Ocean cruises

Explore Antigua Naval Dockyard – an 18th-century British maritime hub and UNESCO World Heritage site – before sailing for a trio of isles with French-Creole panache. France’s influence is evident in the cuisine of Guadeloupe, the fortresses of Martinique, and a former colonial estate in Soufrière, where you’ll find nature trails, waterfalls, mineral baths and botanical gardens.

Set off to discover Grenada’s Grand Etang National Park, a wonderland of rainforests, waterfalls and an ancient crater lake. Dropping anchor off Canouan, kayak the clear waters to observe the vibrant marine ecosystems. St. Maarten contributes delicious cuisine with a French flair, while St. John offers pure natural beauty thanks to the unspoiled acreage of Virgin Islands National Park.

So much awaits the lucky traveller aboard this cruise. Departing Auckland, you’ll sail first to Tauranga’s wide sweeping beaches and spectacular views. Gisborne and Napier are next, then it’s time for Wellington, aka 'the coolest capital in the world'. Three more days in NZ, including one spent in the serene beauty of Milford Sound, and it’s time to sail to Tasmania, for landscaped gardens, rolling vineyards and masses of cultural pursuits. Disembark in Sydney.

If there is one place on the globe that fires the imagination of travellers and arouses in them an instant thirst for adventure, it is the immaculate and faraway lands of the White Continent. Inhabited by a surprising endemic fauna, the Antarctic will welcome you during an 11-day expedition cruise.

At the border between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, you will enter Drake Passage. At the roaring fifties and the screaming sixties, the wind blows and the waves beat against the stern of the ship. In the sky, cape petrels lead you toward their realm until you reach the first of the continent’s lands.

Ice is there in all its forms. The mountainous landscapes open up to give way to huge calving glaciers, tabular icebergs drift in the middle of the Southern Ocean, and the sea ice shimmers in the distance. On board, the naturalists share with you the secrets of this unique ecosystem. As you near the shores, the first penguins appear. Gentoo, Adélie, chinstrap: these surprising birds, emblematic of the Antarctic, share their beaches with leopard, crabeater and Weddell seals. During an outing on land or at sea, in a zodiac dinghy or a kayak, you will move through a stunning scenery bathed in polar light.

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the IAATO.

Oriental fragrances, scents of spice, lush green landscapes, age-old stories: PONANT invites you on a journey to discover a mosaic of peoples and cultures. Sri Lanka and India welcome you on a 12-day cruise aboard Le Lapérouse, between charming towns and surprising nature. Let yourself fall under the spell of these eastern lands bordered by the Indian Ocean and influenced by Buddhist and Hindu traditions. 

Throughout your journey, you will benefit from an excursion included per person per port of call, to choose from a selection offered by PONANT. During this cruise, visit the Goa Chitra Ethnographic Museum and the Figueiredo Mansion from your port of call in Goa, explore the marvellous Sigiriya site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from Trincomalee, or appreciate the charms of Galle as you spend time discovering the city. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

The bubbling Sri Lankan capital Colombo will plunge you into the distinctive atmosphere of the country once known as Ceylon. Renowned for its spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, it is a trading location, a crossroads port between Asia and Europe.

From Trincomalee, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of historic city of Polonnaruwa, a fortified city from the 11th century, and the splendid golden Temple of Dambulla.

A little further, Hambantota is the gateway towards the luxuriant heart of the country. On an excursion into the Yala National Park, you will witness Sri Lanka’s abundant wildlife: leopards, elephants, sloth bears, monkeys and almost 200 bird species inhabit this must-see site.

Le Lapérouse will set sail for Galle, recognisable by the 16th-century fortifications that encircle the town. The successive Portuguese, Dutch and British colonisations left this city with unique architecture, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a heritage shaped by multiple influences.

You will sail up the Malabar Coast to arrive in cosmopolitan Kochi. Constructed on a lagoon on the Arabian Sea, between islands and a peninsula, this royal city has kept its yesteryear charm. Set off aboard traditional boats to discover the surrounding fishing villages located in the ‘backwaters’, a network of lakes and canals criss-crossing the region’s dense vegetation.

Your last port of call will take you to Goa. This former colony of the Portuguese Indies is prized for its long beaches and its rich cultural heritage, in particular a collection of late 16th-century churches and convents, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Your journey will come to an end in flamboyant Mumbai. The capital of Bollywood films, the most populated city in India - nicknamed of ‘Maximum City’ - conjures up many descriptions and will offer you a unique experience to complete your cruise.

Cruising between Australia and Asia is by far one of the most exclusive experiences on the planet. This voyage hugs the craggy coastline of Oz from Melbourne, sailing west to Perth before wending your way to Bali and Singapore. Enjoy an overnight in Adelaide, imbibe in the beauty of big sky destinations such as Port Lincoln, Esperance and Albany and overnight in Indonesia’s most evocative island – aka Bali. Balance days of discovery with relaxing sea days as you sail to Singapore.

