Ponant Cruises Seeks Stronger Presence in Canada and U.S.

One of the world’s best cruise companies wants to greatly increase its business in Canada and the United States. And they’re offering excellent commissions to travel agents that should help.

Ponant, the only French-owned cruise line and “the world leader in luxury expeditions,” will more than double its fleet in the next three years as it aims to make a bigger mark in North America, officials said at a press event in Toronto on Tuesday, followed by a posh lunch with travel agents and trade representatives.

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They currently have five ships, including a sailing vessel. But they’ll be increasing that to 12 by 2021, including the world’s first luxury icebreaker; a ship that they plan to take to the North Pole in late spring of that year for a true “bucket list” adventure.

“We’re agent friendly,” said Edie Rodriguez, Ponant Brand Chairman and Corporate Special Advisor.

Vanessa Lee, a well-known Canadian cruise expert and President of Cruise Strategies, said some agents can get preferred deals but that the general commission range is from 12 to 15 per cent on all-inclusive cruises.

“Agents get a comma in their commission,” Lee said with a laugh.

Rodriguez told assembled travel journalists that the company will celebrate its 30th anniversary on April 1 but that they still face the challenge of not being as well-known in Canada and the U.S. as they’d like.

“Our biggest challenge is brand awareness in North America,” she said.

Right now Ponant sells roughly 70 per cent of its space to Europeans. They’d like to reach 50 per cent sales to Canadians and Americans, journalists were told.

Rodriguez said cruise personnel all speak both French and English and that the few announcements that are made on board are in both languages. Tours can be taken entirely in English, and the guest to staff ratio is roughly 1.5 to 1.

Groupe Artemis owns Ponant, as well auction house Christie’s and legendary French winery Chateau Latour. Groupe Artemis also controls Kering, a company that oversees Gucci, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney and other big names. So you’re definitely buying a top-end product.

“These are the sexiest ships at sea,” Rodriguez said.

She also noted that celebrated chef Alain Ducasse serves as their culinary director and that all trips are all-inclusive. Upgraded drinks are available, but she said guests are treated to world-class wines and great food at no extra charge. Gratuities also are covered.

Suites have butler service, while all rooms have 24 hour room service, Rodriguez explained. Ships have two restaurants, one a la carte and another for buffet style with indoor and outdoor seating. There are movies during the day, entertainment at night and a bar and lounge on board.

The average customer is in their mid-60’s, she said, but they’re active folks who want to go for a walk on the ice fields of Antarctica or who go hiking in the fjords of Chile.

Rodriguez described the Ponant fleet as “one of the youngest in the world,” with trips that take guests to “remote, unique destinations” on all seven continents.

Among the destinations listed on their website are Alaska, Hawaii and Tahiti, South America, Antarctica, Baffin Bay in Canada and a trip from Iceland to Newfoundland and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They also do Mediterranean cruises, Russia trips and Asia excursions.

Special cruises planned for 2019 including a Sicily food and wine trip in conjunction with Wine Spectator magazine, a multi-generational cruise in the Mediterranean, a gardening cruise in Europe, a World War II history cruise from Hong Kong to Japan and a world affairs cruise with Fareed Zakaria from CNN.

Overall, the 2019 season will feature 100 cruises and 11 new sailings, some of them on new ships, named Le Bougainville and Le Dumont-d’Urville. New itineraries include The Great Lakes, “the tribes of Central America” and “the virgin territories of Greenland.”

The new fleet of ships in the Ponant Explorers series boast a new, “multi sensory lounge below the waterline.” Called Blue Eye, the lounges will allow guests to observe the aquatic world from the comforts of a first-class lounge, perhaps while sipping a glass of fine champagne. Audio devices will be able to pick up the sounds of whales or other sea creatures from as far away as five kilometers.

The ships will have just 92 staterooms and a crew of 110. In addition to the Blue Eye lounge, the ships feature a removable marina platform and a fully equipped sundeck, making it easy to launch a kayak or get out in a zodiac for up-close-and-personal tours of exotic destinations.