Cruising with Ponant is a great experience. Every room is equipped with its own beverage center spanning from a wide variety of teas to "make your own cocktails" mini bar. All was included and restocked daily! Many fine spirits and wines were also complementary and every time we came back from an excursion, the crew would have some warm drink ready as we disembarked from our zodiacs.
The tea and coffee bar that can be found in every room. (Rachel Short-Miller)
The rooms themselves were something to behold. I'm usually a backpacker type of traveler and so to me, this was the essence of luxury! The rooms were spacious and comfortable. We had our own private balcony with sliding glass doors, a television with tons of pre-loaded movies, shows and music. The bathroom had a glass door so you could see out to the scenery from the comfort of your shower (this was optional and could always slid a wooden door over the glass if you wanted privacy).
This French outfit does a great job of offering things to do and having activities planned throughout the day. Each evening, a daily program is delivered to your room, loaded with information on the day to come so you can plan ahead and make sure to attend the events you'd like.
Another show from the dancers of L'Austral. (Rachel Short-Miller)
Each night, Ponant provided some form of entertainment. One night they played an Antarctic documentary, another they had a karaoke night, but the majority of the entertainment was some form of dance. Dance shows such as “Paris Express” and “Love Boat” took us on a tour of France. I was truly impressed with the number of costume changes over the course of five total shows, in addition to their fitness and grace aboard an ever moving cruise ship. The entertainment crew aboard L’Austral consisted of five talented ballet dancers, two singers, a guitarist and a pianist. Incorporating these fine arts into the expedition lent a very French flair of luxury to our evenings. Surprisingly, these shows seemed under attended despite their efforts. All in all, there was a little something for everyone so if you weren’t interested in an event, there was always another option on the next deck.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner
