Ponant's Cancelled Cruise List Updated for January - February 2022

[AussieBoyTX]

In addition to the Australian & New Zealand cancelled cruises we already knew about, Le Bellot's sailings for January & February are cancelled, as well as the January 5 Le Jacques Cartier sailing between Muscat & Dubai. 

 

https://fr.calameo.com/read/000132423cf461dcaf716?authid=BIZNrwBnxZY5

[lynn-in-nc]

They're not giving much notice for cancellations. 

[schnapperin]

Commandant Charcot Next trip on the 8th was just cancelled because of positive cases on board

[cboyle]

15 minutes ago, schnapperin said:

Commandant Charcot Next trip on the 8th was just cancelled because of positive cases on board

Did Ponant email you? I believe you mentioned earlier that you were on that cruise.

[schnapperin]

4 minutes ago, cboyle said:

Did Ponant email you? I believe you mentioned earlier that you were on that cruise.

I‘m not on that cruise but someone posted it on the TA Antartica Forum (lots of cruise ships with COVID cases at the moment with cancelled and early returns there at the moment) 

[cboyle]

Just now, schnapperin said:

I‘m not on that cruise but someone posted it on the TA Antartica Forum (lots of cruise ships with COVID cases at the moment with cancelled and early returns there at the moment) 

Thanks! I am on the February 16 sailing. I wish Ponant was more forthcoming about cancellations!

[AussieBoyTX]

Currently, I think Le Bellot, Le Jacques Cartier, Le Bougainville & Le Commandant Charcot are under some sort of COVID restriction.

Edited January 6, 2022 by AussieBoyTX

[schnapperin]

Le Commandant has some positive cases on board that’s why they are returning earlier and cancelling the next trip. 
 

will be interesting what’s happening with the rest of the ships departing out of Ushuaia since nearly every ship has some cases at the moment and Argentina has stricter rules in places since 1st January.

 

At the moment I highly doubt Ponant knows if they need to cancel a trip well in advance and that’s a gamble everyone takes who is going on any sort of trip - more so on a cruise ships. 
 

personal I expect the Antartica season to go on a break in January (as Brazil is doing) 

[cboyle]

17 minutes ago, schnapperin said:

Le Commandant has some positive cases on board that’s why they are returning earlier and cancelling the next trip. 
 

will be interesting what’s happening with the rest of the ships departing out of Ushuaia since nearly every ship has some cases at the moment and Argentina has stricter rules in places since 1st January.

 

At the moment I highly doubt Ponant knows if they need to cancel a trip well in advance and that’s a gamble everyone takes who is going on any sort of trip - more so on a cruise ships. 
 

personal I expect the Antartica season to go on a break in January (as Brazil is doing) 

I didn't mean that Ponant should be telling me about my Feb 16 cruise. I am feeling sad for those on the Jan. 8 cruise who must have learned of the cancellation at the airport on the way to Santiago. Or even worse, after arriving in Santiago.

Edited January 6, 2022 by cboyle

[schnapperin]

6 minutes ago, cboyle said:

I didn't mean that Ponant should be telling me about my Feb 16 cruise. I am feeling sad for those on the Jan. 8 cruise who must have learned of the cancellation at the airport on the way to Santiago. Or even worse, after arriving in Santiago.

Could happen to anyone at the moment - don‘t forget that usually the ships arrive from the previous trip the evening before or in the morning depending on the weather and everyone will be tested before disembarkation. So if there are positive cases detected it will depend on Chiles requirements if they can depart that evening or if they need to cancel. Also if needed crew is sick or in isolation there might be a cancellation since those will need to fly in

 

at the moment I would expect my cruise to be cancelled and be positive surprised if it do happen with the level of COVID cases in the US & Europe + the amount of positive cases on cruise ships

Edited January 6, 2022 by schnapperin

[ethan1171]

Not the best of news - but not a surprise. There is a lot of action taken currently to update the quarantine protocol Argentina put in place Jan 1. I am not sure when it will be modified but I hear soon. Meanwhile seems a lot of the ships are currently impacted and it is wrecking havoc with everyone's plans but this pandemic should have taught us by now not to take anything for granted and that plans can change anytime.

 

On a personal note - I am very happy our Antarctica cruise is not until Feb 19 - so we have some time to figure things out, even if it ends up to cancelation.

 

As much as I understand the frustration and disappointment for those passengers underway and or in Chile on the Jan 8 cruise - I hope nobody was surprised that this could really happen and they have a Plan B or C for making the best out of their trip to the region.

[Lukec]

@AussieBoyTx

My I ask where you got the info about which ship is under covid protocol?

[AussieBoyTX]

36 minutes ago, Lukec said:

@AussieBoyTx

My I ask where you got the info about which ship is under covid protocol?

 

Mostly from impacted passengers in French-language Ponant groups. It's widely reported by passengers there. Also, Ponant's President held a town-hall in the French-language Ponant Yacht Club group earlier this week and spent quite a long time describing the company's COVID protocols & goals and impacted ships.

[ethan1171]

@AussieBoyTX - do you happen to have a link to the French language Ponant groups? I did not know they existed. Thank you!

[Sitti]

it's a bad news but glad I found this before making a final payment due on 12th of this month. As usual, no updates from Ponant. We have to keep asking Ponant for any changes or updates. Now, need to figure out the next move.

