Azamara vs. Ponant

[AllisonJames]

Received a very nicely done brochure/catalogue from Ponant and we were intrigued by what seems to be an upscale/small ship/boutique cruise line with quite a lot of out-of-the-ordinary ports/itineraries.  Wondering if anyone who enjoys AZ (as we do) has also sailed Ponant and can offer opinions/comparisons.  We don’t know much about this line but it looks as though it would fit our style of cruising.  The expedition cruises are very pricey as expedition cruises tend to be but the ones on the sister ships Le Lyrial, Le Soleal, etc. seems price-comparable to AZ.  In particular we’d be looking for a higher level wine experience than AZ provides, unique itineraries and hopefully larger staterooms/bathrooms in the Veranda categories.

[TrulyBlonde]

I have cruised both. Wines were very nice and service was exceptional on Ponant. Balcony staterooms are very small with bath and toilet areas separate. We upgraded to Owners Suite due to small size of stateroom.

 

Our cruise was to Antarctica on Ponant, therefore a very different experience due to it being an expedition cruise. If not for the rough seas, it was a lovely cruise line. A very International mix of passengers with over 50% French.

English and French were both provided.

 

 

[mj_holiday]

We have done one cruise on LeBoreal to Antarctica and one on Journey to Cuba.  LeBoreal was very nice but does not have all the dining/bar areas that Journey had.  The food on LeBoreal was very French which we enjoyed but several Americans did not.  The buffet always had a nice selection of vegetables in addition to main entrees.  The dining room also had nice selections, the first course was self serve from a buffet.  LeBoreal had a much nicer theater than Journey did.  Our cabin on LeBoreal was very small with only one chair (as I remember) and a stool for the dressing table.

 

On LeBoreal, French was the first language for all announcements etc followed by the announcement in English.

 

Since the two destinations are so different it is difficult to compare many things.  Each ship/cruise line was definitely very capable for the cruise that we went on.