Compagnie du Ponant

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This article is about the cruise line. For other senses of the term Ponant, see Ponant.
Ponant
Private
Industry Maritime transport
Founded 1988
Headquarters Marseille, France
Products Cruise line
Owner Artémis
Website English Website

Ponant (officially, Compagnie du Ponant (CDP); "Ponant Company") is a French cruise ship operator. It was founded in April 1988 by Philippe Videau, Jean-Emmanuel Sauvé, and other officers of the French Merchant Navy and launched the first French cruise ship.[1] The company operates eleven ships, all of which operate under the French flag.

History

Ponant started out with one ship, Le Ponant, a three masted Barque built in 1991. Le Ponant still operates with the company today. Eight years later in 1999, the company acquired Le Levant, a yacht. After 13 years in service with Ponant, Le Levant was purchased by Paul Gauguin Cruises in 2012 and became Tere Moana.[2] In 2004, Ponant purchased Le Diamant, a luxury liner. Le Diamant transferred to Quark Expeditions in 2012 to become Ocean Diamond.[3]

Later, in 2010, Ponant put into service the first of a series of four identical luxury sister ships, Le Boreal. A year later, the company began operating the second ship of the class, L'Austral and in 2013 the third ship of the class was added to the fleet, Le Soléal.[4][5] The fourth ship of the class, Le Lyrial, was delivered in 2015.

Initially based in Nantes for 18 years, in 2006 the company headquarters was moved to Marseille following its acquisition by CMA CGM. In 2012, CMA CGM sold Ponant to Bridgepoint Capital.[6]

On April 4 2008, Le Ponant was seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden while en route from the Seychelles to the Mediterranean. The ship carried no passengers at the time of its capture, but all 30 crewmembers were taken hostage.[7] The hostages were released without incident on April 12. Following the release, French helicopters tracked the pirates to the village of Jariban. French commando marine and GIGN operating from the frigate Jean Bart and the Jeanne d'Arc moved in when the pirates attempted to flee in the desert. A sniper disabled the get-away vehicle, and the commandos were able to capture six men. Local officials claimed that three people died in the raid, with a further eight wounded, but France denied this. Troops also recovered some of the ransom money paid by the owner of the yacht for the release of its crew.[8] The six captured pirates have since been flown to Paris, where they shall face trial.[9]

In 2012, the owner of Compagnie du Ponant, CMA CGM, sold the company to Bridgepoint Capital.[10]

In 2013, one of Ponant's ships, Le Soleal, became the first French commercial shipping vessel to traverse the Northwest Passage. The vessel left Kangerlussuaq in Greenland on August 26 2013 and arrived in Anadyr, in Russia on September 16 2013.[11]

In 2015, Groupe Artémis bought Compagnie du Ponant from Bridgepoint.[12]

In March 2016 Ponant ordered four new ships with about 10.000 GT at VARD, a subcompany of Fincantieri.[13] They were delivered in 2018 and 2019. The ships are named Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville and Le Dumont-d'Urville.[14]

In December 2017, Le Lapérouse left VARD Tulcea in Romania and was heading to final outfitting at VARD facility in Norway. [15] She arrived in mid of January.[16]

In December 2017, Ponant announced that it had ordered an icebreaking expedition cruise ship from VARD. The NOK 2.7 billion (about 274 million euro) vessel will be built to the second-highest IACS ice class, Polar Class 2, and will be capable of taking tourists to the North Pole. The vessel, named Le Commandant Charcot, is scheduled for delivery in 2021.[17]

In March 2018, Ponant announced the order of two additional 180-passenger expedition ships, Le Bellot and Le Jaques Cartier; they joined the company in 2020.[18]

In 2019 Ponant purchased Paul Gauguin Cruises owners of the Paul Gauguin.[19]

In 2020 Ponant has come under intense criticism for refusing to provide refunds to passengers from cancelled cruises due to COVID-19. Cruise Critic.[20] During the pandemic, the ship did not sail for some time but resumed operations on 18 July 2020 for local residents and on 29 July for international guests, with reduced occupancy.[21]

A news report on 3 August 2020 stated that the COVID-19 virus had been detected on the MS Paul Gauguin while it was in Papeete, Tahiti; passengers were required to stay in their cabins.[22] At that time, after renovations, the capacity was stated to be 318 guests plus a crew of 216. The ship had been modified to use a "cleaner" fuel:LS MGO – Low-Sulphur Marine Gas Oil and the company planned to "to offset 150 percent of its carbon emissions".[23]

In spring 2020, Le Commandant Charcot was being built by Vard, Fincantieri shipbuilding subsidiary in Norway. This high polar exploration ship is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system which uses both electricity and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). [24] Delivered in August 2021[25] Le Commandant Charcot has a similar design to the PONANT Explorer series, though she is larger and more powerful. Thanks to the manoeuvrability of the Azipod systems, she can operate both in ahead direction and sternfirst, depending on the prevailing ice conditions. Le Commandant Charcot is also the first ship to feature a Polar Class 2 icebreaking hull.

