Having taken 25+ cruises, I was excited to try “luxury” Ponant Cruises for the first time. The newness of their ships and their “all included” luxury positioning was appealing.

Upon boarding the ship, first impressions were strong - everything was clean, contemporary, and crisp. Solid cabin design, with separate compartment for the toilet and other thoughtful design elements.

The quality of their food, and the overall level of service in the restaurant and bars was very poor. As a French line, I expected the F&B experience to be strong. Quality of the food was marginal and typical of a mid-tiered (vs luxury) line, and restaurant and bar service was painfully slow and often disorganized. Read more