The 4 types of Ponant cruise ships, explained

Among cruise lines that focus on upscale trips, Ponant Explorations has one of the simpler fleets.All but three of the line's 13 vessels fall into one of just two groups: The Sisterships and the Ponant Explorer ships.Both of these groups are made up of vessels constructed around the same time to the same basic design. If you know one member of the group, you know them all.Additionally, Ponant operates two small sailing ships that together make up a third set of vessels, as well as a luxury icebreaker that is in a class all its own — the latter specifically built for the most adventurous trips to the world's polar regions.Here, we explain the distinctive features of these four types of Ponant ships so you can plan the Ponant cruise that's right for you.An introduction to Ponant shipsPonant operates one of the largest fleets of small ships in the cruise world, with 13 vessels that mostly are designed to carry 184 to 264 passengers. But it wasn't always so big.Founded in France in 1988, the company spent most of its first decade operating with just one tiny vessel, the 32-passenger sailing ship Le Ponant. For another decade after that, it only added a handful of additional small vesse...