Ponant cruise line on board Le Champlain ship, hosted their first seminar at sea between 6th-8th September 2022.

I arrived all excited at the meeting point Camden food company in Victoria train station...45 mins early at 7.30! I was met by the Ponant rep, a London blue badge holder by trade, who was holding the customary Ponant logo sign.

Our group of about 25 was met by the Ponant team, about four of them, and dead on 8.30am we proceeded to our coach.

The journey was pleasant and on schedule but with barely 15 miles from Dover we were faced with every holidaymaker's nightmare- a long tailback due to a traffic accident. Luckily for us, the Ponant team were there which sort of gave us some sort of reassurance should anything go wrong.

About an hour later, at 12.10 to be precise, we arrived at the Dover cruise terminal. Our ship Le Champlain looked very smart yet small compared to the larger Costa cruise ship which was moored next to it.

After passport and Covid checks, we were instructed to head to the Le Nautilus restaurant towards the back of the ship on deck 4 for a spot of lunch. As I sat down scanning this well-manicured dining area I noticed the ship was gently moving. The North Sea is now our home for the next two days.

Being a luxury French boutique class line lunch was more on the “Fine cuisine” side, and very tasty indeed, all served with fine French wines. Due to Covid guidelines, it’s still obligatory to wear a mask whilst choosing your entrée and dessert from the buffet area as the main course is waiter service. The restaurant also has seating al fresco which one can only wonder what fantastic sights you may encounter whilst enjoying fine French cuisine.

My balcony stateroom was on deck 5, it was spacious and had a small but cosy balcony with two small chairs and a table. My first impression was that of an exclusive and chic apartment, especially the décor. The bathroom area was split in two, in one part a smart-looking basin finished in smooth white stone plus a connecting walk-in shower with ample space. All finished with floor-to-ceiling glass panels, this made the whole wash area very smart. In a separate smaller room towards the door, you had the toilet.

The sliding wood panel which covers the window pane at the end of the wash area overlooks the room itself. For privacy you can slide the wood panel right across or should you want to see through the glass panel and view the sea whilst washing you just simply slide it open, very touching and calming. All of this and Hermes toiletries.

The room also has a fully kitted mini bar, a safe (very easy to operate by the way), a Nespresso coffee machine, and a very large TV screen with multiple channels. Wi-Fi was also available and the bed was very comfortable and all the boxes were ticked as far as I was concerned.

The ship measures just 133 metres in length and 17 metres in width with a draft of just 4.5 metres she is the smallest ship that I have sailed on. So it was time to explore!

Anyway, loads of photos later we met at the theatre which is located on deck 3 towards the front of the ship. On the expedition voyages, this is where they will give talks about any forthcoming stops. Here we were treated to a "welcome aboard" presentation. All the Ponant reps were introduced and everyone was very well received. This French-based luxury cruise line highlighted what its future plans are and how they are leading the way in the greener fuel projects that are captivating a lot of cruise lines these days. And by the looks of things they are well ahead.

At the end of the presentation a very important safety procedure was rolled out including a safety announcement by the captain. We then proceeded to put on our life vests and headed to our muster station. A drill that has to be followed by all!

I decided to continue with my tour and I proceeded to the front of the ship in the panoramic area or the Jules Verne lounge on deck 6 which is the perfect spot for viewing. You have an adequate outside area that wraps itself around giving you a great panoramic view. The inside was very comfy, especially with its decor and a small library towards the back. A short walk back you have the internet room and art/photo/video station areas.

My next stop was one deck up in the Spa area. The receptionist gave me a short guided tour of the spa areas including the sauna (which is free but you have to pre-book) and everyone's favourite-The Gym. Although small it only caters to treadmills and other footwork machines, so no weights, but the views out to sea are great. The other rooms, Spa, facial, hair salon, and massage were very neatly manicured as any high-end Spa outlet will be. But as in most cases, these are at a cost to all on board.

I then somehow ended up at the front of the ship past the Spa area and came across what I was looking for. The black zodiacs, about 12, all neatly stowed away, made from 7 layers of reinforced rubber. These are used for both exotic and Polar regions. Also tucked in between them were the blue and white kayaks which are also used when doing any water activities…This is when expedition cruises come to light!

