Why PONANT’s Small Ships Change the Way You Travel
When Marisa and I returned from our stroll in Elba and looked back at the ship, we said almost simultaneously: that is the most beautiful boat I’ve ever seen.
I had not expected to have that reaction to a cruise ship. But Le Dumont-d’Urville has a presence that makes you feel slightly special simply by being on board. The design is elegant without being showy, and the scale creates an atmosphere that feels much closer to a private yacht or boutique hotel than to the conventional idea of cruising.
For us, that intimacy is one of the defining characteristics of PONANT.
Small Enough to Change the Experience
PONANT’s small ships create a very different relationship between passenger and vessel. There is space to be alone, but also space to meet people. Our dining experience never felt crowded, and we had the same server each evening. The sommelier was able to look after every table herself. That level of personal attention becomes much easier when there are far fewer guests to look after.
PONANT takes the idea even further with its very small yachts, where the number of guests can be dramatically lower. Currently, the small yacht Le Ponant has a Relais & Chateaux status that is extraordinary for a vessel! At that point, the experience can begin to feel almost like having your own private vessel. During our voyage, I had the distinct impression that the boat was moving for Marisa and me alone.
That is difficult to reproduce on a ship carrying several thousand passengers.
It is also why I personally have very little interest in the enormous cruise ships filled with huge entertainment complexes, massive pools and attractions. They are designed for a completely different kind of traveler. At Sarasota Cruise Agency and DeSalvio Travel, we believe there is considerable value in intimacy, personal attention and the quality of the experience rather than simply the quantity of facilities.
The Journey Can Start Before You Go Ashore
The size of the ship also changes the way you arrive somewhere. I noticed this immediately in Elba. People on shore were looking at Le Dumont-d’Urville. The ship itself was part of the experience. It is a beautiful vessel from the inside, but it is equally distinctive from the outside. That changes your frame of mind before you even step ashore.
When we left Elba, the captain invited me and two other guests to experience the departure from the shore before returning to the ship. It was an unexpected opportunity to see the vessel from another perspective and another reminder that the ship itself can become part of the destination experience. There is also a practical advantage to small-ship cruising: access.
A small vessel can reach ports and waterways that are difficult or impossible for the largest cruise ships. PONANT’s ships can access smaller destinations, and certain itineraries make use of unusual waterways such as the Corinth Canal. The ability to reach a destination directly can fundamentally change how much time you actually have there.
Consider a simple example. If an itinerary says that you are visiting Amsterdam but the ship is docked an hour away, you immediately introduce another layer of logistics: transferring by bus, loading and unloading, waiting and travelling back again. Multiply that across several ports and you can lose hours of actual destination time.
For me, that is an important question when comparing cruise experiences. The itinerary on paper is not necessarily the experience on the ground.
The Luxury of Not Being Crowded
There is a balance involved in designing a small luxury ship. You cannot have every facility imaginable, and I do not think you should try.
The question is what you gain instead.
On PONANT, the answer is personal connection and genuine attention. We felt comfortable finding quiet spaces when we wanted privacy and more social areas when we wanted conversation. As the voyage progressed, we became familiar with the ship and naturally discovered our preferred places to sit, talk, have a drink or simply watch the world pass.
The same principle applied to the crew. Being recognized, having the same server and developing small relationships with people onboard changed the atmosphere. The ship felt less anonymous because the number of people was manageable.
Even when the seas became rough, the size of the vessel became something you were conscious of. You could feel the movement. I actually think that is part of the character of cruising: you are reminded that you are on a ship, moving through a much larger natural environment.
What Travelers Gain by Going Smaller
A traveler accustomed to a 3,000- or 5,000-passenger vessel might initially think that choosing a small ship means sacrificing something. In reality, it depends entirely on what you value. If your priority is a huge selection of entertainment and attractions onboard, a massive ship may make sense. But if you want the destination to remain the focus, small-ship cruising offers something quite different.
You gain time, access, privacy and personal attention. You spend less of the journey navigating crowds and logistics and more of it actually experiencing where you have come to travel.
That is why PONANT’s vessel size matters to us as travel advisors. Small is not simply a specification on a ship description. It affects the itinerary, the ports, the service, the atmosphere and ultimately the way you experience the world.
For me, the clearest test is very simple: there were moments on Le Dumont-d’Urville when it genuinely felt as though the ship were moving for us alone. That is a remarkable feeling to have on a cruise.
Read more about why we think PONANT's Small Ships Change the Way You Travel
Ready to Experience the Difference of a Small Ship?
If intimate scale, personal service and access to smaller ports appeal to you, PONANT may be worth exploring. Sarasota Cruise Agency, the cruise-specialist sister brand of DeSalvio Travel, a Virtuoso-affiliated agency and a PONANT and Paul Gauguin Cruises Certified Expert, can help you discover which PONANT itineraries make the most of its small-ship approach.
Contact us when you feel ready, and we will begin, calmly and thoughtfully, exactly where you are in the process.
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