Newbuild Le Bougainville sails into the Ponant fleet

April 15 maiden voyage

The ship is due to arrive in Málaga, Spain, on April 15 for the start of its maiden cruise. The official inauguration will take place on June 4.

Le Bougainville becomes the eighth ship in Ponant's fleet.

Realizing a dream

'A dream, firm beliefs, energy and boldness were what created Ponant. It is by drawing on those roots and our expertise that Ponant is preparing today to meet the challenges of tomorrow, to surprise and delight our guests,' CEO and co-founder Jean Emmanuel Sauvée said.

'I wanted the ships in the Ponant Explorers series to embody the very best in expedition cruising. Le Bougainville is the incarnation of that.'

As with 2018's Le Lapérouse and Le Champlain, Le Bougainville has just 92 staterooms and suites, all with a balcony or terrace, and a refined design with taut, sleek lines and cutting-edge environmental technology.

Blue Eye underwater lounge

It is also fitted with a Blue Eye multi-sensorial underwater lounge where passengers can discover and experience the underwater world via two portholes. The lounge also features non-intrusive underwater lighting, hydrophones integrated into the keel to transmit the natural 'symphony' of the deep water and gently vibrating body-listening sofas.

Next Explorer to arrive in June

Next to come in the Explorers series are Le Dumont-d’Urville, scheduled for June delivery and an August maiden voyage, followed by Le Bellot in April 2020, Le Jacques Cartier in July 2020 and luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot in May 2021.