I sailed on Le Jacques Cartier on of four Explorer class ships of Ponant. These ships offer 82 staterooms, one "formal" dining room with an outside eating area on Deck 4 and one "al fresco" dining area on Deck 3 by the pool. The Explorer ships also feature a beautiful infinity pool which really enhances your experience (and your views) when you sit outside.
This was our view as we returned from our excursion in Rovinj. See the two people in the pool?
Our cruise began in Venice, Italy. The ship was docked at the end of town; so when we left our hotel, we took a private water taxi up the Grand Canal and were dropped off near the transit “center”.
Then, we took a cab for the short ride to the pier. We checked in, our Negative COVID test results were inspected; we had cookies and cold water, and then our luggage went through the security scan. Outside, we had a choice of walking to the ship (about a 10-minute walk) or taking a Ponant shuttle. We walked.
We were greeted at the base of the ship's steps by the Captain and other key crew members. Then, we climbed the stairs and entered the ship, where we were given a warm washcloth. Next, we gave our name at the front desk and a credit card imprint was taken for incidentals.
Time for a glass of Champagne! Yes, it was Champagne--not Prosecco. After all, this is a French-flagged ship with food prepared by a French chef and they serve French wines. Then, it was time to go to our stateroom.
Here's a video showing our stateroom which is called the Prestige Deluxe Stateroom.
This category stateroom is also available on Deck 3 as a Deluxe Stateroom, and it’s the entry level cabin on this ship. Several cabins have sliding doors which lock. These are perfect for families. Each side has its own full bathroom and bed, as well as table and chair.
We were also able to view two suites during our week aboard Le Jacques Cartier. The sleeping area looks identical to our cabin. The sitting area features a sofa bed. The shower rooms is larger for the suites than in the Deluxe Staterooms. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the more expensive staterooms as these were occupied with guests! I loved the neutral colors and the use of leather in the design of these staterooms. You can see this better on my video. One of the many things I like about Ponant is the availability of so many sailings to solo travelers--without charging the single supplement. On our cruise, for example, approximately 7-10 guests were solo travelers. We also had two families traveling with their three teens, and a grandfather with his teen-aged granddaughter. Even though the teen who was with her granddad seemed bored at times, she was always polite and quiet. One of the other teens even took our pictures when we asked. They were a pleasure to have on board.
What’s Included
Our sailing was part of Ponant’s Smithsonian Journeys which gave us included excursions and additional lectures in the evening by a Smithsonian lecturer. I thought this was a great enhancement.
Typically, the following components of your vacation are included:
- Transfer and luggage handling from the airport to the ship on the day of embarkation
- Transfer and luggage handling from the ship to the airport on the day of debarkation
- Cruise with food, wine, special inclusions and the stateroom
- Ponant uses either Clarins or Hermes products in your stateroom which are included
- One included shore excursion in each port of call (optional excursions may be available for purchase)
- Open bar with wine, beer, champagne and some alcoholic beverages (a premium beverage package may be purchased onboard if desired)
- Activities onboard which may include the Blue Eye Lounge (depending upon the ship), as well as a visit to the Bridge to learn about how the ship moves you safely through the seas.
What’s Not Included
- Independent meals and beverage ashore
- Personal expenses (e.g., laundry, telephone, gift shop, etc.).
Food
The food is prepared under the direction of a French chef onboard. When you sail on one of the Smithsonian Journeys, the guests are English-speaking; so the menus are geared toward this audience. The menu also offers hamburgers, which I did see the teens choose at times. I would say that only 2% of the choices were not to my taste, but that’s because I don’t eat goose liver or fish that is foamy (and I know there’s a name for this, sorry!). Most everyone else at my table at it and said it was delicious. I could always find choices that fit my tastes and were delicious too.
Day 6 of our cruise was July 4. The crew surprised us with a party—corn on the cob, barbequed pork and chicken, grilled vegetables, baked potatoes with sour cream and chives, brownies—and there’s always ice cream! I mean there’s always ice cream on this ship!
