Three and a half stars.
Billed as a ultra luxury "yacht [-like]" cruise line, with fewer than 200 passengers on board its half a dozen vessels, Ponant has expanded into the North American market.
In October 2022, I took a 14-day cruise that began in Athens and finished in Lisbon.
At least half the clientele is French-speaking, a boon for francophones francophiles.
The food was often unexceptional
Most of the cleaning staff were Southeast Asian, and I did find uncomfortable the over familiarity of one young woman who went out of her way and with great zest to address me by my first name. She actually entred my cabin one afternoon, without my permission, just to bring a little milk (for my coffee). A reverse Dominique Strauss-Kahn situation?
The excursions are no different form those one would book at another cruise line such as Azamara (which I took several years ago, for the Northern Cyclades). Hence, one is shoulder to shoulder with the same crowds of tourists that make "le tourisme de masse" such an ordeal these days, especially semi-post-Covid.
Description of the excursions could be improved: I missed going to Valdemossa, (where Chopin and Georges Sand stayed in 1839). wasn't mentioned in the notes for the Mallorca description.
It was nice that the cruise completed bypassed the Baleric Islands, more suitable for the young Brits that swarm there to party until the wee hours, drink, and puke in the streets as well as the majority German tourists.
The rooms are nice, and elevators connect all the floors. I only discovered that there is a "public" restroom on the 3rd floor, between reception and the Grand Salon. Other than that, one has to return to one's cabin after lounging on one of the decks.
The cabins were small but comfortable, at least 90% of them having their own private balcony. Engine or machinery noise could be heard throughout the day, though the cabins seem to be as well sound insulated as can be with present-day technology. Cleaning staff could be heard in the narrow corridors. But privacy between adjacent cabins was excellent. I rarely heard a peep from my neighbors or even bumped into them, for that matter.
There was a lot of American pop music piped in in the outdoor lounge areas.
The library on the 6th floor was small but exceptional, filled with quality books on art, literature, and travel, something I seriously doubt an American-owned cruise would have, even the higher-end ones.
There is a small theater for live performances, film screenings, cooking demonstrations and lectures that explained cultural aspects of places visited as well as a "Grand Salon" for afternoon tea, tapa tastings, etc.
Wi-fi was spotty unless one was at port. One could not connect to Wi-fi with more than one device at a time.
Drinks were complementary, as befitting a cruise where a solo traveller, for example, is spending upwards of $600 per day, especially if one adds up travel insurance, air fare, incursions (not included), on-board shopping, spa visits,etc.
Coffee was not good, so I asked for black tea with a slice of lemon. In-cabin coffee and tea was O.K.
The quality of the products in the small boutique was good: I bought two fine-quality T-shirts with the Ponant trademark on them at half-price ($15) each.
There were two gala evenings, the first of which took place the second evening ("Captain's Gala") and was quite elegant as well as a "Black and White evening." Otherwise, attire was casual but classy.
Often times the ship, Le Laurial, would dock in a port by early morning and spend most of the day and much of the evening there, which was annoying as most of the excursions finished up by noon.
So one had nothing to do but stay on board (being on a cruise ship which is not moving is rather boring) unless one wanted to go into the port city and later make one's way back by taxi or even foot. It got dark usually by 6:30 p.m. or so, although I suppose one could spend the evening dining away from the ship's two restaurants.
The expensive Alhambra excursion resulted in the ship staying at port (in Cadiz) for at least 12 hours) and had been sold out long before the cruise began. It was a private (evening) tour of the Alhambra that included dinner.
No stop in Gibraltor though the passage through the detroit at night was exciting, one being able to see the coast of Morocco AND Spain plus Gibraltor as one left the Mediterranean for the Atlantic, where the waters were soon to be quite rough, leading to sea sickness for many passengers.
Most of the staff were friendly but a few were quite stony-faced. I ordered room service 3-4 times. The first time the person knocked loudly and when I came to the door, he just handed the pretty heavy platter to me directly instead of bringing it into my cabin and placing it on the small table.
Overall, my experience was good but not really outstanding. I loved being on the water and traversing almost the entirety of the Mediterranean. read more