On March 29, 2021, following the announcement of François-Henri Pinault, Managing Partner of Artémis, Hervé Gastinel took over after Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée as the company’s CEO.[26]

As part of its 5-year strategy called Explore to Inspire, PONANT has shared in February 2022 5 founding commitments to protecting the oceans:[27][28]

1. To consider the whole world as a “controlled sulphur and nitrogen oxide emission zone” for all of its fleet before 2025.

2. To reduce its CO2 emissions by 15% in 2026, and by 30% by 2030, compared to 2019.

3. To completely eliminate single use plastics aboard and ashore from 2022. To that end, PONANT as also signed the UNTWO Global Tourism Plastic Initiative.

4. To ensure reuse and traceability of all waste by 2025.

5. To embark scientific research teams aboard Le Commandant Charcot, its high polar exploration ship.

Current fleet

Ship Built Entered service
for Ponant		 Gross tonnage Flag Notes Ship image
Le Ponant 1991 1991 1,489 GT  France A barque built in 1991, 32 cabins for 64 passengers and 32 crew members. File:Ponant01.jpg
Boreal class
Le Boréal 2010 2010 10,700 GT  WLF Built in 2010, 132 cabins and suites for 264 passengers and 140 crew members. 150px
L'Austral 2011 2011 10,944 GT  WLF Sister vessel of Le Boréal, built in 2011, 132 cabins and suites for 264 passengers and 140 crew members. L'Austral was put into service on April 20, 2011. 150px
Le Soléal 2012 2012 10,944 GT  WLF Sister vessel of Le Boréal and L'Austral. Like her sisters, she has 132 cabins and suites for 264 passengers and 140 crew members. 150px
Le Lyrial[29] 2015 2015 10,944 GT  WLF On 16 July 2013, Fincantieri and Ponant announced that they had signed a contract for a new super luxury cruise ship, to be delivered in 2015.[30] Le Lyrial is the sister ship of Le Soléal and like her sister, she was built in Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard.[31] 150x150px
Explorer class
Le Lapérouse 2018 2018 9,900 GT  WLF First ship in the Explorer class. Built at VARD in Ålesund, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania. 150x150px
Le Champlain 2018 2018 9,900 GT  WLF Second ship in the Explorer class. Also built at VARD in Ålesund, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania.
Le Bougainville 2019 2019 9,900 GT  WLF Third ship in the Explorer class. Also built at VARD in Ålesund, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania. 150x150px
Le Dumont-d'Urville 2019 2019 9,900 GT  WLF Fourth ship in the Explorer class. Also built at VARD in Ålesund, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania. 150x150px
Le Bellot 2020 2020 9,900 GT  WLF Fifth ship in the Explorer class. Also built at VARD in Ålesund, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania.
Le Jacques Cartier 2020 2020 9,900 GT  WLF Sixth ship in the Explorer class. Also built at VARD in Ålesund, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania. 160x120px
Polar Exploration class
Le Commandant Charcot 2021 2021 30,000 GT  WLF First hybrid-electric polar exploration ship powered by liquefied natural gas. Also built at VARD in Søviknes, Norway and in Tulcea in Romania.
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Paul Gauguin 1997 2019 19,200 tons  WLF Paul Gauguin Cruises was purchased by Ponant in 2019 150x150px

Former Fleet

Ship Built In service
for Ponant		 Gross tonnage Flag Notes Ship image
Le Levant 1998 1998-2012 3,500 GT  France A yacht built in 1998, 45 cabins for 90 passengers and 55 crew members. Sold to Paul Gauguin Cruises to become Tere Moana. Delivered in 2012. In previous livery as Le Levant
Le Diamant 1974, rebuilt in 1986 2004-2011 8,282 GRT  France A luxury liner bought in 2004, 113 cabins for 226 passengers and 120 crew. Transferred to Quark expeditions in 2013.[32] In previous livery as Le Diamant

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Bridgepoint Acquires Ponant
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Next destination North Pole. The Independent Barents Observer, 18 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2740662-need-a-fair-refund-policy-due-to-virus/
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ m/s Paul Gauguin Renovations
  24. ↑ https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/25597-ponant-takes-delivery-of-le-commandant-charcot-from-fincantieri-s-vard.html[bare URL]
  25. ↑ https://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/cruises/ponant-takes-delivery-le-commandant-charcot
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

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