About 7 pm we gathered in the Main Salon on deck 3 towards the back of the ship for some Champagne and another introduction. After a short talk by Steve, our Ponant manager, he introduced us to the captain. He made a brief intro with his French accent and then a team member of each department was introduced, about 6 came up, all to rapturous applause by the 50 or so travel agents on board. From here you have access to the outside deck, kitted out with chairs and small tables, and with two very comfortable and well-received relaxing areas including sun loungers on either side of a very inviting infinity pool with views out to sea.

Just below the pool you have a small “marina deck”. This acts as a platform which can be positioned in three different levels for aquatic activities when the ship is stationary at any exotic location or polar region.  

At dinner time we were treated to their excellent A La Carte menu with attentive waiting staff. I also notice at the bottom of the menu that you can opt for comfort food such as burgers or chicken wings and so on. The main lounge area was our next stop where we were treated to a pianist playing classics together with a singer followed by some of the entertainment team doing some very exotic dance routines. All very pleasant.

A short walk away you have the reception and shore excursion area plus a small but adequate shop. At 10 pm some of us went over to the reception desk and waited for Steve to take us down to level one a place which was highlighted in the talk earlier. The first of its kind-The Blue Eye lounge. Situated 3.5 meters below the water line! This lounge was like nothing I have seen before. Room for about 30 it has a small bar but it’s to each side which catches your eye. And it does, with two reinforced windows resembling two large oval eyes. Inspired by Captain Nemo’s submarine “The Nautilus” in the world-famous Jules Verne novel “20,000 leagues under the sea” You can see both the sea and the waves of the ship, a truly remarkable sight. On many occasions in the tropics, you can spot colourful fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and the odd shark! These views are also captured by a small underwater camera situated on either side and streamed live on the large screen by either side of the bar. The windows are made from 25 panes of reinforced glass and it's tougher than the Ice Class 1C hull itself! (But for some maritime regulations they can’t use the lounge when in American waters). The décor inside is unique and it resembles a whale with long wavy grooves in the wooden ceiling capturing the sounds of the waves and the pipe music which is played giving it that very smooth and calming effect. The seats are designed in such a way that you just lay back listening to the sounds, and see the underwater world whilst giving your head a small but effective massage.

The next morning was pleasant, the outside temperature was mild which was a good excuse to wear shorts. After breakfast we headed to the theatre for another presentation, this time a more intense 2-hour talk about the line and what it offers and all that goes on with their ships and itineraries and what future plans they have. They also outlined their new icebreaker cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot. An expedition ship with an ice-breaking hull and all the mod cons you can wish for when going from the tropics to the polar regions. Overall it was a very interesting and and informative seminar.

Afterwards, we were split into 4 groups for a more intense ship tour, our Ponant agent Nabil took us around other staterooms and suites, which all have balconies. The staterooms were all very well equipped as this cruise line is for the refined traveller or novice explorer.

After lunch another intense 2-hour workshop with some fascinating information about itineraries and what they offer. Le Champlain is part of their explorer ship class and Ponant has a fleet of 13 ships. With the added partnerships with both National Geographic and Smithsonian some of their itineraries are not to be found on any other cruise lines voyages.

Staying with the polar regions the aforementioned ice breaker cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot. This is the only cruise ship that can literally go on top of the world in the north pole and with a 5-star treatment! But you won’t just be with other like-minded passengers you will also be brushing shoulders with Scientists, Professors, and other scientific professionals as they will be collecting valuable data for scientific research. All of this and Ponant striving to push the bar higher when it comes to greener and cleaner ships and constantly learning about the polar regions.

As with any top end, cruise line dress accord is smart and presentable and on certain evenings they will do gala nights where appropriate dress code is recommended. After our great gala night with nice food and plenty of wine the atmosphere was very embracing.

After a good night’s sleep we arrived in Bergen, Norway and the entrance into one of  Norway’s most important ports is one to savour. After a hearty breakfast, the whole Ponant team was there to see us off and wish us a safe onward journey. During our stay they were very friendly, and attentive and made our stay welcoming and informative.

…Oh and by the way should you go for a polar expedition cruise you get a complimentary red or blue polar jacket…now that in itself is a good excuse to go on one.

For a more detailed and concentrated analysis of this innovative cruise line drop me a line albert@gocruiseandtravel.co.uk or call me on 0208 450 1145

Thank you very much Ponant.

Albert