Compagnie du Ponant is planning a new luxury vessel expected to sail in local waters in 2015-16. After years of hinting about it, the French cruise line appears to have finally committed to a summer season down under. According to the Fincantieri shipyard, Ponant has signed the contract to build...
Compagnie du Ponant is
planning a new luxury vessel
expected to sail in local waters
in 2015-16.
After years of hinting about it, the French
cruise line appears to have finally committed
to a summer season down under.
According to the Fincantieri shipyard,
Ponant has signed the contract to build a
264-passenger sister ship to Le Soleal, which
debuted last month.
In a news release issued overnight,
Fincantieri said the 11,000 GRT small ship will
cruise in Alaska during its summer season and
then in Australia and New Zealand.
Ponant has previously included ports in
Queensland and Northern Territory on a
handful of itineraries, but this would be the
first season based in the region.
The unnamed luxury ship is set to have 132
oceanview cabins and suites, and 95% with a
balcony.
Ponant is renowned for its sophisticated
design, attentive service and fine dining,
with destinations including smaller ports in
destinations such as the Arctic, Antarctica,
Europe, Asia and the Americas.
More details about the local program will be
revealed soon.
Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono said the new
order and continuing relationship with Ponant
indicated that luxury cruising was a “very
promising business segment”.
“This encouraging achievement, coming
shortly after other new orders, has been
realised in a still difficult market and has been
possible also thanks to the greater cohesion
achieved within the company that bodes well
for the necessary improvement in efficiency
and competitiveness,” he said.
