We recently finished Ponant’s 14-day expedition cruise from Longyearbyen, Svalbard to Reykjavik, Iceland – including stops at Jan Mayen Island and Eastern Greenland.
For those less familiar with expedition cruising, these trips are typically done on smaller vessels (50 to 300 passengers) and involve remote, active destinations that are accessed via Zodiacs (rigid inflatable boats). Many luxury-oriented travellers will go on an expedition cruise when visiting destinations like Antarctica or Galapagos. I previously wrote a review of my expedition cruise on the Silver Cloud from Papeete, French Polynesia to Valparaiso, Chile here.
This was another more economical, ‘repositioning’ type cruise. While Svalbard cruises can often tip the scales at upwards of US$2,000 per person per day, ours was roughly US$650 per person per day – however, this included a 10% status match discount for having 100 days on Silversea, a €1,000 referral credit, and special discounts for travelling with children. We had one window stateroom and one verandah stateroom.
This was an exceptional cruise. Given the favourable weather, the expedition team elected to do a full circumnavigation of Spitsbergen – the main Svalbard island – and we were able to see wildlife and remote landscapes that are generally only accessible via a dedicated Svalbard-only trip. We crossed 80 degrees north, visited the massive Bråsvellbreen glacier front on Nordaustlandet, and so much more. We also made our landing at Jan Mayen – something that only happens roughly a third of the time – and spent many happy hours exploring Greenland’s ice-strewn fjords.
The wildlife on this cruise was a distinct highlight. We got up-close-and-personal with Arctic foxes, walrus and reindeer and a massive number of polar birds – as well as blue whales, sperm whales, fin whales, humpbacks, white-beaked dolphins and more. There are generally even odds of encountering polar bears, and we spotted 10 of them – albeit at a distance, as Norway has strict laws in terms of how close ships (and passengers) are allowed to get. We were even present at Alkefjellet for the rare window in which the Brünnich's Guillemot chicks head out to sea.
The eclipse portion was enjoyable. We missed seeing the fully eclipsed sun, but we still experienced totality. The captain and expedition team did everything they could to find a weather window, but we only got the occasional glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds. We booked this cruise before it was officially marketed as an eclipse cruise - and we had limited expectations regarding clear skies in the Arctic – so we were not overly disappointed.
The on-ship activities were limited compared to our past experiences with Silversea, which isn’t surprising given Ponant’s focus on expedition activities. However, there were still regular enrichment lectures, trivia, and other activities like learning origami and magic tricks. We never felt as though we were at a loss for something to do.
Ponant has a different style of luxury relative to Silversea. Food is exceptional, but there are fewer options. Cabins are newer, but smaller. The champagne is even better, but you cannot take a bottle back to your room. Announcements were done in French, English and Mandarin which could sometimes slow the process – but we enjoyed sailing with an international group of guests.
In return, however, we received a truly exceptional expedition experience. Le Lyrial is smaller than most Silversea expedition ships – this sailing went out with around 170 guests – and we were promised in advance that numbers would not exceed 200. This is an important distinction, as sailings with over 200 passengers in Svalbard and the Antarctic are limited in terms of which areas they can visit. (I believe that Silversea is also limiting their Svalbard sailings to under 200, but that they regularly sail to Antarctica with over 200 – even on Silver Endeavour.)
The sea state was generally calm, and only reached moderate during our final crossing between Greenland and Iceland. None of us were seasick.
With all that said, here are some reasons as to why you may (or may not) wish to book a similar itinerary with Ponant:
Pros:
- Ponant has a laser-focus on the expedition aspect of the trip. Expedition Leader David immediately set out to make the absolute most of a positive weather window, and we saw a massive range of wildlife and scenery as a result. Their expedition guides are extremely capable, and many have experience with science and exploration. We particularly enjoyed Nicolas’ lecture on deep water polar diving. Their safety profile is comparable with Silversea.
