- Compagnie du Ponant
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Compagnie du Ponant 
Industry Maritime transport Founded 1988 Headquarters Marseille, France Products cruise line Employees 300 Parent CMA CGM Website en.ponant.com 
L'Austral
Compagnie du Ponant is a French cruise line company. It launched the first French cruise ship. It was founded in April 1988 by Philippe Videau and Jean-Emmanuel Saved, and other officers of the French Merchant Navy. Initially based in Nantes, since 2006 the headquarters of this company has been Marseille following its acquisition by CMA CGM.
Contents
Fleet
The company operates five ships:
- Le Ponant: barque built in 1991, 32 cabins for 64 passengers and 32 crew members
- Le Levant: yacht built in 1998, 45 cabins for 90 passengers and 55 crew members - Sold to Paul Gauguin Cruises to become Moana to be delievered in 2012
- Le Diamant, formerly the Song of Flower (1974): luxury liner bought in 2004, 113 cabins for 226 passengers and 120 crew
- Le Boréal : the first ship of a series of two for Compagnie du Ponant, built in 2010, 132 cabins and suites for 264 passengers and 140 crew members. The Le Boréal won the award for "Best Newcomer of the Year - GOLD from the European Cruiser Association (EUCRAS).
- L'Austral : the latest flagship and sister vessel of Le Boréal, built in 2011, 132 cabins and suites for 264 passengers and 140 crew members. L'Austral was put into service on April 20th 2011.
- On 26 September 2011, Compagnie du Ponant announced an order for a third ship of the Le Boréal class from Fincantieri, expected to enter service in June 2013.[1]
Destinations
Compagnie du Ponant Cruises offers all-season cruises, in places inaccessible to larger cruise liners
- Northern Europe and Greenland, Scandinavia, Baltic and Iceland
- Adriatic and Mediterranean: Corsica, Italy, Croatia , Aegean and Black Sea
- Iberian Peninsula
- Red Sea and Persian Gulf
- Indian Ocean: Maldives
- Asia
- South and Central America
- Antarctica
External links
- (French) Site officiel de la Compagnie du Ponant
- (English) Compagny du Ponant Website
References
- ^ "France: Compagnie du Ponant Admits Third Megayacht Order". Shipbuilding Tribune. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/6203j5OPV. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
Categories:- Cruise lines
- Companies of France
- Companies based in Marseille
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