ITTN’s Sharon Jordan was one of the lucky trade invited onboard PONANT’s Le Dumont d’Urville as it docked in Dublin yesterday. Danny Giles, Sales Manager – North, Scotland, Northern Ireland & Ireland welcomed us onboard and delivered a presentation which highlighted the following:
- PONANT’s fleet include twelve ships to which they also include the MS Paul Gauguin, the recently refurbished vessel of PONANT’s sister company Paul Gauguin Cruises.
- The ship offers 92 staterooms, including four suites; all cabins include a private balcony. With limited capacity, the PONANT EXPLORERS are designed for landing in the most inaccessible locations, where others do not go.
- This is a luxury liner that has sister brands which include the likes of Gucci, Yves St Laurent, Boucheron and Christies.
- Their small ships cruises allow guests to explore the world – and the furthest corners of the globe, visiting smaller ports and remote destinations.
- PONANT cruises also feature renowned experts, speakers and lecturers from prestigious institutions including National Geographic Expeditions, Smithsonian Journeys, Le Louvre, as well as world-famous chefs, sommeliers and culinary experts.
- All restaurants and culinary offerings on PONANT ships are from Ducasse Conseil with the exception of Le Commandant Charcot which has two Alain Ducasse restaurants.
- PONANT’s Explorer-class vessels feature the world’s first multi-sensorial underwater lounge, Blue Eye. Which is definitely the jewel on the crown of this luxury liner. View it here.
- Its most recent ship, Le Commandant Charcot (Sept 2021), the first hybrid electric polar exploration vessel powered by LNG, PONANT reaches new heights in terms of sustainability, responsibility and exploration.
After a tour of this stunningly luxurious, yet understated ship, Danny told me that at PONANT working closely with the trade is key to increase awareness and bookings both in the UK and in Ireland, and in addition to various initiatives PONANT has embarked on an intensive programme of ship visits in the UK, Ireland and Scotland. A total of 16 ship visits are scheduled from April to September 2022 including in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dover, Dublin and Belfast. A total of 400 agents will have been able to visit a PONANT ship by the end of the programme. So far, a total of 150 people, a mix of trade, media and direct customers have been scheduled to attend these ship visits. And trust me if I was you – I would be first in line for the next visit!
