WHY IT RATES: Luxury yacht cruising company PONANT announces that its full fleet of a dozen ships is back in operation, with pent-up travel demand driving a surge in sales, as well as a trend toward shorter booking windows and last-minute reservations. - Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer
PONANT's 12-Strong Fleet of Ships Back Out at Sea
In the Arctic, Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Australia and Polynesia, all 12 ships and their crews are out at sea again, offering guests the best PONANT experience. On May 28, Le Soléal, the last in the fleet to resume operation, sailed from Darwin on a new cruise to explore the Kimberley, one of Australia's most unspoiled regions.
New Travel Customs
As different regions emerge from the health crisis, the company is also seeing shorter booking windows and an increase in last-minute bookings. The PONANT brand focuses on excellence in service and both guest and crew safety, that is attracting both new customers and excellent satisfaction rates.
"Our customers are expressing a strong desire to travel. Bookings are steadily coming in again with requests for quotes up compared to 2019 and a higher conversion rate," says Hervé Bellaïche, Chief Sales, Marketing & Communication Officer at PONANT. "At this point in the season, bookings for summer 2022 are above 80%."
As the health situation improves and in line with the latest provisions of health authorities, wearing masks is no longer compulsory indoors or outdoors aboard PONANT ships. However, wearing masks is still recommended. (* Wearing a mask is still compulsory where required by local authorities.)
Explore to Inspire, a New Strategy Positioning PONANT at the Forefront of the Travel Industry
In 2022, PONANT launches a new Explore to Inspire signature, affirming its commitment to offer inspiring and meaningful voyages for a discerning clientele that is aware of ecological issues.
"Explore to Inspire embodies our philosophy to travel with a purpose. Explore to better understand, learn, share and protect is the very essence of our values. Small capacity ships, eco-design, slow travel, an awakening to knowledge, and working closely with local players are the ingredients of tomorrow's cruise model as exemplified by PONANT," states Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT.
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