 

 

 

[gogo65]

2 hours ago, Sitti said:

it's a bad news but glad I found this before making a final payment due on 12th of this month. As usual, no updates from Ponant. We have to keep asking Ponant for any changes or updates. Now, need to figure out the next move.

 

 

 

How can Ponant update you, when they dont know?

its literally day by day, who knows when a positive case may pop up, to be honest i would think Antarctica would be the least risky of any cruises currently, but despite all the protocols, there will always be a potential case slip through, unfortunately that’s Omicron.

If you cant be flexible, then now is not a time to travel

They have very good cancellation policies, in a worse case scenario.

[Sitti]

45 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

How can Ponant update you, when they dont know?

its literally day by day, who knows when a positive case may pop up, to be honest i would think Antarctica would be the least risky of any cruises currently, but despite all the protocols, there will always be a potential case slip through, unfortunately that’s Omicron.

If you cant be flexible, then now is not a time to travel

They have very good cancellation policies, in a worse case scenario.

I wasn't talking this particular covid case, I'm talking about their overall communications. I wasn't informed about departure port had changed for my upcoming cruise (this one is actually a good change) until I read about it here. I wasn't informed about additional requirement for certain activities, which I have to go to hospital again to get it, until I had my TA asked Ponant if there were any updates. I wonder when they were planning on telling me if I had not asked as my cruise is coming up in about 30 days. 

[schnapperin]

The medical requirements are published on Ponants website, COVID requirements can change pretty quickly and the departure port was announced before the season started 

Is Ponant sometimes slow with updates? Yes but then the travel agency is first to get those and then is supposed to send them to you.

 

For example I only got the final embarkation information (time and location) in the morning of that day 

 

[AussieBoyTX]

16 hours ago, ethan1171 said:

@AussieBoyTX - do you happen to have a link to the French language Ponant groups? I did not know they existed. Thank you!

 

If you're eligible (you have to have completed two cruises on Ponant) the Ponant Yacht Club (Group francophone) https://www.*****/ponantyachtclub Facebook group has the best insider information from passengers & Ponant themselves. There's also a new English-language group, but it doesn't have the same information.

Although I'm not a member, I also look at sites like these for the occasional comment:

https://lemondedescroisieres.com/
https://www.routard.com/
https://www.voyages-croisieres.net/

https://www.tripadvisor.fr 

Finally, I look at local news sites to see what information they have, e.g.:

http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com
https://en.mercopress.com

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by AussieBoyTX

[AussieBoyTX]

The cancelled cruise list was updated today. Some cruises on Le Jacques Cartier, Le Commandant Charcot & Le Bougainville are confirmed as cancelled.

 

https://fr.calameo.com/read/000132423cf461dcaf716?authid=BIZNrwBnxZY5

[Sitti]

1 hour ago, AussieBoyTX said:

The cancelled cruise list was updated today. Some cruises on Le Jacques Cartier, Le Commandant Charcot & Le Bougainville are confirmed as cancelled.

 

https://fr.calameo.com/read/000132423cf461dcaf716?authid=BIZNrwBnxZY5

Thank you for your time posting updates for us

Seems like Le Commandant Charcot voyages on 22/01 and 02/02 are still a go, at this time. I guess the outcome of voyage on 02/02 will decide the fate of my cruise on 16/02.

I have just made an appointment for getting booster shot this Wednesday. In case Ponant or Chile all of sudden require it now without waiting 6 months is passed after second dose. Thankfully Thai government recently reduced the wait time after second dose from 6 months to 3 months. Good Timing. 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Sitti

[schnapperin]

1 hour ago, AussieBoyTX said:

The cancelled cruise list was updated today. Some cruises on Le Jacques Cartier, Le Commandant Charcot & Le Bougainville are confirmed as cancelled.

 

https://fr.calameo.com/read/000132423cf461dcaf716?authid=BIZNrwBnxZY5

Le Jacques could also be because stricter regulations in the Middle East - Doha for example is been skipped by other cruise companies

 

And a cruise company is cancelling their Antartica cruise because of staff shortage in Ushuaia (harbor & ground staff) because of the recent COVID surge in Argentina during the last days. That’s something else to keep in mind (a bit like the flight cancellation around the US)

[schnapperin]

Any news why the Antartica departure on the 14th was just cancelled? On a positive side that’s still on the earlier side 

[AussieBoyTX]

5 minutes ago, schnapperin said:

Any news why the Antartica departure on the 14th was just cancelled? On a positive side that’s still on the earlier side 

 

I don't know. It's currently heading back to Ushuaia across the Drake Passage.

[ethan1171]

 

 

Likely they have COVID cases on board which might require quarantine - so they are proactive about it?

 

Although this season in Antarctica is seeing a lot of cancellations and pulling out of the season from the other operators - we do not have a clear idea how Ponant will proceed. Apart from the cancellation with Comandant Charcot Jan 8 and the Austral Jan 14, the rest of the trips across all their 4 ships in Antarctica are currently confirmed for the rest of Jan/Feb/Mar.

 

Very eager to see how this will play out for Ponant in the upcoming days. Are they going to persist and limp through all the covid operational issues or they will pull out as well? Or maybe Argentina will decide for them by shutting everything down? 🤔

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by ethan1171