by Charu Suri
Last updated: 7:00 PM ET, Tue June 6, 2017
Ponant's new Le Lapérouse will debut summer of 2018 as the world's first ship to contain a multi-sensory underwater space, relaying ambient underwater sounds as passengers sail.
Called "Blue Eye," the underwater passenger lounge will be located within the hull beneath the water line in each of the ship's four Explorers series.
Designed by Jacques Rougerie-who is well-known for creating the first "Village under the Sea" project in the Virgin Islands-the lounge's concept is to give guests a completely beautiful, ethereal and immersive sensory experience while they sail.
The curvaceous, ergonomic space has gorgeous details like nautilus swirls and portholes to offer mysterious stares of aquatic life.
"The interior is most definitely inspired by the ocean," says Ponant CEO Navin Sawhney, who draws attention to the gorgeous ribbed ceiling reminiscent of the belly of a whale. People can sit on white leather couches and stare through windows tinted with shades of blue and purple. Graphic references evoke cetaceans and jellyfish and the contours of the lounge create the sensory experience of being in a dynamic aquarium.
Two portholes shaped like the eye of a cetacean gaze upon the subaquatic world. Touch lighting in the lounge allows eyes to view the outdoor space while digital screens project images filmed live by three underwater cameras.
"The idea is for passengers to be modern-day explorers," Sawhney says of the company's formation, which was inspired by the spirit of adventure and discovery, and by the spirit of the French Explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot. Le Lapérouse was named after the French Naval officer and explorerJean-François de Galaup.
Three more ships Le Champlain, Le Bougainville and Le Dumont-d'Urville will debut during the tail end of 2018 and will journey to the Arctic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, West Africa, the Amazon, Asia and Oceania. This year will mark the fifth for the brand's journeying to the Arctic; itineraries have been crafted for the global citizen, with an emphasis on polar expeditions.
The Blue Eye Lounge helps provide spontaneity for the guests and was created in the spirit of taking people who will be actually placed in the destination.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Ponant Brings French Sophistication to Cruising[/READMORE]
The ambient sound system was installed by Michel Redolfi, a contemporary music composer who has created ways to amplify ambient sounds of beluga whales and dolphins, helping sailors feel the heartbeat of the underwater world.
The acoustic experience offers guests immersion thanks to hydrophones developed by the specialists from the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) integrated beneath the keel. These engineers helped capture the natural symphony of the sea and transmitted it live through acoustic waves spreading through the multidimensional architecture.
Each ship has 92 staterooms and 183 guests, and the Blue Eye Lounge will have plenty of seating capacity for everyone.
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