Special occasions

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Breakfast is buffet style or can be taken in your stateroom upon request.

Lunch can be served in restaurants, buffet style (except on board Le Ponant and the Spirit of Ponant where menus are available).

In the evening, a formal dinner is offered à la carte at the gourmet restaurant. However, a buffet is available at the grill for guests wishing to dine more informally.

A room service menu is available to you 24/7 (except on board Le Ponant and the Spirit of Ponant).

On board Le Ponant: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served à la carte or upon request.

On board the Spirit of Ponant: Meal organisation adapts daily to your schedule and expectations.

Yes, outside of the restaurant's opening hours, hot drinks and pastries are offered in the morning. In the afternoon, an afternoon tea is scheduled in the grand salon. Instructions will be provided in the logbook placed in your cabin every evening.

On board the Spirit of Ponant: Meal organisation adapts daily to your schedule and expectations.

From boarding and throughout the cruise, drinks* are served complimentary and unlimited. This also applies to the minibar and room service offerings.

^{* Excluding premium alcoholic beverages featured on the menu.} 

The chefs and their teams share with you their passion for the French culinary heritage, enriched by the products and traditions of the visited countries. Thus, the menus are constantly renewed according to the destination and itinerary of the cruise.

The availability of certain specific products, such as Bordier butter and cheese, Kaviari caviar, pata negra, foie gras, or Pierre Hermé macarons, cannot be guaranteed on end-of-season departures to Antarctica (from late January/early February). Furthermore, products directly from France are prohibited in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, as well as in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines). The availability of French products in these areas depends on local supply possibilities. In Australia and New Zealand, the fish menu includes John Dory, sole, tuna, salmon, and red mullet.

Discover more about onboard gastronomy by visiting the page "Excellence in gastronomy.

Every day, the chefs and their teams offer a varied menu. Breakfasts and lunches served in buffet style showcase a wide selection of savoury and sweet dishes, as well as breads made daily by our French baker on board.

Sustainable development is enshrined in the company's statutes and is at the heart of the PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP project. Founded over 30 years ago by committed sailors, the company was born out of a desire to share the passion for the oceans and the treasures of the Earth. This responsibility commits us to engage in a respectful dialogue with the environment and the populations encountered, and to invest in various areas related to the preservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage of polar and oceanic regions.

To learn more about our commitments to sustainable development and about the PONANT Foundation, visit the page. Engagements.

We were among the first in the world to abandon heavy fuel. Our ships are equipped with electric diesel engines and SCR catalytic converters, which help reduce our emissions and fuel consumption. Our high polar exploration ship, Le Commandant Charcot, is a hybrid electric ship, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and light fuel. Thanks to LNG, there is a reduction of -25% in CO2 emissions, -85% in nitrogen oxide emissions, and -95% in fine particle emissions. Every time we design a new ship, we equip it with the latest eco-technologies available, allowing us to maintain our position as a leader in the cruise industry in terms of the environment, surpassing international regulations in some aspects. This commitment is recognized by numerous independent organizations. If you would like to learn more, please visit our section on 'labels, certifications, and distinctions' on the Commitments page.

Wastewater is treated using processes that exclude the use of chemicals. The treated water is sometimes reused on board for technical purposes (laundry, deck washing...) and is used for the external cleaning of the ship. Even though we have optimised our organisation to reduce waste at the source, waste is still produced on board. Equipment adapted for sorting each type of waste is in place. This equipment helps reduce the stored volume and facilitates their recovery. We ensure complete traceability of this waste and have a valuation rate of 80% by 2026.

We have eliminated single-use plastics (such as straws, cups, food portions, laundry bags, etc.). A metal water bottle is provided to each guests during expedition cruises, and water fountains are available in the common areas of the ships. We are also developing the bottling of our water in glass bottles.

Discover all our products in daily actions.

We work closely with local communities to plan excursions. We are attentive to their wishes, needs and advice to build a sustainable tourism offer together. Established in 2018, the PONANT Foundation aims to promote exchanges with indigenous people by supporting concrete projects for the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage, their protection and enrichment.

Le Commandant Charcot navigates during periods of the year when ice is still present and impassable for other ships. Much of the navigation takes place in channels that are already naturally open, as the drifting ice pack is constantly moving.

We have developed our own ice-routing software that allows us to take the best route, minimise our impact, and optimise our fuel consumption.

The onboard helicopter is used solely for navigation and safety purposes, particularly to identify the best routes. These outings are carried out at the discretion of the Captain, who determines their frequency.

Even though its power would allow it to do so, Le Commandant Charcot does not navigate in the fixed coastal ice floe, which is a vital space for wildlife and Inuit communities. When conditions allow, the ship moors at the edge of this coastal ice floe to organise landings and activities on the ice floe.

To find out everything about the different types of ice and explore the art of polar navigation, check out our online magazine Escales

During activities, the objective is not to disturb the wildlife. In polar regions, we follow the guidelines of organisations governing tourist activities to preserve the biosecurity of the visited sites: AECO (Arctic) and IAATO (Antarctic). In the Arctic, armed guides are stationed around the perimeter where activities take place to ensure your safety.

The guides and crew inform you daily of these essential good practices, available in the Traveler's Code of Ethics.

Our entire fleet features the best levels of acoustic comfort and underwater noise emissions, thus minimising the impact on marine fauna. We also reduce our speed in areas frequented by marine mammals and are working on implementing intelligent collision avoidance systems.

No, there is no currency exchange office on board the ships. We recommend you to exchange money at your bank or at international airports.

Upon boarding, an account will be opened for you, where all your onboard expenses will be recorded: at the shop, at the bar, at the spa, at the PONANT Studio, for laundry, or for excursions. We invite you to leave your credit card imprint at the reception. Thus, the bill with your credit card receipt will be delivered to your accommodation the day before disembarkation. At any time during your voyage, a partial bill can be issued by the reception upon request. Since onboard accounts are closed the day before disembarkation, any payment after 10pm the day before disembarkation must be made in cash. This also applies to individuals who have booked two or more consecutive cruises. You can also settle your expenses in cash at the reception.

Credit cards (Visa card, EuroCard/Master Card, and American Express) and cash are accepted. Traveler's checks and Diner's Club card are not accepted.

The currency on board is the euro, but the US dollar is also accepted. The amount of bills is always indicated in both currencies.