PONANT Reviews 533

We did an Antarctic cruise and everything about it was fantastic from our first contact with Ponant. The cruise was well organised, the ship was excellent and the food was exceptional. All the crew did everything possible to make our trip the enjoyable experience it was and of course all of this was set against the marvels of Antarctica. We would recommend Ponant and this cruise to anybody seeking a quality experience in a magical setting.

Trip of a lifetime!! Enjoyed every minute, each daily adventure and the food was great.

We had an incredible journey to Antarctica. Ponant always offers a first class service with it's beautiful ships. The cabins are fabulous and the food is magnificent. The staff are so helpful and professional and the expedition leaders on this trip were incredible. It was a magnificent journey and we can't wait to sail up the Norwegian coastline next year.

Beautiful ship, very professional crew. The hotel staff are excellent - very helpful, courteous, and anticipate one’s needs. Also excellent food.
Some criticisms:
- quality of house table wines is mediocre at best
- some of the zodiac guides were not up,to the standard we experienced with Ponant in Antarctica, with limited knowledge and experience
- there was a lack of transparency from the ship and company about the reasons for certain activities ( example: the real reasons the ship went to Ashmore Reef. Just be upfront with passengers about this)
- there was a party of 80 passengers on our Kimberley cruise, who collectively behaved poorly and displayed entitlement to the detriment of the other passengers’ cruise experience. Ponant handled this poorly, and appeared to just ignore the issue. For example, the group of 80 should not have been allowed to be grouped together to zodiac outings, or occupy the same tables and deck chairs every day, every meal.

Ponant cruises are a unique sailing experience,especially those that are titled Expeditions which carry some of the most advanced and knowledgeable expedition leaders. Passengers should be prepared to be surprised extra special zodiac excursions with many life long memories.

Our Kimberly Cruise was fabulous. The ship, Le Soleal, was very comfortable, with choice of casual or formal restaurants. The expedition leaders and all of the science experts were accessible, friendly and helpful. We learned so much on each of the daily expeditions. Not to be missed, in my view.

I explored The Kimberley Coast with PONANT onboard Le Laperouse in July. Everything was amazing, from the ship, service, food and of course the incredible Expedition Team sharing their expertise and knowledge!

Warm and safe welcome. Luxury accommodation. Outstanding cuisine. Friendly professional courteous crew. Amazing expedition team - very knowledgeable and client focused.

From beginning to the end: wonderful French wines and meals, expert attention to my requirements, well planned shore trips, culminating with invitation to the Captain's Table on my final night.

We travelled with Ponant on15th April 2022 on one of the Smithsonian Journeys from Lisbon to London which departed on the 15th April. We booked a Prestige stateroom and requested twin beds in preference to a king-size bed. We did not receive the option we requested. Instead, we were given a sofa bed, which apart from being uncomfortable, was dangerous and proved a health hazard. It resulted in my husband having a serious fall which impacted on his enjoyment of the holiday and follow on problems. I have corresponded with Ponant but their response did not address our issues and they were quite dismissive of what happened -" hope he has recovered well"!

Do not book with Ponant. They are hiding behind a recent French law to avoid paying refunds to customers who have had their cruise cancelled by COVID. We did not receive formal notification until the day before departure that it was cancelled, communication between our travel agent and Ponant was laughable, with contradictory and confusing information coming from both.

Now a month past departure date, we have received no information on the future cruise credit terms and conditions, no offer of an alternative cruise and no replies to our emails stating we do not accept the FCC.

How a company treats its customers in bad time’s, determines whether they do well in the good times. Ponant are refusing us a refund for over £13,000. They are billionaires, we are not, we need the money. Yes they have been impacted by COVID, but so have we. What happened to consumer rights and customer care.

The Seychelles has banned cruises there through 2022. Until they decide to cancel, we can't get a refund per their Terms and Conditions. However they have refused refunds for all of their recent cancellations even though they are legally obligated to do so only offering Future Cruise Credits. Upon cancellation by Ponant, we will file a credit card dispute for a refund. Additionally, our trip insurer said they will give us a refund if Ponant will not. The world is watching you Ponant.

Update: We were able to get a full refund from our credit card company without any problem.

Ponant do not correspond to serious complaints. Ignore correspondence. The worst mismanaged, mis advertised ignorance of health and safety ever experienced. A £5000 + cost wasted. Surprised they remain in business.