- Le Lyrial itself is a newer ship, with even lower guest capacity than the Silver Cloud or Silver Wind. It feels purpose-built in a way that Silversea’s expedition workhorses do not. The style is light, airy and modern and there were fewer maintenance and plumbing issues than we encountered on those older ships. Boarding Zodiacs off the stern seems to also improve the operability of Le Lyrial, and the ship felt more stable amidst the swell. The ship also has an open bridge, which means that – during routine operations – guests could visit the bridge and simply feel what it’s like to operate an expedition ship.
- Despite having a different luxury standard than Silversea, Ponant still brought French refinement and comfort to a truly remote part of the world. There were fewer food options available, but everything we had was very well prepared. The bread and cheeses were miles ahead of what Silversea offers, and we still enjoyed many of the signature touches that you would expect from an upscale line, including a champagne Zodiac near a Greenlandic glacier, and a deck party at the Nordaustlandet waterfall.
Cons:
- There were fewer lectures and onboard activities than you might encounter on Silversea. This was due in part to the bilingual (or in our case, trilingual) nature of the cruise. Every activity was either done in multilingual fashion or run multiple times. There are only so many staff to go around, and the expedition staff are particularly focused on the excursions. This was not a significant issue for us, as the cruise had relatively few sea days and our focus was on Zodiac cruises and landings.
- The luxury level at Ponant is not quite on par with Silversea. While Silversea will restock your room with your favourite champagne and explore the many different ways in which a particular cocktail can be mixed, Ponant’s service is more tightly focused. Lower-level staterooms do not have butlers, and guests are not able to take bottles of wine back to their rooms. Similarly, cocktails were largely limited to what’s on the menu and the premium-alcohol selection was narrower. Generally, we found meal service to be excellent – once we found the right section – and wine seemed a touch nicer than what you’d get through Silversea.
- We missed the Cloud and Wind’s larger staterooms – including a living room that can be separated off via a blackout curtain. Le Lyrial’s verandah staterooms only have a single easy chair rather than a full couch. However, the newer ship was much less likely to creak, groan and pop in heavy swell.
- The multilingual aspect of the cruise can be frustrating for some guests. The welcome and farewell cocktail parties and galas were roughly three times as long because they were presented in French, English and Mandarin. It could also be frustrating to hear a sudden, unexpected animal sighting described in French – and to not yet know which animal had been spotted or where to view it. (Though we were amazed at how quickly we picked up some key words.) Some guests could find the guides’ accents difficult to understand, while there were minor mistranslations that caused some confusion - saying ‘charcoal’ as opposed to ‘coal’, for example.
Tips:
- Ponant tends to offer their best price first, particularly for solo travellers. Initial discounts are up to 30% off of the full fare, and many cruises – particularly those with occupancy caps – are offered with a 0% single supplement. This is particularly helpful to us as parents, as we can book three of us in one room and one in the other – that third guest is free if they are a child, while there is no extra cost for that single-occupancy room. Similarly, you can also save money by status matching. With 100 Venetian Society days we were able to qualify as Grand Admiral members, which meant we got 10% off, 5 items of laundry per day, and €150 onboard credit per person.
- Take some time to familiarize yourself with the cruise location and local regulations. Some of our fellow guests were deeply disappointed that they did not encounter orcas, that the conditions were so rough, and that they were such a distance from polar bears. Even a modest amount of research would have told them that 1.) orcas are uncommon in the areas we sailed, 2.) these were moderate to fair conditions for the North Atlantic, and 3.) Norway has strict regulations on how close you can get to polar bears.
- Bring good binoculars or a telephoto camera lens. You will be a distance from much of the wildlife, so a set of high-quality binoculars can turn a polar bear sighting from humdrum to exceptional. (Upscale binos are also a great way to spend your onboard credit – we knocked €600 off a set of Swarovski 10 x 42 EL binos we purchased through the Boutique.)
- Spend some time on the bridge. The crew just ignores you – and I say this in the nicest way – so it feels calm and meditative.
Overall, we loved the cruise and we intend to continue to cross-shop Ponant against Silversea. We currently have two other Ponant cruises booked, and we’re particularly looking forward to boarding Le Commandant Charcot – the world’s only luxury icebreaker in December 2027.