PONANT: cruising for non-cruisers

It was an event of experiential proportions on June 24, as luxury travel experts and cruise consultants gathered to meet and greet the team of Cruise Strategies Ltd. and their new partner, PONANT, Cultural Cruises & Expeditions, for an evening of cocktails and conversation.

PONANT, a luxury cruise line offering 200 departures to 81 countries around the world, has been collaborating with Cruise Strategies Ltd. since May in an effort to increase awareness of its products within Canada, whose market, according to Kathy A. Johns, PONANT’s director of sales, North America, is a perfect match for what the cruise line offers.

“Canada is a huge market for us, of course,” she told PAX, “but more than that, it’s filled with people that are adventurous, both in spirit and in their appetite for activity.”

PONANT’s mission, according to Johns, is to take guests to destinations otherwise unreachable by conventional cruise vessels, and provide an immersive experience to guests with all the amenities of a luxury product.

“It’s for people who are excited about learning and exploring the planet, but who also enjoy their creature comforts,” she said, referring to the company’s luxury staterooms, butler service and gourmet cuisine.

PONANT’s ships carry up to 264 guests, and their smaller sizes afford them the opportunity to explore remote destinations otherwise unreachable by larger, more conventional vessels. Itineraries feature destinations ranging from uninhabited Mediterranean islands to the Russian high Arctic, with special guests such as historians, authors and musicians joining passengers on board offering lecture series and workshops for passengers.

According to Johns, the presence of destination experts and cultural offerings is what adds colour to a PONANT trip and separates it from the average cruise experience.

“You can go to a destination without an expert, and you can explore onshore with a guide, but it’s the conversations that occur before, during and afterward, with a scholar or luminary who knows the culture, that brings a whole new dimension to the experience.” Johns told PAX, going on to explain that its new enrichment programme, due to launch in March 2016, features six new itineraries with a focus on discovery and education, such as a musical departure, onboard learning programs and special guest lectures.

The programme, Johns said, is meant to be stimulating and bring purpose to guests’ experiences, a goal that serves PONANT well, given its 85 per cent guest return rate. It also creates an advantage for travel experts with clients that fancy themselves ‘non-cruisers,’ who may reconsider their view on cruise travel when it comes to their personal inclinations.  

“If someone is interested in [something offered as part of our itineraries],” Johns told PAX, referring to its classical music, gastronomy and historical-themed cruises, “it’s really easy to get emotionally attached to the product.”

Further initiatives for promoting PONANT will occur during the 2015 summer season, most notably with a ship tour and luncheon being hosted onboard the cruise line’s yacht,  L’Austral, in Vancouver on Sat. July 11.

Agents who are interested in registering can visit here. The tour is almost sold out and 100 travel professionals are expected to attend.  

PHOTO: Kathy A. Johns, director of sales - North America, PONANT; Vanessa Lee, president, Cruise Strategies Ltd.