French naval officer who explored the Arctic. Ponant ordered her in March 2018 together…
4.0 ★Le Jacques Cartier2020 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · South Pacific · AsiaLe Jacques Cartier is the sixth and last of the Ponant Explorers. Ordered as Le Surville, she was renamed after the Breton navigator Jacques Cartier before Vard delivered her in…
3.8 ★Le Bougainville2019 · 9,976 GT · 184 guests · Mediterranean · CaribbeanLe Bougainville, the third Ponant Explorer, takes her name from the admiral and navigator Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. Her hull was built in Romania and she was completed at…Official deck plans
Photos
Le Ponant approaching the cruise terminal in Grenada, 2017Photo: Ein Dahmer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Where she sails
Quick answers
Which cruise line operates Le Ponant?
Le Ponant is operated by Ponant.
How big is Le Ponant?
Le Ponant measures 1,489 gross tons and 88 metres in length, with 3 decks.
How does Le Ponant compare in size with other cruise ships?
Le Ponant is smaller than 100% of the 418 cruise ships in service on Cruise Frog with a tonnage on record, and carries fewer guests than 99%. At 46.5 gross tons per guest she is roomier than 78% of 416; the median ship is 39.4.
How crowded does Le Ponant feel?
Le Ponant has a passenger space ratio of 46.5: 1,489 gross tons for 32 guests. Ratios over 50 feel spacious and under 30 busy, so Le Ponant feels comfortable for her size.
How many passengers does Le Ponant carry?
Le Ponant carries 32 guests at double occupancy, with a crew of 33 (about 1.0 guests per crew member).
When did Le Ponant enter service?
Le Ponant entered service in 1991 and was last refurbished in 2022.
Where does Le Ponant sail?
Le Ponant sails Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries.
Where can I find the deck plans for Le Ponant?
Ponant publishes the deck plans for Le Ponant; this page links to Deck plans.
How is Le Ponant rated?
Cruise Frog rates Le Ponant 3.7 out of 5 overall, the average of 6 editorial scores. She scores best on dining (5/5) and lowest on entertainment (2/5).
Traveller reviews
What people who've been say. One review each; you can update yours.
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