jonikal Posted June 3, 2020 #151 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Le Bellot has finally left the dock at Vard Shipyard and is moored offshore. A hopeful sign, perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 3, 2020 #152 Share Posted June 3, 2020 3 hours ago, jmalux said: Plenty of new cancellations: https://wordpress.ponant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/REPROGRAMMATION_CROISIERES_PONANT_ETE2020_02062020-2.pdf Some of the remaining seem sketchy to me. Kangerlussuaq - Nome, Alaska Is something like 23 days and $24K pp. leaving in August, there would be no Canadian stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonikal Posted June 3, 2020 #153 Share Posted June 3, 2020 26 minutes ago, AussieBoyTX said: Some of the remaining seem sketchy to me. Kangerlussuaq - Nome, Alaska Is something like 23 days and $24K pp. leaving in August, there would be no Canadian stops. Having recently sailed almost this same route on Hurtigruten's new ship, the Roald Amundsen, you might want to check this out: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=668128 I believe Ponant is more experienced in these waters and will avoid some of the unnecessary disappointments we experienced. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 3, 2020 #154 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Each ship's first (and in some cases second cruise) cruise per the June 1 update: August 28, 2020 AUSTRAL A280820 Kangerlussuaq - Nome, Alaska (with Canada's cruise ban, I don't see how this can operate) [large gap due to cancelled Canadian cruises] October 31, 2020 AUSTRAL A311020 Callao - Talcahuano July 13, 2020 BELLOT E130720 Reykjavík - Reykjavík July 11, 2020 BOREAL B110720 Longyearbyen - Longyearbyen September 3, 2020 BOUGAINVILLE G030920 Venise - Athènes August 5, 2020 CHAMPLAIN C050820 Reykjavík - Reykjavík October 11, 2020 DUMONT D'URVILLE U111020 Lisbonne - Dakar August 16, 2020 JACQUES CARTIER X160820 Reykjavík - Reykjavík July 17, 2020 LAPEROUSE R170720 Broome - Darwin (IMO not possible with Australian cruise ban) [large gap due to other Australian cruises] September 23, 2020 LAPEROUSE R230920 Manila - Osaka July 31, 2020 LYRIAL Y310720 Venise - Civitavecchia (Rome) August 8, 2020 PAUL GAUGUIN N080820 Papeete, Tahiti - Papeete, Tahiti October 22, 2020 SOLEAL S221020 Talcahuano - Ushuaia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jland Posted June 4, 2020 #155 Share Posted June 4, 2020 I truly do not believe this company. How can anybody have any trust in them when they make announcements like this. How can they say a July Broome to Darwin cruise can still go ahead when the Australian government has banned all cruise ship until September 17th. The icing on the cake though was to say our cruise on the 28th August is still on. The only cruise in that area that’s still available. This cruise actual starts in Paris with an included charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, ends in Nome with included flight to Seattle. It cost AUD$28000pp including a 30% discount because we booked 2 years in advance. Not only were we looking forward to the cruise we were also looking forward to seeing Seattle. We love going to the States but Seattle was one place we have not been to. How Ponant expect us to fly to Paris we cannot fathom out, no one knows when our borders will open but it is blindingly obvious that this company has no regard for its passengers and I think that is sad. Ponant are silly to themselves. They have some wonderful itineraries and new, beautiful ships. If they had just done the correct thing by us they would have had our business for life. As it is all trust has gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
directionfinder Posted June 5, 2020 #156 Share Posted June 5, 2020 On 6/3/2020 at 11:29 AM, jmalux said: Plenty of new cancellations: https://wordpress.ponant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/REPROGRAMMATION_CROISIERES_PONANT_ETE2020_02062020-2.pdf Where did you find the link to this new list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmalux Posted June 5, 2020 #157 Share Posted June 5, 2020 2 hours ago, directionfinder said: Where did you find the link to this new list? I received an email from Ponant informing us that our cruise was cancelled. The link was in the email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonikal Posted June 5, 2020 #158 Share Posted June 5, 2020 1 hour ago, jmalux said: I received an email from Ponant informing us that our cruise was cancelled. The link was in the email. Which cruise were you booked on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmalux Posted June 5, 2020 #159 Share Posted June 5, 2020 3 hours ago, jonikal said: Which cruise were you booked on? Bougainville, Istanbul-Athens, 19 July Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonikal Posted June 5, 2020 #160 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Bummer. Too bad. Hope you get fully reimbursed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 11, 2020 #161 Share Posted June 11, 2020 FWIW, Le Bougainville has almost made it to Bordeaux, France. Le Laperouse is returning to New Caledonia after completing its repatriation mission to Wallis & Futuna. It is fully crewed and is supposedly waiting for Ponant to negotiate some sort of Australia-only cruise schedule. This information comes from French-language cruise forums, where members indicate they have heard Ponant is trying to get small-ship waivers in certain countries, such as Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Seychelles and some others. Although I haven't seen any discussion on Antarctica, but I wonder about the logistics of getting people to Ushuaia without a layover in Buenos Aires or some other potentially coronavirus risky place. Perhaps Ponant could offer a charter from France with a technical stop in Martinique or French Guiana and put the passengers directly on the ship with minimal exposure to locals. I also saw that the land excursions Ponant is offering this Summer are designed to have limited exposure to locals to limit the possibility of contagion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnapperin Posted June 11, 2020 #162 Share Posted June 11, 2020 (edited) I can’t see them getting any sort of waiver for the US or Canada, Australia makes sense. Even as a French cruise line they are still waiting for the green light for the french cruises (and the protocol reads extremely safe). German authorities has issued an world wide travel warning - outside of the EU and the five close relationship countries- but also against a warning of cruises (apart of river cruises - Ponant fits the same category with passengers count). Anyone else with a cruise warning? Antartica will be interesting, some ships are charter from A&K, some have less then 50 % french passengers on board.I guess it will be a case of testing before boarding (ships are usually at the port the evening before so they could set up a testing station and test on board) Edited June 11, 2020 by schnapperin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 11, 2020 #163 Share Posted June 11, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, schnapperin said: I can’t see them getting any sort of waiver for the US or Canada, Australia makes sense. Even as a French cruise line they are still waiting for the green light for the french cruises (and the protocol reads extremely safe). Unless there's an extension of the US order, that cruise ban expires on July 24 and Mexico has already reopened to land & air travel, along with some Caribbean islands. I expect Ponant will be able to operate some sort of Caribbean schedule this year, perhaps modified away from known coronavirus risks or weighted to French possessions. As you might have seen, Carnival clams to be able to operate from the US to Cozumel, Costa Maya & Progreso, Mexico (as well as Roatan) starting in August. Edited June 11, 2020 by AussieBoyTX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnapperin Posted June 11, 2020 #164 Share Posted June 11, 2020 2 minutes ago, AussieBoyTX said: Unless there's an extension of the US order, that cruise ban expires on July 24 and Mexico has already reopened, along with some Caribbean islands. I expect Ponant will be able to operate some sort of Caribbean schedule this year, perhaps modified away from known coronavirus risks or weighted to French possessions. They could kick of the season earlier but if it makes sense during hurricane season? Also will there be a travel warning for french passengers (still usually at least 50 %) and flights available? Also provisions need to arrange and send beforehand after the first or two cruises. They could of course use the french overseas department as base but still during hurricane season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 11, 2020 #165 Share Posted June 11, 2020 13 minutes ago, schnapperin said: They could kick of the season earlier but if it makes sense during hurricane season? Also will there be a travel warning for french passengers (still usually at least 50 %) and flights available? Also provisions need to arrange and send beforehand after the first or two cruises. They could of course use the french overseas department as base but still during hurricane season? Yes, I agree. No need to start the season early. We do expect this to be a difficult hurricane season. Le Champlain has two itineraries starting in November that it runs wholly in Mexico as well as Mexico / Honduras / Guatemala / Belize. I think by then, there will be Paris / Cancun flights. If not, start in Martinique and adapt to the "Jewels of the Caribbean" cruises they offer later in the Spring. Most of those islands are already open, so if there are flights from Paris to Fort de France, those can be offered reasonably safely. Le Dumont d'Urville is also in South America and the Caribbean this winter. I don't think many of us would want to be in Brazil this year, so maybe all of the Amazon cruises are cancelled and that frees up that ship for more Caribbean itineraries (if there is demand). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnapperin Posted June 11, 2020 #166 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Could be an interesting move since a lot might reschedule their summer holiday plans and Caribbean from November on with some interesting itineraries could interest a few Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted June 11, 2020 #167 Share Posted June 11, 2020 If the Caribbean is the only place where cruises are sailing, it becomes interesting to a lot more people. And since Ponant has never had the Florida focus of almost all other cruise lines in the Caribbean, they are well positioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 12, 2020 #168 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Air France is supposedly resuming Caribbean service on June 30: French Overseas Departments and CaribbeanCayenne, Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, Saint-Martin (cargo only). https://news.gtp.gr/2020/05/19/air-france-gradually-resume-flight-schedule-by-end-june/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 14, 2020 #169 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Le Lapérouse is off the coast of New Caledonia & Le Bougainville has docked in Bordeaux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
