The first hybrid polar expedition vessel, Ponant’s luxurious Le Commandant Charcot offers guests: … [+]
Some experts thought the coronavirus would devastate the cruise industry. they were wrong.
2024 will see record cruise ship capacity around the world, and according to Cruise Industry News, “the world’s largest cruise lines will see high occupancy and booking curves, continuing a trend that started in 2023. It’s getting longer.”
Cruising is hot, but personally I’m not really into the “world’s biggest” things when it comes to this kind of travel. A cruise ship requires more than a water park, casino, buffet, and private island. The few cruises I’ve been on have included big “extras” or “cruise plus” elements, such as active he cruises that combine biking and hiking, or additional special education add-ons. Luckily, there are more cruises of this type than ever with something special to choose from.
That’s why I visited Greek waters last fall with one of the travel world’s top collaborations, Smithsonian Journey x Ponant, a partnership between two top specialists in luxury cruises and knowledge in their respective fields.
Ponant is the only French-flagged cruise company, founded in 1988 by several French naval officers who believed their country deserved a cruise line to match its reputation for luxury hospitality and cuisine. In the decades since, Ponant has won numerous prestigious awards, including titles such as “Best Luxury Cruise Line for Adventure,” “Best Expedition Line,” and “Best Ocean Cruise Line Itinerary.” I have received awards. Cruise Critic, Luxury Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Travel Weekly, Time Magazine, British Cruise Awardsand Condé Nast Traveler UK. In 2022 alone, Ponant won more than 30 industry awards, including #1 Best Small Vessel Line and #1 Expeditionary Vessel Line. Condé Nast Traveler.
The Ponant ships used by Smithsonian Journeys have large, luxurious accommodations with private facilities. … [+]
Ponant’s strategy is to use only small vessels, giving customers the feeling of being guests on a private yacht. A high level of emphasis is placed on accommodation, service and, of course, cuisine, including fine French cheeses, butters and wines. Additionally, there are several special pre-dinner “tastings”, and on my trip, they included a caviar night and a Spanish Patane graham night, along with wine and cocktail pairings. Although there are no casinos or waterslides, the ship is modern and very well-equipped, including a spa, multiple bars and restaurants, an underwater viewing lounge, and a marina for launching Zodiac inflatables, but more so than most cruise ships. It’s also much smaller, so it goes to places others can’t go, including the polar regions. It will also be able to berth in more locations, including smaller ports that larger ships cannot visit, greatly reducing the number of ports of call that require small boat tenders, which can be a cumbersome and time-consuming part of the cruise process.
Even if ships of all sizes can berth, it is easier to board and disembark a 200-person ship than a 5,000-person ship. The day our cruise departed from Athens, we arrived and got in the check-in line. It took a few minutes, but we were quickly picked up and dropped off at the ship, walked on, were in our room with our luggage, and 10 minutes later had champagne. Our departure was even earlier. The check-in lines I saw for large ships were not very appetizing.
Delos Archaeological Park in Greece is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. … [+]
Here’s another good example. One of the most popular activities for travelers visiting Mykonos is visiting Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Delos is a nearby uninhabited island, one of the largest national archaeological parks. For many cruises, this means making a bid to Mykonos, then boarding a usually full ferry to the island, then doing it all in reverse. In contrast, our Ponant ship, with experts from the Smithsonian Institution on board, simply headed directly to Delos before visiting Mykonos, making the journey much easier and wasting much less time. .
Ponant is also a travel company with a strong focus on sustainability. In survey after survey, today’s travelers say sustainability is increasingly important when deciding where to go and with whom. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of lip service and eco-hype in the travel industry, but with cutting-edge energy-efficient technology and the Ponant Foundation protecting marine habitats and polar regions, Ponant is the real deal. . They are affiliated with National Geographic and the Monaco Oceanographic Institute and have a number of major international certifications including Cleanship and Cleanship Super for polar vessels. Ponant has built the world’s first hybrid electric polar expedition vessel. Le Commandant Charcot was awarded France’s EcoBlue Charter Her Trophy, becoming the first European cruise line to earn the Green Her Marine label.
I had the pleasure of tasting the world’s finest ham, Spain’s Pata Negra, with the chef.
In the flagship fleet, four sister ships each feature 132 large hotel-style staterooms, most with outdoor decks. She has a crew of 145 for up to 264 guests and has a full spa, two restaurants, a main bar, a forward bar/lounge, a fitness center, a theater, a pool and multiple observation decks. The small Explorer ship has 92 guest rooms and suites, all with private balconies.
The Smithsonian Institution is the most famous institution in the fields of museums, natural history, and scientific research. For more than half a century, Smithsonian Journeys, as its educational travel arm, has leveraged an army of experts to guide travel around the world by land, rail, rail and more. river and sea. The Smithsonian Institution is home to many world-class experts in science, history, food, archaeology, and other fields.
This partnership between the Smithsonian and Ponant only began in 2022, but from my experience it has been a huge success. More trips will be added in 2024 and even more in 2025. Each cruise is co-hosted by two of his Smithsonian Journey experts, and as tours and schedules vary widely, experienced Smithsonian Journey Trip leaders and staff are also on board to facilitate arrangements. From a regular cruise. As these are whole ship takeovers, all shore excursions are included in the price (not usual on cruises) and trips are conducted in English, although Ponant’s usual clientele includes French clients. Contains many.
Smithsonian Institution guest expert, chef, cookbook author, and television host Diane Kotsilas lectures on Greek. … [+]
Each expert will deliver a series of onboard lectures related to their location and theme throughout the cruise. We had the perfect match, an award-winning archeology professor specializing in the Mediterranean who was conducting excavations at some of the sites we explored.Chef Diane Kochilas, world authority on Greek cuisine, host of PBS series my greek table, author of cookbooks and operator of a Greek cooking school. In addition to lectures, experts are usually available to chat or go on shore excursions, and each evening each expert hosts a dinner table where guests can sign up to attend. As an added bonus, Chef Kochilas brought a selection of his Greek extra virgin olive oils to the ship’s restaurant for tasting for passengers.
This structure allows the less curious to learn something about what they’re looking at, while the more serious can dig deeper with one-on-one questions. But the result was a richer travel experience for all passengers, not just seeing Greece, but experiencing it and appreciating every stop along the way.
There are already 24 itineraries available for 2024 and 25 for 2025, many of which include multiple dates. They range from Antarctica to Ireland, from around Sicily to Japan, Alaska, the Great Lakes, Central America and New Zealand.
The experts were great, the food was great, the ship and the service were great, but what surprised me the most was that these trips were also a relative bargain for a luxury trip. Many 8-night trips (other lengths available) start at less than 7,000 or 6,000 per person and include all meals, all shore excursions, an open bar on board, an expert guide, free Wi-Fi, and an airport. included. Transfer on both ends. In addition to expert presentations, entertainment will be held daily, from live music to dance performances. Enjoy your meals in the restaurant, on the deck, or with 24-hour room service. For example, an eight-day cruise from Morocco to Spain’s Andalusian coast starts at $5,090 per person, or about $725 per day, including luxury accommodations and cuisine, activities, entertainment, adult beverages, and more. Masu. Tips are also included.
When it comes to experts, themes and destinations, there’s something to suit every taste, and the combination of traveling through Greece and learning even more than going on your own, while enjoying good food and friendly service along the way, is great. I like it very much. If you want more than just a cruise, this might be the answer.
