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| Ice Queen: L'Austral looks magnificent amid the Antarctic landscape (Ponant) |
You know how it is when you just can’t get a song out of your head. So why was I strolling through a Gentoo penguin rookery on the Antarctic Peninsula humming Beyonce’s hit, “All the single ladies” ? Read on.
From my experience, folks travel to the wild lands of the Antarctic for enrichment and a dash of adventure. A chance to relive – in a safe and comfortable way – the daring exploits of the pioneers a century ago.
Aboard the brand new Ponant ice queen, L’Austral, the journey however becomes a decadent foray into the frozen realm complete with private butler, spa treatments, fine dining and a saucy after dinner cabaret with high-stepping Parisian showgirls.
At this point you could easily back a strong argument for either side of the cruising debate. Should Antarctica be left to the rugged, eco-warriors who throw themselves in front of Japanese whalers, or should it be opened up to the Mumm-sipping elite as a diversion between pedicures and foie gras ? Both, of course, are extreme but this is where we’re at. I’ll leave that thought with you for a moment while I describe this amazing vessel.
La Compagnie du Ponant (or just Ponant) has been around since 1986 specialising in small ship, niche market and sophisticated cruise products. Their first vessel, Le Ponant, is a gorgeous 64-pax, three-masted sailing ship in the mould of Windstar or Sea Cloud – yes, the one in the 2008 Somali pirate drama. The company added an expedition ship in 2004 with the 1974-built Le Diamant, now sold (along with Le Levant) to make way for a trio of state-of-the-art vessels. Le Boreal was launched in May 2010, L’Austral just last June and la troisième will launch in mid-2013.
Scoff as the purists might, these ships represent the cat’s whickers in maritime design. They are the first to be “green ship” certified and, at 10,000 tons with 132 suites and staterooms, are huge by expedition cruise standards. Each can transport up to 264 guests in stabilised, Sofitel-level comfort to all corners of the globe, although numbers are limited to 200 for Antarctic operations. The 142m hull is ice rated 1C (1A is the toughest) and the impressive satellite navigation will keep the vessel fixed without the need to drop anchor.
Dining is single seating in one of two restaurants with house wine included. Deck 6 has butler service and two of three cabins have private balconies. There’s a big gym, Sothy spa, kids club, wheelchair access throughout, beaut observation lounge bar/library, pool and Wi-Fi internet access.
Staterooms and suites are all fitted with flatscreen TV coupled to an inflight-style entertainment system. Bath tubs installed on Le Boreal are deleted from subsequent vessels and bathrooms now have just showers with L’Occitane amenities. There are six price levels, ranging from the smallest at 18.5-square-meter (with 4-square-meter balcony) to the palatial 45-square-meter owner’s suite with a massive 9-square-meter private balcony.
Excursions are marshmallow soft compared to the hardy Russian counterparts, but still permit guests to get ashore and “tick off” their Antarctic continent landing. Costs, perhaps surprisingly, are not a lot different. When vessels exceed 100 guests, landing operations can get complicated. IAATO (the Antarctic tour operators association) regulations permit only 100 ashore at any one time, so aboard Ponant the parties much be spilt and rotated. Time ashore can be precious and at the in-demand Port Lockroy where you can visit a small museum and buy souvenirs, our allotted 30 minutes is painfully inadequate.
Lectures and enrichment are provided and for those with a basic understanding of Antarctica and its environment, this will considerably lift knowledge. However those with an academic background – and this represents many travellers to the south – might find the content superficial and over-simplified. It’s a tough job for the expedition leaders trying to find a balance for the up to 200 guests of several nationalities and languages. French and English are the official ship languages, while German and Spanish are available too. As I was disembarking, a group of 100 Chinese were preparing to come aboard, demonstrating the growing global attraction for this delicate destination.
Are you planning an Antarctic cruise vacation? Decide if you are a cocktail sipper or a tree hugger, because now the choice is yours.
