The PONANT Experience

As part of the PONANT family, Paul Gauguin Cruises shares a distinctive French heritage with PONANT EXPLORATIONS. While each brand offers its own style of travel and destinations, both offer the signature French touch: refined service, elegant surroundings, gourmet cuisine, expert-led experiences and genuine hospitality. Discover the world with PONANT EXPLORATIONS, from polar regions and remote shores to iconic destinations, all aboard intimate luxury ships designed for immersive discovery.

Aboard PONANT Ships, Experience Travel Like Never Before

Life on Board

All-Inclusive, No Surprises

Every voyage includes gourmet dining, open bar, gratuities, port taxes and fees, 24-hour room service, WiFi, enrichment programs, and access to wellness areas. One included excursion per port of call is also standard, with naturalist guided tours and Zodiac landings included on expeditions.

All-Inclusive, No Surprises

Every voyage includes gourmet dining, open bar, gratuities, port taxes and fees, 24-hour room service, WiFi, enrichment programs, and access to wellness areas. One included excursion per port of call is also standard, with naturalist guided tours and Zodiac landings included on expeditions.

Status Match

Loyalty Program

Your journeys with Paul Gauguin Cruises and PONANT EXPLORATIONS are part of the same story. After your second cruise with Paul Gauguin Cruises or PONANT EXPLORATIONS, you’re welcomed into the PONANT Yacht Club (PYC)—a global community celebrating exceptional service, authentic exploration, and the art of refined travel. As a PYC member, enjoy exclusive benefits and privileges across both brands as you continue discovering the world.

Where will your next journey take you?

A Selection of Dream Destinations To Inspire You

Are you ready for an adventure?

Get in touch with PONANT EXPLORATIONS

We'd love to hear from you. Contact us by phone or email anytime.

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PONANT EPLORATIONS: Explore to Inspire

Discover the Fleet

Whether discovering iconic classic destinations or venturing to the farthest reaches of the globe, you'll explore in refined comfort aboard PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ award-winning ships.

In Their Own Words

Unforgettable by Design

"Every time I go back there, the landscape is different. There are no mountains, there's no solid ground, it’s just the ice pack as far as the eye can see. And a nice pack in very different states. The panorama is so unlike anything else, and it changes, depending on the weather conditions. It's mysterious in the fog, and sparkling white in the sunshine. You can see ivory gulls, black-legged kittiwakes and dovekies fishing between the ice floes, ringed seals, and sometimes even a polar bear. These are fleeting moments, in an extraordinary place. Few people on this Earth will be fortunate enough to have such an experience. And I am very much aware of that.

"Every time I go back there, the landscape is different. There are no mountains, there's no solid ground, it’s just the ice pack as far as the eye can see. And a nice pack in very different states. The panorama is so unlike anything else, and it changes, depending on the weather conditions. It's mysterious in the fog, and sparkling white in the sunshine. You can see ivory gulls, black-legged kittiwakes and dovekies fishing between the ice floes, ringed seals, and sometimes even a polar bear. These are fleeting moments, in an extraordinary place. Few people on this Earth will be fortunate enough to have such an experience. And I am very much aware of that.

Saskia Travert, Nature Guide

‘‘It was in 1993 that Le Ponant sailed the Mediterranean for the first time. Marseille and the whole of the Mediterranean alike provide a wellspring of inspiration for PONANT EXPLORATIONS, and a defining part of its essence for more than 30 years. From antiquity, this sea, unlike any other, facilitated cultural and commercial exchanges between Persians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Etruscans, Greeks, Romans and Berbers. We have more than 200 calls to the Mediterranean, each with its own distinct identity. Every traveller can find their own point of connection, feed their curiosity and live a thousand and one experiences. In 2027, our ships will once again call at Marseille, adding to our Mediterranean story."

‘‘It was in 1993 that Le Ponant sailed the Mediterranean for the first time. Marseille and the whole of the Mediterranean alike provide a wellspring of inspiration for PONANT EXPLORATIONS, and a defining part of its essence for more than 30 years. From antiquity, this sea, unlike any other, facilitated cultural and commercial exchanges between Persians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Etruscans, Greeks, Romans and Berbers. We have more than 200 calls to the Mediterranean, each with its own distinct identity. Every traveller can find their own point of connection, feed their curiosity and live a thousand and one experiences. In 2027, our ships will once again call at Marseille, adding to our Mediterranean story."

German Amaya, PONANT, Cruise Designer

"The Antarctic Peninsula, the closest point to South America, is the first gateway to the seventh continent. […] Here, nature reveals itself in all its richness. Cormorants, emblematic of the region, can be observed at sites such as Paulet Island, while in the Weddell Sea, colonies of Adélie and gentoo penguins, not to mention orcas and humpback whales, populate the coastline. [...] On board, I share my passion with passengers, not only through lectures, but also in the field: ice floe hikes, zodiac outings... If they had to remember just one thing from their trip, it would be the purity of the landscapes—the snow, the glaciers, the silence, provided you stay away from the penguin colonies—not to mention the wonder of discovering a world apart."

"The Antarctic Peninsula, the closest point to South America, is the first gateway to the seventh continent. […] Here, nature reveals itself in all its richness. Cormorants, emblematic of the region, can be observed at sites such as Paulet Island, while in the Weddell Sea, colonies of Adélie and gentoo penguins, not to mention orcas and humpback whales, populate the coastline. [...] On board, I share my passion with passengers, not only through lectures, but also in the field: ice floe hikes, zodiac outings... If they had to remember just one thing from their trip, it would be the purity of the landscapes—the snow, the glaciers, the silence, provided you stay away from the penguin colonies—not to mention the wonder of discovering a world apart."

Lucia Sala Simion, Tour Guide and Author

Elevated Exploration

when knowledge, culture, and discovery converge

Your Next Adventure Begins Here

with PONANT EXPLORATIONS