Page 30 - Explore - Autumn/Winter 2019

FIVE DAYS

OF FRENCH

CHIC AT SEA

t wasn't your everyday commuter flight to Wellington, that’s for sure. There casino and only limited organised onboard activities. There is no Hi-de-Hi
were eight of us, all looking forward to our next five days on board Ponant's on Ponant, my friends! Our fellow passengers were also of the sort who
Isuperb cruise liner, L’ Austral. The ship, built in 2011, was contemporary- embrace all things French. The ambience transports you, and even though
looking with a definite dash of French chic, and much like a yacht with only we were in New Zealand and Australia and sailing somewhere in between, it
132 staterooms. Small-ship cruising was a first for all of us and after meeting felt like you were another world away. L’ Austral is a luxury ship but we never
some other passengers straight after boarding we realised we might just well felt it was too posh or intimidating. There was always a good excuse to dress
be the only ones yet to experience its luxurious wonders. up for the Captain’s Dinner with cocktail wear.
The embarkation procedure at Aotea Quay was seamless. We arrived a The mix of ages on Ponant cruises is somewhat dependent on the itinerary,
bit early but Ponant had that covered with a free shuttle service to the but our fellow passengers from Wellington to Sydney were aged from mid-
city and back. The facilities are very limited at the Wellington port and 20s to late 60s. If you have been on a large ship before and experienced
security is strict, so a spot of pre-cruise shopping was on the cards. On the shows, the ones on L’ Austral are different – Ponant-style different. The
our return, our bags had been taken care of and within two minutes we dancers are performing right in front of you and are amazing, with dance
were on board, one of the many beauties of small-ship cruising. We were moves to die for and musical productions straight from a Paris theatre.
greeted with first-class service and amenities and of course Champagne,
complimentary throughout the Ponant cruise experience. Gabriella and her husband’s fantastic
A typical day in the life of our Ponant cruise proved pretty relaxing. It journeys with Ponant show the global
began with rising in the morning, drawing the curtains in our stateroom,
opening the sliding door on to our private balcony, listening to the breadth of adventure and expeditions and
ocean and smelling the sea breeze. We then rang for our complimentary history and learning that the cruise line
room service breakfast and made the most of being pampered with
breakfast in bed – who wants to get out of the amazingly comfortable offers, along with 5-star luxury.
beds anyway? Our stateroom boasted a retractable glass door in the
bathroom so we had constant sea views, a separate landside-style toilet, We found the on-board experience very relaxing and peaceful, and everyone
a large shower and all the extras you expect with a 5-star ship right was friendly and welcoming. It wasn’t long into the cruise when we met
down to the heavenly Hermès amenities. The ship also has plenty of sun Gabriella from Mexico, who lives in Frankfurt (her husband told me they call
lounges to go round and as the pool is the focus of activity for the day her Gabriella the Great) on her 23rd Ponant cruise and fourth on L’ Austral.
there is no rush at all on a five-day voyage. Gabriella and her husband took me on a mental journey with accounts of
their various Ponant itineraries which have included cruising from Quebec to
We were greeted with first-class service Boston, and from Recife to Cayenne in South America, exploring Brazil and
the Amazon. A ten-day repositioning cruise from Cayenne to Lisbon gave
and amenities and of course Champagne, them a wonderful time to decelerate, reflect on life and relax.
complimentary throughout the Ponant Another adventure was a cruise through the North West Passage. They took
cruise experience. an inclusive charter flight to Kangerlussuaq Airport in Greenland where they
waited a day for an icebreaker in convoy with a cargo ship to get through
to the port. The journey through the Northwest Passage, they said, is as
In between relaxing, swimming and reading, there’s eating – very important. much a trip of the mind as anything else and the voyage is the essential
The French sure know how to cook and the food was amazing for cruise ship experience. The same can be said for their trip to the volcanic peninsula of
cuisine. They give you the option to dine downstairs in the a la carte silver Kamchatka in Far-East Russia whose incredible landscapes and wildlife were
service restaurant Le Coromandel (quite fitting seeing as we are from the locked away in a prohibited zone of Soviet Russia until 1992.
Coromandel!) or in the casual restaurant, Le Rodrigues inside or outside by
the pool. The latter was fabulous and became our favourite place to hang Gabriella and her husband’s fantastic journeys with Ponant show the
aside from the pool, and the outside Deck 7 bar, and oh, the spa. A tip: It global breadth of adventure and expeditions and history and learning that
pays to book your spa treatment on day one or you will miss out. the cruise line offers, along with 5-star luxury. And I have to say that the
on-board speakers and lecturers are first-rate. Yes, Gabriella, we have
The onboard atmosphere on a small-ship cruise is much quieter than on booked again and will see you in the Mediterranean in 2019, this time with
larger ships, which really sold it for my husband. There are not hundreds our young daughter on one of Ponant’s limited itineraries which caters for
of people everywhere, there were very few announcements, there is no kids. I cant wait!

28 HELLOWORLD TRAVEL : EXPLORE : AUTUMN/WINTER EDITION