Compagnie Du Ponant

[jpver]

Compagnie du Ponant belongs to the biggest french shipping company CMA-CGM (the latter being the former CGT with the "ms France" who merged with MM (Messageries Maritimes)

They have :

- Le Ponant : sailing yacht 64 passengers

- Le Diamant 226 pax . Ice class vessel

- Le Levant 90 pax

- La Boréal and L'Austral (enters in service may 2011) identical with max of 264 passengers.

I had the occasion to visit last year the Boréal. The vessel is quite nice and has even facilities (stair lifts) for handicapped. Some cabines are a bit smaller but still acceptable. Crew is fully bilingual.

Wines are included during meals. Apparently not only French wines wut also Italian and Spanish type. They do not only fix the French market but other as the Belgian or Swiss markets and Angelsaxian.

The ports they call are sometimes surpring different as the "others" do.

I have seem contradictory comments on food. negative and positive. Taste is different. But with a french line I do not believe that food is bad, on the contrary. (Oceania kitchen is under supervision of the french Jacques Pépin, former chief of the former french president Mitterand)

Recently I have seen on the french television "France 5" a documentary of the Boréal on an Antartica trip. Quite interesting how they are organised.

Compagnie du Ponant is on "my list" of planned cruises...

[flygod]

Hi,

 

Anyone been on a Ponant Cruise and want to refer me - we both gain a good credit for this.

 

My email is fly at microlightscotland dot com

 

Thanks,

 

Flygod