Updated: 6 Nov 24
The much-anticipated luxury Kimberley expedition vessel, Paspaley Pearl, will not sail its inaugural 2025 season as planned and has cancelled future bookings.
The website (since taken offline) carried the simple message:
Industry insiders are speculating about the future of the 56m, 32-passenger boutique vessel, which was to be managed by Ponant and championed by industry identity Sarina Bratton.
According to reports received by Expedition Cruising, Ponant sales reps contacted resellers to advise that Ponant would no longer be marketing the vessel. Competing operators have also emailed their respective databases offering places to passengers displaced by the cancellations.
In a statement published in Cruise Weekly, Ponant Asia-Pacific CEO Deb Corbett said, "“Ponant regrets to inform its valued customers and travel partners that the proposed cruise program to operate on Paspaley Pearl is not proceeding with Ponant as the cruise operator."Launched by now-defunct operator, Island Escape Cruises, the vessel was arrested in 2022 and later sold at auction. The Pearling dynasty, Paspaley, purchased the vessel for a reported A$5.5 million.
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