Expedition cruises

Discover a secret side to an iconic destination on a relaxing barge or river cruise. Drift by villages and vineyards, glimpse an authentic rural life and those hidden gems that pass many others by. Whether you want to explore the waters of the mighty Amazon, cruise through the untouched beauty of Burma’s Irrawaddy or sample the local delicacies of the Champagne region, we’ll find the perfect barge or river cruise for you.

Expedition cruises
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Ponant Le Boréal

Emblematic Antarctica with Ponant Le Boréal

10 nights
Departing 11th December 2025 from Ushuaia

If there is one place on the globe that fires the imagination of travellers and arouses in them an instant thirst for adventure, it is the immaculate and faraway lands of the White Continent. Inhabited by a surprising endemic fauna, the Antarctic will welcome you during an 11-day expedition cruise.

At the border between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, you will enter Drake Passage. At the roaring fifties and the screaming sixties, the wind blows and the waves beat against the stern of the ship. In the sky, cape petrels lead you toward their realm until you reach the first of the continent’s lands.

Ice is there in all its forms. The mountainous landscapes open up to give way to huge calving glaciers, tabular icebergs drift in the middle of the Southern Ocean, and the sea ice shimmers in the distance. On board, the naturalists share with you the secrets of this unique ecosystem. As you near the shores, the first penguins appear. Gentoo, Adelie, chinstrap: these surprising birds, emblematic of the Antarctic, share their beaches with leopard, crabeater and Weddell seals. During an outing on land or at sea, in a zodiac dinghy or a kayak, you will move through a stunning scenery bathed in polar light.

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.

$34,700 pp

Simon Hunt

South & Central America Specialist

My love of travel started as a 19 year-old, with a 3-month backpacking adventure through South America. I fell in love with the iconic sites such as Machu Picchu and Iguazu Falls, and took every chance to delve into spectacular Andes mountain scenery, both on foot and by mountain bike. As a biology graduate, what excites me most is rich biodiversity and nature. My most memorable experiences are the once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters, of which Latin America offers up some of the best in the world. Top of the list for me are snorkeling with playful sealions in the Galapagos Islands and tracking elusive jaguars in Brazil’s Pantanal.

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