directionfinder Posted June 16, 2020 #170 Share Posted June 16, 2020 I just talked to Ponant Germany about the North West Passage cruise end of August. They still believe that it might be possible to do this trip! They think they will get an ok, if they do not visit any settlements and only do nature. Interesting! But I did not make a booking 😉 I really wonder how this will end up ...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 16, 2020 #171 Share Posted June 16, 2020 1 hour ago, directionfinder said: I just talked to Ponant Germany about the North West Passage cruise end of August. They still believe that it might be possible to do this trip! They think they will get an ok, if they do not visit any settlements and only do nature. Interesting! But I did not make a booking 😉 I really wonder how this will end up ...... That's a long cruise. Twenty-two days without getting off the boat (or maybe Zodiacs)? I'm not sure I'd sign up for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnapperin Posted June 16, 2020 #172 Share Posted June 16, 2020 1 hour ago, AussieBoyTX said: That's a long cruise. Twenty-two days without getting off the boat (or maybe Zodiacs)? I'm not sure I'd sign up for that. Just like the Antarctica cruise were its 100 % zodiac cruising and landings in nature. But then visiting an otherwise unvisit settlement is part of the northwestpassage - but on the other site there aren’t many trips like this a year and there is still the chance ice conditions won’t allow it. But they also need Alaska to allow a cruise ship docking and passangers to enter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonikal Posted June 16, 2020 #173 Share Posted June 16, 2020 43 minutes ago, schnapperin said: Just like the Antarctica cruise were its 100 % zodiac cruising and landings in nature. But then visiting an otherwise unvisit settlement is part of the northwestpassage - but on the other site there aren’t many trips like this a year and there is still the chance ice conditions won’t allow it. But they also need Alaska to allow a cruise ship docking and passangers to enter Having experienced the July 2018 failed transit of the Northwest Passage on Hurtigruten's Fram, I can attest that it is indeed a crap shoot as to whether the ice conditions will allow a transit. In our case the passage was totally blocked by ice making the transit impossible and we were relegated to sailing the coast of West Greenland instead. We later found out that the impassable condition of the passage was well known to the company who failed to inform the passengers until they had already flown to Canada to board the charter flights. To say that there was a very unhappy group of passengers is an understatement. Luckily several prominent UK lawyers were onboard and after several months of threatened litigation, satisfactory compensation was finally agreed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare AussieBoyTX Posted June 17, 2020 #174 Share Posted June 17, 2020 5 hours ago, schnapperin said: Just like the Antarctica cruise were its 100 % zodiac cruising and landings in nature. But then visiting an otherwise unvisit settlement is part of the northwestpassage - but on the other site there aren’t many trips like this a year and there is still the chance ice conditions won’t allow it. But they also need Alaska to allow a cruise ship docking and passangers to enter I suspect Alaska will not be a problem, as the US opens for cruises on July 24 and Alaska doesn't have any cruise prohibitions of its own. The problem might be what to do with the ship after that cruise. With Canada closed, there's nothing for L'Austral to do until it goes down to Antarctica at the end of October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jland Posted June 17, 2020 #175 Share Posted June 17, 2020 16 hours ago, directionfinder said: I just talked to Ponant Germany about the North West Passage cruise end of August. They still believe that it might be possible to do this trip! They think they will get an ok, if they do not visit any settlements and only do nature. Interesting! But I did not make a booking 😉 I really wonder how this will end up ...... directionfinder, as you may know we are booked on this cruise. I cannot believe what Ponant are trying to do. I have been in touch with my TA and Ponant today both of whom have passed the buck to each other, both state they know nothing. Apart from the cruise two other things come to mind. Qantas has just stood down all their international crews until the end of October. We take that, although the government has not announced it, to mean our border will be closed at least until then. The other thing is this cruise ends in Nome, Ponant then fly us to Seattle. We were really looking forward to visiting the city etc but with the current situation we do not want to go anywhere near the place. We have flights booked which allow for three days in Seattle. directionfinder, if you obtain any other info about this cruise could I ask you to pass it on to me, I would be very grateful. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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