First of Ponant's six new expedition cruise ships will sail her inaugural voyage from Iceland this June
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Le Lapérouse, the first of six expedition cruise ships in Ponant’s Explorers series, successfully completed her first set of sea trials in Norway this May.
The 180-guest newbuild underwent multiple tests at the Vard Shipyard in Ålesund on 18 May and will be delivered this June. The vessel will begin sailing her first cruises from Iceland this June. She will then offer itineraries in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Asia and Oceania.
“These sea trials are a real success for the company,” said Jean Emmanuel Sauvée, CEO of Ponant. “Remarkable nautical performances, technical excellence, a high standard of comfort, everything is in place for the Ponant Explorers series to be a real triumph.”
The other five Ponant Explorer Series vessels are already under construction and are due to be delivered between 2019 and 2020. Le Champlain is undergoing the final construction phase in Norway and is expected to embark on her inaugural cruise from Honfleur, France on 25 October 2018. Meanwhile, Le Bougainville and Le Dumont d’ Urville are being built at Vard’s shipyard in Tulcea, Romania and are due for delivery in 2019. The shipyard also cut the steel for Le Bellot and Le Surville this April, putting the vessels on track for their scheduled 2020 delivery.