ACCESS TREASURES OF THE WORLD BY SEA

Leading French cruise line and Five-Star Expedition specialist,  COMPAGNIE DU PONANT has just launched its new Winter 2013-2014 cruise collection including exceptional itineraries aboard its three intimate and elegant yachts: LE BORÉAL, L’AUSTRAL and LE SOLÉAL (132 staterooms and suites) and its magnificent three-mast yacht LE PONANT (32 staterooms). From October 2013 to April 2014, they will be cruising round the Caribbean and Central America, South America, Antarctica and South Georgia, Asia and Africa.

Each of the 132 cabin yachts offers spacious suites, impeccable service and excellent food and wine – plus their small size allows them to reach destinations that larger ships cannot, and offer its passengers the opportunity to sail in the company of experts and historians as guides and lecturers who are passionate about their subjects.

Be it a Five-Star Expedition in the Antarctic region, island-hopping round the Caribbean or a “cruise circuit” in South America and Asia, COMPAGNIE DU PONANT offers passengers a real travel experience.

SOUTH AMERICA

Combining the pleasures of cruising with a passion for travelling, COMPAGNIE DU PONANT has designed seven “cruise circuits” to uncover the remarkable archaeological and natural treasures in eight South American countries. Supported by a series of comprehensive shore excursions to magnificent UNESCO World Heritage sites, these itineraries can be prolonged with dedicated add-ons and/or pre and post cruise activities including:

·         Two optional excursions to discover the Iguazú Falls (Argentine and Brazilian side)

·         Discovering Santiago and the Atacama Desert, including two nights in San Pedro de Atacama

·         Visiting three islands in the Galapagos: Santa Cruz, Santa Fe and Seymour

·         Four different programmes to explore Cuzco and Machu Picchu, two of which include a night on site in Sanctuary Lodge (part of the Orient Express’ portfolio) with a journey on board the luxury train Hiram Bingham Orient Express

·         Possibility to combine cruise and bespoke stay on Easter Island

From the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal, LE BORÉAL will be exploring the San Blas Islands, Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica, Manta and Isla de La Plata in Ecuador, the city of Trujillo, the Chan Chan archaeological site and Lima in Peru – with the exceptional presence on board of child psychiatrist Marcel Rufo

Colon - Lima (12 days / 11 nights) - Depart 23 October 2013 - From £1,595 per person

From Montevideo to Recife, L’AUSTRAL cruises along the Brazilian coast, including calls to Ilhabela, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia.

Montevideo - Recife (15 days / 14 nights) - Depart 9 March 2014 - From £2,626 per person

A brand new itinerary on L’AUSTRAL to discover Brazil’s north-west coast (Recife, Fortaleza, Itaqui, Sao Luis, Belém), three whole days in the Amazon, Îles du Salut and Cayenne in French Guiana.

Recife - Cayenne (15 days / 14 nights) - Depart 23 March 2014 - From £2,352 per person

CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Virgin Islands, Tobago Cays, Los Roques, Cartagena, Panama Canal... Compagnie du Ponant is offering seven departures aboard LE PONANT and LE BORÉAL to islands where idyllic white sandy beaches lie alongside an exceptional heritage.

Discover the heart of the Caribbean aboard LE PONANT (Saint-Barthélémy, Les Saintes) with new ports of call at Cabrits (Dominica), Nelson’s Dockyard (Antigua) and Marie Galante (Guadeloupe).

Fort de France - Fort de France (7 days / 6 nights) - Depart 23 December 2013 - From £2,040 per person

From Ecuador to Colombia and through the fabulous scenery of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, LE BORÉAL will be exploring the treasure-trove of architectural, cultural and natural gems in Central America. Excursion highlights include the Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica) and the cities of Cartagena (UNESCO World Heritage site) and Granada. The plus: crossing the Panama Canal in its centenary year!

Guayaquil - Cartagena (15 days / 14 nights) – Depart 27 March 2014 - From £2,509 per person

ANTARCTICA AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Discover the Polar experience in five-star comfort aboard L’AUSTRAL and LE BORÉAL with three unique itineraries (a total of 10 departures), stops at exceptional and unusual ports of call, Zodiac® outings and exclusive hikes.

A typical Antarctica cruise aboard L’AUSTRAL includes calls to the Falkland Islands (New Island, Grace Cove), the Antarctic Peninsula (Deception Island, Half Moon), South Georgia (Salisbury Plain, Fortuna Bay, Grytviken, St Andrew’s Bay and Gold Harbour), and new this year, a call to the South Shetland Islands.

Ushuaia - Ushuaia (16 days / 15 nights) - Depart 20 December 2013, 4 & 19 January 2014 - From £6,559 per person

ASIA

Compagnie du Ponant introduces 17 “cruise-circuits” on brand new ship, LE SOLÉAL to Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Burma, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.

From Otaru, LE SOLÉAL sets to explore Japan and its kaleidoscope of traditions, beliefs and lifestyles. From  Kanazawa to Hiroshima via Busan, the cruise goes as far as Osaka, the new beating heart of Japan.

Otaru - Osaka (8 days / 7 nights) - Depart 15 October 2013 - From £2,132 per person

From Kuala Lumpur to Colombo via Malaysia, Thailand and Burma, LE SOLÉAL is offering a captivating cruise, calling at Penang (first British trading post in the Far East in the 19th century), Phuket, Trincomalee and Hambantota. The itinerary includes four exceptional days in Yangon (Burma) to see the Shwedagon pagoda, the temples of Bagan, visit the cultural capital of Mandalay and former royal city of Amarapura.

Kuala Lumpur - Colombo (9 days / 8 nights) - Depart 14 March 2014 - From £3,036 per person

AFRICA

For the first time ever, three-mast yacht LE PONANT will be sailing to the heart of the Cape Verde islands.

For the first time, LE PONANT sets sail for West Africa on a cruise to explore Cape Verde’s most beautiful islands: Maio, Sao Nicolau, Mindelo, Porto Novo, Brava and Fago. Five different excursions are available on board.

Praia - Praia (8 days / 7 nights) - Depart 7 December 2013 - From £2,622 per person

Take a look at the Winter 2013-2014 Brochure on our website: www.ponant.com/Brochures

For more information or to book, please visit www.ponant