Leading French
cruise line and five-star expedition specialist Compagnie du Ponant has launched its Summer 2014 collection aboard its three elegant, intimate yacht-style cruisers,
Le Boreal, L'Austral and Le Soleal (all with just 132 staterooms & suites), and the
majestic three-masted yacht Le Ponant ( with only 32 staterooms).
From April to
October 2014, they will be cruising in the Great Arctic North and Canada,
Northern Europe and the Baltic, and the Eastern and Western Mediterranean,
offering a wide range of unusual itineraries and ports of
call. Each of the
luxury yachts offers spacious suites, impeccable service and excellent food and
wine – plus their small size allows them to reach destinations larger ships
cannot. Passengers will also sail in the company of experts and
historians as guides and lecturers who are passionate about their
subjects.
Be it a
five-star expedition to the Arctic, coast to coast cruising in the Mediterranean
or themed cruises, Ponant offers much more than just a cruise:
this is travel as it used to be in the golden age of the grand
voyage.
NEW
ITINERARIES
Spitsbergen & Iceland: Leaving from
Longyearbyen, L’Austral sets sail for the iridescent ice fields of Spitsbergen
where Zodiacs will take passengers as close as possible to polar landscapes, the ice floe, glaciers and icebergs. The ship then heads
for Iceland on a new itinerary from Grimsey Island, along the coast and south as
far as Reykjavík.
Alaska to Kamchatka: From Nome in Alaska, L’Austral heads for the wilderness of Kamtchatka in the Russian
Far East. This volcanic region is spectacularly beautiful and home to
extraordinary wildlife. One of the highlights is the Valley of Geysers, 40
volcanoes in the Kronotsky Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Uzon
Caldera with its extraordinary contrasts and colours – from the intense blue of the
lake and streams, suspensions of milky sulphur and the emerald green of the
algae. New for 2014 is the possibility to begin the cruise with a short stay in
Seattle.
From the Atlantic To The North Sea: Departing
from Bordeaux, Le Boreal heads
north. After calls at Belle-Île-en-Mer and London,
passengers will enjoy Amsterdam’s unique ambiance, Sylt Island in the heart of
the Wadden Sea National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the ecological
energy-conscious city of Hamburg and the luminosity of Copenhagen.
Norwegian Fjords: from
Copenhagen, L’Austral will explore nature’s wonders along the coast of
Norway,whose spectacular fjords have nearly all earned the UNESCO World Heritage
site status. The Briksdal and Svartisen glaciers, the Jostedalsbreen Glacier
National Park, Geiranger Fjord and the Viking islands of Giske and Godoy all
feature on the itinerary of this exceptional cruise.
The Azores: Bathed
in sunshine year-round, the Azores islands boast a rich natural,
cultural and architectural heritage. Passengers on Le Boreal will begin their
cruise on the main island, São Miguel, before heading for stunning Pico where
vines are slowly reclaiming the slopes of the Ponta do Pico volcano. A
particularly symbolic port of call for transatlantic sailors is Horta on Faial
Island which has an unusually cosmopolitan atmosphere. On Terceira Island, Angra
do Heroismo boasts a military heritage worthy of its
UNESCO World Heritage site status. The last port of call will be
Santa Maria Island, where the tranquil landscape is dotted with beaches,
vineyards and white villages.
Gourmet Cruise: From
Lisbon to Bordeaux, Le Boreal transforms this voyage into an exceptional
epicurean encounter. In a programme created by French magazine Cuisine
et Vins de France,
passengers will celebrate the delights of gourmet cuisine in the company of
Michelin-starred Chefs and renowned Sommeliers, including celebrity head-chef
Hélène Darroze, Jean Sulpice, Nicolas Magie, Philippe Faure-Brac and Olivier
Dauga. Tastings, culinary workshops and conferences will be on the menu between
calls into Porto, Viana do Castelo, Vigo, La Coruna, Bilbao, Le Verdon and
Bordeaux.
Musical Cruise: Le Soleal invites music-lovers to
embark on this fabulous voyage from Venice to Athens. Directed by Alain
Duault and produced in partnership with France’s Radio Classique, this festival
at sea welcomes some outstanding musicians. They will perform several concerts
at some of the places visited: Zadar and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Kotor Fjord in
Montenegro, Otranto in Italy, the legendary Olympia site and the ruins of
Mycenae in Greece.
Jazz Cruise: For
this new itinerary, Le Soleal
sets sail from Istanbul to France via Dikili near the Pergamum site in Turkey,
Katakolon near the Olympia site in Greece, Taormina and Palermo in Sicily, and
Ajaccio in Corsica. Aboard, Christian Morin and his quintet will perform two
jazz concerts of 40s music in a tribute to Duke Ellington and Benny
Goodman.
