Expedition cruises

After shopping in the upscale boutiques or relaxing on the inviting beaches of St. Barths and St. Martin, savor a blend of French and Caribbean flavors in the islands’ local cuisine. Virgin Gorda offers striking volcanic seascapes protected by national parks, while St. Thomas features modern amenities on celebrated Magens Bay Beach and duty-free shopping for gemstones and jewelry.

Offering a different beautiful beach for every day of the year, Antigua inspires relaxation and is an ideal place to ease into the leisurely pace of island time. Gustavia offers the quintessential St. Barths experience in the town’s upscale restaurants and boutiques before Evrima sails for the raw natural beauty in the protected parklands and marine reserves of the Virgin Islands.

Discover the Southern Ocean as you have never seen it before! Embark on a 19-day polar expedition cruise in the highest latitudes, from the Valdes Peninsula to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the immaculate lands of Antarctica.

You approach the frozen shores of the - almost - inaccessible White Continent, Antarctica. White shades take on a thousand nuances as it covers the icebergs, glaciers, mountains and frozen sea all around you. You will be one of the rare few travellers to have laid eyes on this legendary land, the theatre of the greatest expeditions and the witness of the most extraordinary adventures. Above all, you are in the realm of the penguins – Adelie, Gentoo, chinstrap – seals, whales and seabirds that accompany you on this unforgettable trip.

Your ship will soon take to the seas once again, to reach the mountainous island of South Georgia. It is there, in the midst of gigantic glaciers, that Sir Ernest Shackleton miraculously ran aground during the famous Endurance Odyssey in 1916. Today, king penguins, elephant and fur seals that have taken over the black-sand beaches dominated by the tall peaks that reveal the Scotia Arc.

You will continue your austral exploration further north, with the discovery of the Falkland Islands. As you sail in this archipelago of 200 islands, you will be escorted by sei whales. Composing the wild beauty of the shorelines are beaches of white sand, jagged cliffs, windswept moors and tall grass swaying with the wind.

Your expedition to the heart of the South Atlantic continues as you encounter the desert landscapes of Patagonia's Chubut province. Welcome to the Valdes Peninsula! This wildlife sanctuary, where the beauty of the underwater world is unmatched, also reveals numerous treasures on land. The scenery is composed of arid steppes, a rich and varied flora, and distinctive haciendas. In these unspoiled lands home to more than 180 bird species, orcas hunt young maned seals on the beaches under the watchful eye of the Magellanic penguins, as guanacos gallop across the arid plains and dusky dolphins swim around peacefully. Here, the majestic beauty of nature offers a gateway to a whole new world.

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the IAATO.

After dropping anchor for watersports in the yachting harbor of Bequia, sail for the spice-scented breezes of Grenada and explore the wondrous underwater sculpture park offshore. Known as the “Nature Island,” Dominica promises cascading waterfalls, emerald pools and geothermal wonders, while Antigua welcomes you to hike the ruins of its maritime fort past.

From the island of Okinawa to the eastern coastline of the Seto Inland Sea, fall under the spell of an idyllic and ancestral Japan. During a brand-new 13-day cruise aboard Le Jacques Cartier, PONANT invites you to discover an enchanted side of Japan, combining preserved nature and ancestral heritage, at the intersection of Western and Japanese traditions.

From Naha, Le Jacques Cartier will sail towards some of Japan’s best-preserved subtropical pearls. In the coral islands of Zamami and Kikaijima, enjoy the unspoiled beauty of these natural sanctuaries, renowned for their captivating marine biodiversity. You will then arrive at the mountainous island of Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Providing an unspoiled natural setting for endemic species such as the Yakushima monkey and deer, the island is home to an exceptional natural environment featuring forests of ancient cedars, bewitching waterfalls, and majestic peaks.

 

Your trip will continue in the Koshikijima Islands. Admire the raw and authentic beauty composed of monumental cliffs and huge rock formations dating back to the Cretaceous periodnearly 80 million years ago. You will be captivated by these landscapes unlike any other.

Between the Yatsushiro and Ariake seas, off the coast of Nagasaki, succumb to the charms of the island region of Amakusa, once the refuge of Christians fleeing the ban on Catholicism in the 17th century during the Edo period.  Further north, between South Korea and Fukuoka Prefecture, in the Tsushima Strait, a little-known island called Iki will reveal itself to you in a glorious setting of rock faces with verdant summits and heavenly beaches of fine sand. Considered one of the cradles of Shinto, the island boasts no fewer than 150 shrines scattered across these sacred and unspoiled lands.

Le Jacques Cartier will sail westward to the volcanic island of Jeju in South Korea. Dominated by the majestic silhouette of the Hallasan volcano, the country’s tallest peak, this nature sanctuary reveals its most beautiful treasures: steep cliffs with emerald and ashen reflections, monumental waterfalls, bewitching virgin forests, long stretches of tea plantations, and more. 

Next, set off to discover picturesque Shimonoseki, the westernmost town on the island of Honshu, opposite the Kanmon Straits. You are now entering the waters of the emblematic Seto Inland Sea. Here, discover preserved islands and picturesque towns, witnesses to the passage of the mid-18th-century Japanese merchants, who would travel the Kitamae maritime route every year. Shimokamagari and Mitarai are fishing villages imbued with a timeless atmosphere, while the ”shrine island” of Miyajima is classed as one of Japan’s three most scenic places thanks to its floating torii and Shinto temple. Onimichi will then reveal its many emblematic temples, including Senko-ji, Saikoku-ji, and Jodo-ji. You will then arrive in Tomonoura, known for its gentle way of life and its craggy landscapes, which inspired the artist Hayao Miyazaki for the animated film Ponyo.

You disembark in Kobe, a charming harbour city nestling between sea and mountains in the heart of the Japanese archipelago.