From my experience, folks travel to the wild lands of the Antarctic for enrichment and a dash of adventure. A chance to relive – in a safe and comfortable way – the daring exploits of the pioneers a century ago.
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| High-stepping showgirls entertain adventurers after a hard day in the Zodiac (R Eime) |
At this point you could easily back a strong argument for either side of the cruising debate. Should Antarctica be left to the rugged, eco-warriors who throw themselves in front of Japanese whalers, or should it be opened up to the Mumm-sipping elite as a diversion between pedicures and foie gras ? Both, of course, are extreme but this is where we’re at. I’ll leave that thought with you for a moment while I describe this amazing vessel.
La Compagnie du Ponant (or just Ponant) has been around since 1986 specialising in small ship, niche market and sophisticated cruise products. Their first vessel, Le Ponant, is a gorgeous 64-pax, three-masted sailing ship in the mould of Windstar or Sea Cloud – yes, the one in the 2008 Somali pirate drama. The company added an expedition ship in 2004 with the 1974-built Le Diamant, now sold (along with Le Levant) to make way for a trio of state-of-the-art vessels. Le Boreal was launched in May 2010, L’Austral just last June and la troisième will launch in mid-2013.
Scoff as the purists might, these ships represent the cat’s whickers in maritime design. They are the first to be “green ship” certified and, at 10,000 tons with 132 suites and staterooms, are huge by expedition cruise standards. Each can transport up to 264 guests in stabilised, Sofitel-level comfort to all corners of the globe, although numbers are limited to 200 for Antarctic operations. The 142m hull is ice rated 1C (1A is the toughest) and the impressive satellite navigation will keep the vessel fixed without the need to drop anchor.
Dining is single seating in one of two restaurants with house wine included. Deck 6 has butler service and two of three cabins have private balconies. There’s a big gym, Sothy spa, kids club, wheelchair access throughout, beaut observation lounge bar/library, pool and Wi-Fi internet access.
Staterooms and suites are all fitted with flatscreen TV coupled to an inflight-style entertainment system. Bath tubs installed on Le Boreal are deleted from subsequent vessels and bathrooms now have just showers with L’Occitane amenities. There are six price levels, ranging from the smallest at 18.5-square-meter (with 4-square-meter balcony) to the palatial 45-square-meter owner’s suite with a massive 9-square-meter private balcony.
Excursions are marshmallow soft compared to the hardy Russian counterparts, but still permit guests to get ashore and “tick off” their Antarctic continent landing. Costs, perhaps surprisingly, are not a lot different. When vessels exceed 100 guests, landing operations can get complicated. IAATO (the Antarctic tour operators association) regulations permit only 100 ashore at any one time, so aboard Ponant the parties much be spilt and rotated. Time ashore can be precious and at the in-demand Port Lockroy where you can visit a small museum and buy souvenirs, our allotted 30 minutes is painfully inadequate.
Lectures and enrichment are provided and for those with a basic understanding of Antarctica and its environment, this will considerably lift knowledge. However those with an academic background – and this represents many travellers to the south – might find the content superficial and over-simplified. It’s a tough job for the expedition leaders trying to find a balance for the up to 200 guests of several nationalities and languages. French and English are the official ship languages, while German and Spanish are available too. As I was disembarking, a group of 100 Chinese were preparing to come aboard, demonstrating the growing global attraction for this delicate destination.
Are you planning an Antarctic cruise vacation? Decide if you are a cocktail sipper or a tree hugger, because now the choice is yours.
Compagnie du Ponant Antarctic Cruise 2012
Departure 01 December 2012 - 11 days/10 nights
On board L'Austral
Itinerary: Roundtrip Ushuaia
Ponant bonus fare: The lead-in fare is $5309per person twin share
Pricing and is correct as of 02 December 2011 and as this is a bonus
fare it is capacity controlled and can change at any time.
For bookings or more information contact Travel the World on 1300 950
622 or visit www.traveltheworld.com.au
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