Following the recent re-start of French coastal voyages, cruise line Ponant adds Spitsbergen and the Arctic expeditions for 2020.
Ponant, one of the first cruise lines in the world to return to cruising, has resumed luxury expeditions to the Arctic. The line’s Le Boréal ship will cruise Spitsbergen, departing July 18, 2020, with plans to set a course through the legendary Northeast Passage before sailing onward to Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands in the Russian Arctic.
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Between now and September 2020, Ponant will undertake no fewer than five inspirational itineraries to the Arctic, four of them brand new. Destinations include the Bering Strait; Chukotka, one of the most remote parts of the world; Svalbard and its Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve; the Kuril Islands, and the Northeast Passage.
During these inspirational 2020 Arctic expeditions, passengers will have the chance to see polar bears, seabirds, walruses, bears and arctic foxes, surreal polar landscapes, volcanoes, and even visit remote outposts.
The Best of Spitsbergen voyage, departing July 18 and July 25, roundtrip from Longyearbyen aboard the Le Boréal will introduce cruisers to the vastness of the Arctic polar region. Guests will be able to discover exceptional fauna and flora, adapted to the polar extremes, including walruses, arctic terns, and polar bears.
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The Unexplored Svalbard journey, departing roundtrip from Longyearbyen, also on the Le Boréal, explores the Norweigian archipelago, bringing its fascinating history and wildlife to life.
Departing August 26, 2020, The Northeast Passage – Norway to the Russian Far East – is a pure expedition voyage in the wake of Roald Amundsen, one of the greatest polar explorers. Explore the Russian Arctic National Park; the vast polar desert of Severnaya Zemlya; the New Siberian Islands and their exceptional biodiversity; and Wrangel Island and its unique ecosystem. Cruisers will cross the Bering Strait and discover Chukotka, one of the most remote regions on the planet, with an opportunity to visit some villages and meet their inhabitants.
Finally, the 15-night Russian Arctic journey from Kamchatka to the Kuril Islands departs Anadyr September 19 for Tokyo, with visits to Chukchi villages, during which guests will share moments in the daily lives of these Siberian peoples; the Kamchatka Peninsula, home to brown bears, many species of seabirds and marine mammals; and the Kuril Islands, in the Sea of Okhotsk, where every island is a volcano.
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As a prerequisite to resuming its operations, Ponant has put in place a series of health and hygiene measures that exceed the international standards for the sector. For peace of mind while cruising, every person on board (guests and crew) must undergo a health check and have a PCR test performed no more than 72 hours prior to boarding. Filtering and decontamination measures are in place upon boarding and the customer journey before, during, and after the cruise has been entirely redesigned.
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