Background: We were on Le Soleal for a 20 day cruise that turned out to be 24 days due to a precautionary 14 day CV19 quarantine. Originally scheduled to go from Argentina to Tahiti with stops throughout the South Pacific, we were able to make only one stop due to the CV issue. Fortunately no one on the ship had showed signs of the virus at the time we left on March 24.

Many things can be said about the experience, all positive with respect to how Ponant handled the the situation. The standout was Captain David Marionneau-Chatel. Obviously, leadership is everything under these circumstances, and the Captain turned-in a 5 star performance. Regular meetings were held with both passengers and crew members. His tone was one of honesty and compassion; he never attempted to deflect responsibility for any passenger-perceived “errors” to anyone other than himself. He kept his crew motivated; their courtesy and efficiency remained excellent throughout rapidly changing circumstances. .

Well done Ponant! We shall return.