Ponant: new itineraries for summer 2024


Ponant has announced new offerings for summer 2024 with exceptional itineraries in the far north.

Twenty-six new sailings cover destinations from Spitsbergen, Norway, to America’s Great Lakes via Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the west coast of Iceland, with six itineraries offered between June and October. Guests embark on exciting adventures that vary from visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, meeting Inuit peoples, observing wildlife, landings in Zodiacs with an experienced team of naturalist guides, hiking, and kayaking.

Here are the six new itineraries:

Wilderness from Greenland to the East Coast of Canada (14 nights)

Depart Greenland and head to Canada’s northern lands to explore the shores of Labrador and Newfoundland Island, from August to September 2024. Learn about the history of the Arctic territories as you engage with the locals, spot a variety of polar wildlife, and go on unforgettable hikes during your polar odyssey aboard Le Lyrial.

Ports of call include Sisimiut on the Austral Ocean, the Labrador Sea to Canadian shores at Nunavut, the town of Rigolet at Nachvak Fjord (accessible only by sea), and Newfoundland Island. The cruise ends on the French island of Saint-Pierre with its fascinating biodiversity.

Expedition Along Saint Lawrence (11 nights)

Board Le Lyrial for an expedition along Canada’s beautiful coast on September 2024. Travel the shores of the Saint Lawrence River from the island of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to Montréal. Sail on the Saguenay River before arriving at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Belle Province capital, Québec. Journey through historic city centers and see wildlife during hikes offered throughout the expedition.

From Québec to the Big Apple: Nature and Remarkable Cities (13 nights)

Sail from Canada to the United States on an epic east coast adventure, from September to October 2024. Depart from Montréal to your first port of call in Québec. Fortifications and picturesque stone houses, with their mansard roofs, will wow you in this city before you sail on to whale watch in Tadoussac at the mouth of the Saguenay River. Visit the Québec villages of Percé on the Gaspé Peninsula to experience its natural, historical, and geological heritage.

You will continue to the white sandy beaches and red cliffs of the Magdalen Islands, followed by Nova Scotia, Boston, and Cape Cod, before arriving at the world-renowned city of New York.

Expedition in the Heart of the American Great Lakes (7 nights)

PONANT’s Le Champlain explores treasures of the American and Canadian Great Lakes from Milwaukee to Toronto, from June to July 2024. Sail on lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario and enjoy vast panoramas of the lakeside pine forests.

Learn about the history of Native American communities and the first European settlers while observing the area’s rich diversity of fauna, moose, reindeer, brown bears, and raccoons to migratory birds. Experience Niagara Falls from Port Colborne before arriving in the multicultural city of Toronto.

Fjords and Glaciers of Spitsbergen (7 nights)

Exceptional opportunities to see polar bears, walruses, marine mammals, arctic terns, puffins, and reindeer abound aboard Le Boréal and Le Lyrial on a close-jaw itinerary from the small town of Longyearbyen, Norway from June to July 2024.

Sail around Svalbard archipelago’s largest island, Spitsbergen, with its exceptional diversity of fauna and flora between fjords, glaciers, and green valleys. Follow the route of former whalers, from Hornsund, Bellsund, and Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, before setting course for Ny-Ålesund and its international research station, renowned as one of the northernmost communities on Earth.

Disko Bay and Inuit Villages (7 nights)

Embark on a unique opportunity into the heart of the arctic’s stunning scenery on Le Boréal, on August 2024. This cruise begins in Kangerlussuaq on Greenland’s west coast and sails to the Eternity Fjord of Evighedsfjorden before reaching Sisimiut, a colourful harbour nestled between rolling hills.

Arrive at Disko Bay to the shores of the ice-giant Eqi Glacier and the Paul-Émile Victor research base. A frozen world opens up between majestic icebergs, mountainous basalt formations, and brightly painted houses. This is a rare opportunity to meet the local people, discover Greenland’s Inuit culture, and observe a plethora of marine life during many Zodiac landings.

(Inclusion of flights varies depending on the sailing).

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Mikkel Woodruff

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