PONANT Reviews 533

THIS COMPANY DOES EVERY THING JUST TO PERFECTION

No one working on the cruise could answer a single question. It was a symphony of "I don't know, I have to ask." When there was a problem or issue, we were left with the impression that we would need to solve it ourselves. We placed repeated calls to the spa, but they never picked up. They also never returned our call despite multiple requests. We were eventually so frustrated that we asked to speak to the manager, who waited two days to contact us, and then told me that I was not being polite enough to him. He had the gall to tell me that he couldn't licate me for 2 days. On a boat. In the middle of the water. With 140 passengers aboard. We will never book woth Ponant again.

We love Ponant and always hate getting off the boat at the end of the cruise.

We had a wonderful trip from Darwin to Broome. Every day provided new adventures while the talks on board provided plenty of background information. The staff were excellent.

Wonderful experience with Ponant! Experience smart cruising!

Ponant crew and staff were fantastic. Food was fantastic. Ship was just a good size with enough seating for everyone but not too big or impersonal. Lovely decor not over the top. Did I mention the food!!!! Last but not least the expedition team were committed and knowledgeable making exploring each day enjoyable and entertaining.

A very good cruise.

I feel that the staff are trained in hospitality eventualities and have an interest in upkeeping a standard set by Management.
Whether it be Food Service, House Keeping, Exhibition Team, Entertainment the presentation was done well.

We cruised on Le Soleal from Vancouver to Sitka July 5–13, 2024. The trip was perfect. Staff and crew were enthusiastic, professional and a lot of fun. We saw some amazing parts of Alaska, and a spontaneous stop for a swim was unexpected and really fun (to watch!) while 60 passengers and crew jumped off the deck into the glacier-cold water in a wonderful sunny afternoon. Food and service, entertainment and excursions were all perfect! Thank you!
Thanks!

The best in the business.

The Le Champlain is a lovely ship with great staff . The food is really 5 star with the gala nights being especially fine. The wines are good rather than great.
On the debit side,half the guests were from Tauck, the US travel agent, and the rest of us were somewhat second-class ! (for example the Tauck passengers had free access to premium level drinks, seemed to have their own talks...)...in future I will endeavour not to join such a cruise!
Also on the debit side the cabin we had (not the cheapest) was definitely smaller than other lines I have been with. Also the excursions were good, but very poor value in terms of cost.The whole cruise was "info-lite"....meaning that only sketchy lectures /briefings were given
Despite these reservation Ponant runs an excellent cruise and I would use them again.

A wonderful Baltic cruise on Le Dumont D’Urville - Ponant excel in providing a unique French flavoured experience from the French food & wine, to the service from everyone from the Captain down. Thoroughly recommend Ponant to those travellers are ‘foodies’ who enjoy an authentic European experience

Lovely, relaxing cruise with very knowledgeable guides. Staff were very helpful and always pleasant.
Excursions were organised well and catered to all the passengers on board.
Maybe could have had had more excursions for the more able to be more active.

The experience was excellent. I would like to see more solo cruise offers

A comfortable ship, excellent expeditions and expedition team, and wonderful crew and leadership team, especially the captain.

Japan southern islands on Le Jacque Cartier (7 days). The cabin (deck 5) was compact but very functional and comfortable. The balcony was nice to have also. As an expedition cruise the leaders failed to provide the necessary information to enhance the experience. Many had never been to the areas visited. Logistics on land were poor and confused, lots of waiting for buses and other passengers. The French passengers seemed to get preferential treatment and access to the expedition team members who has expertise eg botanist, environmentalist etc. The English speakers were with inexperienced leaders.The food and wine was average at best. Little knowledge of wines served, no sommelier on board. Some bars (observation deck) were closed at odd times (like 600pm) due to lack of staff on board. I provided written comments both during and post cruise direct to Ponant and received no response. This was our first cruise with Ponant and will also be our last. The whole experience was not worth what we paid for it. Many other passengers felt much the same. Ponant are expanding their operations into Australia and if this is indicative of their level of cruising and professionalism then be warned.

This was our first cruise on Ponant and Ponant far surpasses the “suite experience” on any other cruise line. The opera events weer intimate and incredible to have 6 professional opera singer with us for a week. The dining was fantastic every day. The quality is very high. The crew all knew our name. We spoke with the Captain daily. The open bridge was great. The cabin design was very well thought out and we really liked the separate “water closet”. We really enjoyed the North Africa ports of call, as Algeria and Tunisia are not generally on other cruise line’s itineraries. The number of passengers was just right and it was never congested or crowded on board. Highly recommend.

Ponant markets itself as a 5 star cruise line but in reality it is barely 4 stars. The coffee on board has no taste and no trained baristas either. The soups and vegetables served are usually lukewarm.
Staff are polite but not overly friendly. The only really friendly crew members are the dining room and housekeeping staff who are all Filipino. Food was much better before 2020 and more “French cuisine”

10 nites Seychelles and Zanzibar. The ship was lovely. The food was great. Most of the staff tried to be as accomodating as possible. BUT it was amateur hour much of the time. Departments on the ship had problems communicating with one another. Too many times was told "not my job." Planning for contingencies (bad weather, equipment problems, local access issues) was all done on the fly. French passengers were prioritized such that English speakers were denied meaningful access to the highlight of the trip: Aldabra atoll. HQ promised communication re the issues but one week later nothing but dead silence. Sorry but when one charges a premium price the value provided needs to be much better. The off ship experience was so disorganized and disappointing that it barely reached 2 stars. On a 5 star ship. With 6 star pricing. Ponant needs significant improvement before it can be recommended. The problems start at HQ and HQ is too proud to acknowledge the need for change. So much potential but not worth the money.

Update: AFTER this review was published I received an offer for a 20% discount and a demand that I take down the review. Ponant senior management has far too little understanding of the need for timely communication and trust. I stand by the review above

Incredibly slow at processing a refund to the extent that I think this is their policy rather than an honest mistake. I recieved a partial refund (did they hope I would not notice the shortfall) but no one available to explain where the rest of my money is. Whole team in a meeting for 30 mins and will call you back - fair enough. Several hours later I call again to be told whole team is in a meeting for 30 minutes and they will call back. Beyond frustrated with the incompetence, poor communication and lack of service. Is this the sort of treatment you want from a luxury cruise line - if not give them a miss. I really feel I dodged a bullet if their admin is this bad before you sail I hate to think what sailing with them would be like