Paul Gauguin Cruises was recently purchased by Ponant and on the back of that news it was announced there were plans to expand the line’s fleet in the South Pacific region. Currently, the area is home to the 332-guest Paul Gauguin, but the future is looking brighter and wider with talks of adding an additional vessel, while Ponant vessels and the Paul Gauguin continue to operate side-by-side and offer an exciting variety of South Pacific cruises.

In a statement released at the time, Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, Founder and President of PONANT said “We are pleased to welcome Paul Gauguin Cruises to our Ponant family. Our guests can now select from a wider range of iconic destinations and become enriched by cultural and expedition cruises of their choice, that literally travel to the ends of the earth from the most remote ports to more perennial favourites, on our combined fleet of small ships. We share the same core values.  The synergy between our operations makes this the perfect collaboration while preserving the unique DNA of both brand experiences.”

By 2021, Ponant will have 14 ships within its fleet, a rapid growth rate for the luxury expedition cruise line that has a flare of all things French. This growth will allow even more guests to explore some of the most incredible destinations on earth, with expansion in Tahiti, the South Pacific and French Polynesia.

Explore the South Pacific

The waters of the Pacific, the Earth’s largest ocean, are home to many wonderful treasures. Let Ponant help you discover legendary islands whose names alone are enough to conjure up idyllic images: Polynesia, Hawaii, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands… all magical places of incomparable beauty. In Polynesia, Hawaii and New Caledonia, the coral atolls encircle the most beautiful lagoons in the world. Composed of deserted fine sand beaches and volcanic peaks covered in dense forest, these island paradises are just waiting for you to explore their unique underwater treasures. You’ll also discover the friendliest people you’ll ever meet – custodians of ancestral traditions that are maintained to this day.

Farther South, standing as a faraway dreamland where Aborigines live in perfect harmony with environment, Australia will treat travellers to the unique experience of the last remaining virgin lands. This vast country is home to a concentration of sumptuous natural treasures, such as the Great Barrier Reef and hundreds of national parks. Off its East coast, New Zealand, the “land of the long white cloud” is an insular realm, an Eden composed of two islands with an infinite variety of landscapes: the volcanoes in the North contrast with the majestic glaciers in the South.