6 3 Greenland, the Bay of Baffin, Iceland and Spitzbergen,” says Winter. “We are also very excited to offer again the wild Kimberly area of Australia, which has been closed to cruising for almost two years and our in-depth cruises in the Society Islands and the Marquesas of French Polynesia.” Many of the destinations that Ponant’s ships visit are located in delicate environments, where disruption must be kept to a minimum. The cruise line is careful to take this into account when it decides upon its itineraries. “We scout all our destinations prior to planning any cruise to judge the cultural, historical or natural interest of each stopover and also to determine whether our ships would have a negative impact before we arrive,” says Winter. “We have refused to go to certain places if we feel it would be detrimental to the local ecosystem. Once we’ve made sure this isn’t the case, we then prioritise places with easy access, and if possible, the chance for guests to have interesting interactions with local people.” In the coming year, Ponant is set to resume sailing with a range of global itineraries, including those onboard the new ship. “Le Commandant Charcot had her inaugural cruise from Le Havre, France, with many of our worldwide partners onboard, followed by a mini-cruise to La Rochelle for our trade partners,” says Winter. “She will then leave for her first cruise in the Antarctic. We also restarted our appearances at face-to-face trade show in October. Our summer 2022 schedule boasts 31 new cruises, including the subtropical islands of Japan, a Kimberly and South East Asia combination cruise, an Iceland to Toronto cruise, a Bordeaux to Dublin cruise, and a Nice to Istanbul Mediterranean Odyssey to name just a few!” CFIP Le Commandant Charcot has been designed to travel deep into the polar regions with her ice-strengthened hull
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=