Le Bougainville: Greek islands in summer with Ponant's kids' club
A small French ship, a summer children's programme and harbours only yachts can use.
Cruise line
Ponant
French small ships and a true polar icebreaker, with a children's programme in the summer holidays.
Ponant runs a fleet of small, French-flavoured ships of around 180 to 260 guests, including the luxury polar vessel Le Commandant Charcot, with bilingual service and seasonal children's clubs.
Ponant is the French answer to small-ship luxury: elegant, a little understated, with very good food and an expedition heart. The Explorer-class ships carry under 200 guests, Le Commandant Charcot takes guests to the geographic North Pole and deep into Antarctica, and the itineraries range from the Greek islands to the Kimberley.
Announcements and service are bilingual French and English, and the on-board culture is European. In the summer holidays a children's programme runs on selected sailings, which makes Ponant a strong fit for families who want a small, adventurous ship in the Mediterranean or Norway.
What's included
- Dining and drinks
- Wi-Fi
- Expedition activities on expedition sailings
- Children's club on selected summer sailings
Ships
- Le Commandant Charcot
- Le Bougainville
- Le Champlain
- Le Dumont-d'Urville
- Le Jacques-Cartier
- Le Lapérouse
- Le Bellot
- Le Lyrial
- Le Soléal
- L'Austral
- Le Boréal
- Le Ponant
On board
What Ponant is actually like
Four honest notes, in our words, on the things people ask us about most.
- Suites
- Staterooms and suites with balconies on nearly every category; compact compared to the ocean lines, beautifully finished, French in feel. Le Commandant Charcot is the exception with larger suites.
- Dining
- Two restaurants per ship with French cuisine, a relaxed elegance and good wine; the chef's menus on Charcot are the best in the expedition world.
- Facilities
- A pool, a small spa, Blue Eye underwater lounge on the Explorer class, zodiacs and expert expedition teams; the ships are built to go places.
- Children
- Kids' Club on selected summer and holiday departures for ages four to seventeen; outside those, adult and quiet. A good family expedition choice in the right week.
Who it's for
- Families with children who want a small ship with a summer kids' club
- Couples who like a European atmosphere and small harbours
- Expedition travellers heading for the poles or remote coasts
- Francophiles
Who it isn't for
- Travellers who want big suites and many restaurants
- Anyone who would find bilingual announcements irritating
- Groups needing lots of connecting cabins
Cruise ideas
Sailings we'd consider with Ponant
Planning figures per person; the final price depends on date, suite and availability.
Not sure Ponant is the right fit?
Tell us who's travelling and what matters most. We'll say honestly whether we'd book this line for you, or which one we'd choose instead.
Where they sail
Destinations
Mediterranean
The easiest great cruise there is: short flights, famous ports, and a ship for every kind of family.
Greek Islands
Small ships, island overnights, and a late season that runs into October.
Adriatic & Croatia
Venice, Dubrovnik and Kotor in a week, on ships small enough for the old harbours.
Caribbean
Winter sun for the whole family, on ships that make Christmas and half-term easy.
Norwegian Fjords
No long flight, dramatic scenery from your terrace, and a season made for grandparents.
Baltic & Northern Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in a week, with culture the whole way.
Compared
Ponant against the alternatives
The best luxury cruises for grandparents and grandchildren
Which luxury cruise lines actually work when grandparents take the grandchildren: the ships with children's programmes and connecting suites, the ones to avoid, and how we would plan it.
The best luxury cruises for multigenerational families
The luxury cruise lines and itineraries that work for three generations at once, ranked by Blackbury: children's programmes, connecting suites, pacing, accessibility and where to go.
The best luxury Mediterranean cruises
Blackbury's shortlist of luxury Mediterranean cruises for families, couples and grandparents: which ship, which coast, which month, and the guide price for each.
Good to know
Ponant: questions we're asked
Is Ponant only for French speakers?
No. Service and announcements are in French and English, and English-speaking guests are common. Some sailings are marketed to specific markets, so we check the guest mix for your dates.
When does the Ponant kids' club run?
On selected sailings in the main summer holidays, typically in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. We confirm which departures carry it before recommending one to a family.
Further reading
Before you decide on Ponant
Our own planning notes: who a ship suits, how many cabins to book, when to go.
Why September is the month for a Mediterranean cruise
Warm sea, emptier ports, lower planning figures and the ships we would choose for a late-summer Mediterranean sailing, whether or not you are tied to school terms.
The best ships for three generations
Our shortlist of the luxury ships that work when grandparents, parents and children travel together, and the ones we would not recommend.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us who's travelling, where you'd like to go and what matters most. A cruise specialist shortlists the two or three ships we'd actually recommend.