Ponant has a range of itineraries lined up for 2023, including the first expedition to the tropical islands of Southern Japan; a half-circumnavigation of the Antarctic; and a 17-day sailing covering all seven countries of Central America.
Departing on January 11-22, 2023 guests on the “Ancient Fjords and Unspoiled Islands of Southern New Zealand” can explore exciting locales, including the predator-free Ulva Island and the subantarctic islands, aka the “Galapagos of the Southern Ocean.” On the “Tropical Odyssey Between North East Australia and Indonesia,” departing February 20-March 7, 2023, guests will discover the small villages and warrior ceremonies of Asmat, along with the Spice Islands and the Komodo National Park. A new 11-day expedition to Papua New Guinea (February 10-20, 2023) will help guests explore the land with outrigger canoe rides to the fjords of Cape Nelson and colorful displays of “sing sings” performed by groups from the Madang province.
Ponant will launch four new itineraries to the Antarctic for 2023 on Le Commandant Charcot, a hybrid-electric polar exploration vessel powered by LNG. Among the offerings is a new half-circumnavigation of the Antarctic (January 15-February 13, 2023).
A new 11-day sailing to the Persian Gulf will include new ports of call and the possibility of exploring, for the first time, the site of Al Hasa. In the Indian Ocean, a new 14-day expedition aboard Le Champlain will take guests from the coast of Mauritius to Madagascar and the Mascarene Archipelago, with overnight stays on Reunion and Rodrigues islands. Departing and ending in Port Louis, the three sailings take place December 3-16, December 16-29 and December 7-20.
The cruise line is also offering a voyage to the tropical islands of Southern Japan, with a new eight-day itinerary aboard Le Soléal from Taiwan to Okinawa. Departing March 24-31, the cruise will offer an immersion in the traditional villages and craft of the Okinawa archipelago and the Ryukyu Islands. Also in Japan is a sailing from Osaka to Fukuoka (May 15-22) that takes guests around the towns and cities of the Seto Inland Sea, the oldest sea route in Japan. The highlights of a new 10-day “Intriguing Indonesia” itinerary from Bali to Singapore (March 7-16) and Singapore to Bali (March 31-April 9) include a visit to the active volcano Mount Bromo, the Tanjung Puting National Park, and sailing through the waters of the Belitung Islands in the southeast of Sumatra.
On a 16-day cruise from March 15-30, Le Lyrial will chart a course from Ushuaia around the Cape Horn to the Isla de los Estados before circumnavigating the wild archipelago of the Falkland Islands, with five ports of call. Wildlife sightings might include Magellanic penguins, sea lions, Commerson’s dolphins, southern right whales and orcas.
On the docket for 2023 include four new itineraries departing from Belize City, including an eight-day “Caribbean Mosaic” sailing that winds through the Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, with five sailings in 2023. The “Tropical Odyssey” itinerary (December 28, 2023-January 7, 2024) covers six countries of Central America. The “Caribbean Beauty, Mayan Treasures and Jazz in New Orleans” trip will loop around all six countries in Central America during a 17-day voyage from April 3-19, 2023.
Starting in the harbor of Brest, France, and ending in Reykjavik, Ponant’s five-day “Ocean Voyage” departs May 1-5, 2023. For more adventuring in Northern Europe, the new 11-night “From the Baltic Sea to the North Sea” cruise aboard Le Champlain, departs August 18-28, 2023, setting sail from Copenhagen and ending in Oslo.
The 16-day voyage departing August 20-September 4, 2023, Ponant’s Le Bellot will sail between Iceland, Greenland, Canada, stopping in the French archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland, among other coastal locales. On the 19-day “In the Ice of the Arctic: From Greenland to Svalbard” aboard Le Commandant Charcot, guests will follow in the footsteps of great explorers and Norwegian trappers, and meet the Greenlandic Inuit people. They will also travel between the world’s largest fjord system, visit the Northeast Greenland National Park, and journey around Nordaustlandet.
Ponant offers two new Mediterranean itineraries for 2023, including two 11-day family-friendly sailings between the French Riviera and the capital of Malta. Also new for next year, “From the City of Gods to the Canals of Venice” departs June 26-July 3, 2023 and explores Greece, Montenegro, Croatia and Italy.
For more information, visit us.ponant.com.
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