Discover Australia's captivating southern coastline. Bask in the cosmopolitan flair of Melbourne and Adelaide, savouring flat whites and world-class wines, or exploring museums and galleries. Beautiful beaches and spectacular scenery awaits as we head west for Port Lincoln and Esperance’s pristine white sands and rolling surf waves. Albany’s dramatic cliffs are etched with history, ahead of a rendezvous with Western Australia’s energetic capital, Perth.

The Greek Islands, from the Peloponnese to the Cyclades via the Dodecanese, are enchanting, bewitching and captivating. From the sheer coastlines bordered by paradisiacal turquoise waters to the archaeological sites that are as emblematic as they are monumental, let yourself fall under the spell of these jewels of the Aegean Sea. From Athens, set sail aboard L’Austral for an 8-day cruise in the heart of the most beautiful Greek islands.

Throughout your journey, you will benefit from an excursion included per person per port of call, to choose from a selection offered by PONANT. During this cruise, admire the ancestral history of Hydra through its famous monuments and museums, discover the monastery of Saint John and the Cave of the Apocalypse where the last book of the New Testament was revealed to John the Apostle, from Patmos, or admire the sumptuous archaeological sites, from the Temples of Zeus, Apollo and Athena to the Terrace of the Lions, from Delos. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

In the Dodecanese archipelago, the island of Patmos, known as “the Jerusalem of the Aegean Sea”, reveals itself to offer you a moment suspended between unique landscapes of white-sand beaches and rocky bays.

Planted with forests of cypress trees and olive groves, Symi is bewitching. The shimmering colours of its dwellings and surrounding nature make it a real paradise for those seeking tranquillity and serenity.

You will now head towards the most easterly part of the Cyclades. Amorgos, or the island in the Big Blue film, as it is nicknamed, is a rough gem. Fall under the spell of its volcanic and mountainous landscapes diving into the bordering crystal-clear waters and its paved small streets edged by traditional whitewashed houses.

After an unforgettable cruise in Santorini’s captivating caldera, where high cliffs surround the majestic ancient crater engulfed by water in the 2nd millennium BC, you will set sail north west. On Milos, the limestone cliffs and small hidden coves are yours to discover in a soothing atmosphere.

The birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, Delos is rich in archaeological ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, illustrating its prestigious history. A journey back in time almost 2,000 years, between millennia-old heritage and sumptuous panoramas.

L’Austral will then head towards Paros. Nestling in the heart of the Cyclades archipelago, this island reputed for its sublime white marble offers a real concentration of Greek beauty, from whitewashed houses to olive groves to ancient monuments.

You will now sail towards the east of the Peloponnese, to reach your final port of call. Here, a gem named Hydra reveals its old-world charm in a stunning setting. With its hidden coves and its mountains topped with monasteries, this jewel of the Saronic Islands completely devoid of cars offers a total change of scenery against the spellbinding blue of the Aegean Sea.

Athens, the mythical city dominated by the Acropolis and its monuments, which form the most extraordinary architectural and artistic ensemble bequeathed to the world by Ancient Greece, will mark the end of this exceptional odyssey.

Set sail for the wild and grandiose landscapes of Kimberley, following an exceptional PONANT itinerary.

From Darwin to Broome, embark for an 11-day expedition cruise to one of the last unspoiled regions on the planet.

In one of the most picturesque parts of the region, the Hunter River, you will see wild mangrove forests where saltwater crocodiles live along with many species of birds.

The highpoint of this cruise will undoubtedly be the discovery of the King George River and the majestic Twin Falls, the highest falls in Western Australia.

During your cruise, the magnificent bays of Vansittart and Swift will offer you exceptional panoramas, between islands, secret inlets, caves and rocky overhangs.

At Ashmore Reef, gaze out over the shades of blue of the Timor Sea off the mainland. The corals are home to extraordinary marine life in this incredibly beautiful paradise.

You will also visit Collier Bay, where you will be able to admire the Montgomery Reef, home to vast expanses of lagoons and immense coral reefs.

On the Lacepede Islands, take the time to admire the abundance of nesting birds as well as the large population of turtles residing in the lagoon.

Your ship will take you along the most spectacular coasts in the entire region.

With their falls, abrupt gorges, savannah, calm waters and desolate mountain chains, the wild lands of Kimberley are the promise of an exceptional adventure.

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and tide conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, whilst complying with the necessary safety rules and precautions.

Whether it is exotic wildlife, refined wines or wide-screen ocean vistas, spectacular South Africa always astounds. Treat yourself to 16 days of unrefined luxury, round-tripping from colourful Cape Town. Sail for Namibia’s beauty – where sparse and spectacular sepia-hued national parks spill out – before looping down to the golden beaches fringing the continent’s south. Taste Asian flavours in Durban, chase elephants in Richards Bay and overnight in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).