The vessel completed first sea trials in Norway last month on May 18 at the Vard ship yard in Ålesund.
'Remarkable nautical performances, technical excellence, a high standard of comfort, everything is in place for the Ponant Explorers series to be a real triumph, said Ponant ceo Jean Emmanuel Sauvée after the sea trails.
Naming in Reykjavik in July
After a series of Iceland cruises and a naming in Reykjavik on July 10, Le Lapérouse will then head for the Mediterranean next, then to the Indian Ocean, Asia and Oceania.
Meanwhile the construction of Ponant's other five Explorers series newbuilds is under way.
The steel-cutting ceremony for the fifth and sixth vessels, Le Bellot and Le Surville, scheduled for delivery in 2020, took place in April in Romania.
Le Champlain also arriving in 2018
More recently, Le Champlain reached Norway on April 27 to complete the final phases of her construction.
The inaugural cruise will take place on October 25 in Honfleur, France.
The construction of Le Bougainville and Le Dumont d’ Urville progresses at the Vard shipyard in Tulcea in Romania; the ships are scheduled for delivery in 2019.
In addition, Vard will deliver Ponant's expedition cruise icebreaker in 2021. It is the first electric hybrid cruise icebreaker powered by LNG and dual fuel propulsion.
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