Travelling again with Compagnie du Ponant reminds me that the
world of expedition cruising is changing rapidly. The older, much
loved and trusted vessels of the former Soviet oceanographic fleet
and converted Baltic ferries are seeing their final years as this new
echelon of state-of-the-art, purpose-built, environmentally friendly
ships take their place, luring those previously sitting on the fence
with adventure cruising.
While I personally hope there will always be someone like NZ’s
harder-edged Heritage Expeditions continuing to offer wafer-thin
niche voyages to unheard-of locations, the expedition sector is fast
becoming more mainstream and it falls to companies like Ponant
with their mix of modern, supremely comfortable ships and exciting
destinations to take up the reins. I might lament that expedition
cruising is no longer the sole domain of the determined and resilient
eco-adventurer, yet more people than ever before are visiting the
world’s special places. Hopefully the more who do will vow to keep
them special.
This trip also afforded a glimpse of Iceland, a mid-Atlantic country
more recently known for economic collapse and unpronounceable
volcanoes. Personally I found the otherwise overlooked little folk
museums at Hafnarfjörður just near the wharf enthralling. Geysers
are great, but humans make history.
Greenland, where we will spend most of our time on this cruise, is
experiencing unprecedented melting of its huge ice cap. Glaciers are
collapsing, filling the bays with bergs made of millennia-old ice while
Inuit hunters who once patrolled in seal-skin canoes and harpoons,
now motor out with rifles and come home to demountable cabins.
Just as well too I remembered to pack my tie as the call-up came to
join Captain Etienne Garcia at his table for dinner. Captain Garcia,
like so many modern ships’ masters, is an agreeable combination of
decades of nautical experience, a personable, congenial character
and a keen eye for public relations. With a firm command of English,
albeit with a thick Gallic flavouring, he enthralled the table with tales
of his seafaring adventures with an obvious and justified pride in his
current command.
“I’m looking forward to scouting Kamchatka with Nicolas (Dubreuil)
our chef d’expédition,” said Capt Garcia, “we’re going to charter this
little Russian boat, with maybe just six cabins to explore the new
territories we visit with Le Soléal next year. Our Northwest Passage
will be a marvellous too.”
With Le Soléal, the third vessel of this type (Le Boréal being the first
and prototype) joining the Ponant fleet next year, it follows that the
company will be looking to add more enriching voyages to the
sailing calendar. As you read this, the other three Ponant vessels are
enjoying some hedonistic cruising in the Mediterranean, although Le
Levant leaves the company in November to join Paul Gaugin in
Tahiti. Le Diamant was sold last year and is now cruising as Ocean
Diamond under charter to Quark Expeditions, while the namesake
sailing ship, Le Ponant, will remain as company mascot.
For information on all Ponant sailings, visit Travel the World
www.traveltheworld.com.au.
Rod flew with Air Canada, the only airline to offer daily non-stop
flights from Sydney to Vancouver. For information see
www.aircanada.com.
