Imagine gliding in an exquisite French yacht over turquoise water, under a brilliant sun, stopping to explore beautiful islands in the Adriatic Sea and ancient, charming ports of call along the Dalmatian coast.
Imagine having the time on these stops to kayak bays and inter-island channels, swim in the warm crystal clear sea, visit ancient hilltop fortresses with stunning views, shop in lovely boutiques tucked into quaint stone alleys and tree-shaded plazas, tour sites with centuries or millennia of history.
Return to the yacht for the finest French dining in a luxurious restaurant stocked with an excellent and affordable array of vintage wines. And attend Champagne cocktail parties, musical revues, dancing, or just lounging with a wonderful group of passengers drawn from all over the world. And be pampered by the warmest and most attentive staff imaginable.
This was our experience recently on L’Austral, one of the cruise yachts of the Compagnie Du Ponant – a 7-day cruise leaving from and returning to Venice and visiting Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Kotor, Pula, Korcula, Pula, and Rivenj.
Ponant has found the perfect balance for our tastes. L’Austral has 132 cabins with about 220 passengers on our trip. This is small enough to have gatherings and events on a human scale and allows you to meet and re-meet fellow passengers at meals, excursions, events, and walking around ports of call. We became very good friends with couples from Melbourne, Australia, Rennes, France, Switzerland, Spain, London, Austria, and various parts of America.
The ship is just large enough to have a swimming pool surrounded by lounge chairs, adjoined by a lovely outdoor dining area, and overlooked by an outdoor cocktail lounge above. There is a theatre where several nightclub performances and other lounges and bars were staged. All the places are designed and furnished in elegant contemporary décor. For those with the stamina, a DJ disco is dancing into the night. A nice touch was the lovely singer whose voice and range of musical styles were remarkable – who greeted us on return from excursions, accompanied cocktail receptions and parties, and provided evening entertainment for listening or dancing in one of the lounges.
What was really special was the staff’s personal attention, many of whom from the first day knew us by name, greeting us warmly. Hasan, the maître-d, was the most charming man alive, and Tedi, our dining server, greeted us with a broad smile and exactly our preferences in tea, coffee, water, and wine, making sure they never ran dry. He had the time to chat with us while still providing impeccable service to his tables.”
Compagnie du Ponant, the only French-flagged cruise line, celebrated its 25th anniversary in July 2013. In January 2014, they announced a new addition to their fleet of luxury yachts – Le Lyrial, to be launched in the Spring of 2015. Their current fleet consists of similarly designed sister ships Le Boréal (2010), L’Austral (2011), and Le Soléal (2013), each with 132 staterooms, and Le Ponant, a 3-masted intimate luxury yacht with just 32 cabins.
With these smaller yachts, you can sail in waters not accessible to larger ships, visit exotic ports not found on many itineraries, and discover out-of-the-way places that span the globe. All on state-of-the-art cruise yachts offering an intimate and sophisticated yacht style French-inspired style of cruising!
Compagnie du Ponant, a member of Virtuoso, is offering select departures with Voyager Club in 2014 for the first time. Each Voyager Club sailing will feature a personable Virtuoso host, a welcome reception, and a choice of Voyager Club amenities.
Please get in touch with us for unique details on these fantastic itineraries offered by Compagnie du Ponant.
