The ultimate guide to Ponant cruise ships and itineraries

Amazing trips with French flair.That could be the tagline for Ponant Explorations, the small-ship cruise specialist known for upscale voyages to some of the world's most off-the-beaten-path places.Founded by a group of French merchant mariners in 1988 with a single small sailing vessel, Ponant has grown into one of the world leaders in what is known as expedition cruising — cruising to remote, hard-to-reach destinations on hardy "expedition ships" that carry their own landing craft. But it has done it in its own distinctive Ponant way.Based in France since its start and long popular among French-speaking passengers, Ponant has notably always offered voyages with a uniquely French ambience.From the elegantly presented French cuisine you'll encounter on board to the predominance of Francophone officers in key roles, you'll know you're on a French vessel when sailing with Ponant.The Ponant icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot in the Arctic. OLIVIER BLAUD/PONANTPonant ships, notably, operate as dual-lingual vessels — everything from announcements to off-the-ship tours are conducted both in French and English — and you're as likely to be greeted with a "bonjour" at the dining room in the mo...