Special Touches
Which brings me to Ponant’s special touches. On the evening of July 3, we had a cocktail party and Gala Dinner. All of the crew was introduced to us—without their masks—one by one, department by department. This felt very special to me. Then, the Captain said to us (I’m paraphrasing.) “We know that this is your big holiday, and you’re not home. We appreciate that you’re spending your big day with us.”
At which point, our Cruise Director Johan (he’s from the part of France which is near Belgium) announced that our lead singer was going to sing The Star Spangled Banner. She was amazing! We cheered, and then the dancers came out in Uncle Sam outfits (the young woman version) and danced to New York, New York. It was quite a show! We went upstairs to Deck 4 for a wonderful dinner! Later, more American music to celebrate America and lots of dancing!
The next day, we returned from our morning excursion for lunch. What a surprise—red, white and blue balloons and flag pennats had been hung! A barbeque buffet was set up for us! We had more live music while we ate. It was all just perfect, and I, for one, didn’t mind that I’d missed my first 4th of July at home because I was celebrating with my new friends.
Another Special Touch is being invited to the Bridge! I’ve never been on the ship’s Bridge. I learned there’s always a backup process—and paper charts are included in the plan.
Ponant Explorer Class ships are the only ships with eyes! That's right! We visited the Blue Eye Lounge three times during our week onboard. This is a great place to host a small (14 people only) cocktail party or a relaxation/meditation class. The Captain call tell you the best time to see fish. On our cruise it was in Dubrovnik at night which we were still in port. The Blue Eye Lounge puts out a blue light that attracts the fish. Here’s my video (when we didn’t get to see fish). It gives you an idea of the experience.
Ponant excels at Special Touches. One day, we heard a rumor that the Captain was going to let us jump into the Aegean Sea. Was it a rumor or was it true? I heard a loud noise from my stateroom and ran down to the aft of the ship. Here’s a video I made and some pictures too!
This was the highlight of my cruise! The water was so clear and clean that we could see our feet in it! Perfect temperature too! It was heaven!
This picture is thanks of Kylie, one of the four sweet teens onboard.
See the dark brown dock? This Marina Deck serves three purposes: move it to the water and you can use it as a platform to jump into the water; move it up a bit and it’s a dock to get on and off the tenders; move it up higher and it provides extra space on the sun deck for those enjoying the infinity pool.
Entertainment
In addition to those lucky moments when you can "take a jump in the lake", Ponant stores zodiacs on Deck 7 for use during certain sailings. They have a troupe of dancers two singers, a guitarist, and a classical pianist--all entertained us daily and were wonderful! There's no reason to be bored! Additionally, when we are in port during the evening, you can explore town and the nightlife.
Here is my only complaint. Because I always work when I'm traveling, I need good internet access. I couldn't get any access in my stateroom. So, I had to work from the Main Lounge. I wasn't able to access the Ponant app at all; I don't know if I missed something, but I'm guessing I didn't.
What to Pack
Ponant will suggest your packing list.
On our cruise, we needed comfortable walking shoes for the day. Some people chose an excursion where they were walking on what one person called "a goat trail" up and down hills--no flip flops for that one!
I noticed that the stones in towns were high gloss, and I've slid on such stones in other countries so I wore flat sandals with a grip (Dansk). I packed a dressy pair of sandals for the evenings and a pair of flip flops.
It was very hot in Croatia and Greece; so we packed sunscreen, shorts, light-weight tops to wear with the shorts, bathing suits and cover up (although some people used the plush robes in our staterooms for their cover ups).
We had two "Gala" Dinners with cocktail parties and a "White" Party. If you didn't have a white outfit, you could wear black and white or all black. The attire was "suggested". In reality, some people wore what they wanted and the rest wore white or black or black and white. I didn't see anyone in anything sparkly, nor did anyone wear a tuxedo. The men wore dress slacks and shirt (no tie) and a sports coat. If I had to describe the suggested attire for the cruise, I'd call it "country club casual".
Value
Ponant offers great value. The wonderful food and open bar, the beautiful staterooms, the ability to visit small ports that larger ships can't access, the ability to spend time with less than 200 guests while experiencing the world, included transfers and excursions. And, of course there is no way to put a dollar amount on the special touches and the service they give you. I was a guest in their home, and they were generous hosts!
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