The fare
The Le Bougainville sailings we would shortlist run from about $5,900 per person for 7 nights, depending on ship, suite, season and itinerary.
ResearchLines, ships and destinations, in detail
Ponant
Le Bougainville
A small French ship with an underwater lounge, at home in the Adriatic and the Aegean.
Overview
Le Bougainville entered service in 2019 and carries around 180 guests. One of Ponant's Explorer-class ships, it has the Blue Eye underwater lounge, a stern marina and a bilingual French and English program.
Le Bougainville is small enough to overnight in Hvar and berth in the center of Kotor, with a relaxed French tone, two restaurants, a pool and the Blue Eye lounge below the waterline. Children's clubs run on school-vacation sailings.
It suits couples and grandparents who want a very small ship, a European atmosphere and ports the mid-size ships cannot use.
At a glance
- Line
- Ponant
- Size
- Small ship, around 180 guests
- Entered service
- 2019 (approximate)
- Our pick
- A Prestige stateroom midship on Deck 5
Thinking about Le Bougainville?
We will say whether Le Bougainville is right for your party, which suite we would book and which sailing, or name the ship we would choose instead.
Best for
- Couples who want a very small European ship
- Grandparents with teenagers on school-vacation sailings
- Travelers who want Hvar, Kotor and the smaller Greek islands
Not for
- Anyone wanting many restaurants and venues
- Travelers who want an all-American or all-British crowd
- Families with young children outside the club dates
Price
What Le Bougainville costs
Upper luxury per person for a small ship; excursions and some drinks extra. Planning figures on each sailing page.
What it costs
Planning figures for Le Bougainville
Planning figures from the sailings on this page, not a quote.
What that includes
Dining and drinks; Wi-Fi; Expedition activities on expedition sailings; Children's club on selected summer sailings. Anything not on that list, we price alongside the fare so there is no surprise on board.
Around the ship
Flights, hotel nights before and after, private transfers and any excursions outside the fare sit on top. Your proposal sets out the cruise fare and additional costs so you can compare the full trip.
Have a budget in mind?
Tell us what you are looking for and the figure you have in mind. We will say what it buys on each line, and where the same money goes further.
On board
Suites, cabins, dining and evenings on Le Bougainville
In our words, from the questions we are asked most. Suite names are the line's; which one we would book is ours.
- Suites
- Deluxe and Prestige staterooms with balconies, Deluxe and Prestige suites, Grand Deluxe and Owner's suites.
- Cabins we would book
- A Prestige stateroom or Deluxe suite midship on Deck 5; a Prestige suite for a separate living area.
- Dining
- The main restaurant and a grill by the pool; French-led menus, included, with wine at lunch and dinner.
- Entertainment
- The Blue Eye lounge, lectures, a small theater, live music. Quiet evenings.
Want the right suite on Le Bougainville?
Tell us who is traveling and we will name the deck and the suite numbers we would hold, and the ones we would avoid.
Children, grandparents, mobility
Le Bougainville for the whole family
Three honest notes: what the ship does for children, what it does for grandparents, and what it asks of anyone with limited mobility.
- Children
- Ponant Kids clubs run on school-vacation sailings; outside those dates there is little for children.
- Grandparents
- Small, calm and easy; ports in the center of town mean short walks and no coach transfers.
- Accessibility
- A few accessible staterooms; a mix of alongside and tender calls. We check each itinerary.
Planning for the whole family?
Connecting suites, different activity levels, dining that works for everyone, and transfers that suit grandparents and toddlers alike. The best family suites go first, so start early.
Where it sails
Where Le Bougainville goes
The regions this ship sails as far as we know; the itinerary confirms the ports and the season.
Adriatic & Croatia
Venice, Dubrovnik and Kotor in a week, on ships small enough for the old harbors.
Greek Islands
Small ships, island overnights, and a late season that runs into October.
Mediterranean
The easiest great cruise there is: short flights, famous ports, and a ship for every kind of family.
Sample itineraries
Sailings we would consider on Le Bougainville
Planning figures per person; the final price depends on date, suite and availability.
Le Bougainville: Greek islands in summer with Ponant's kids' club
A small French ship, a summer children's program and harbors only yachts can use.
Not sure where to go?
Give us the month, who is traveling and how far you will fly. A specialist will name the two or three regions and ships we would choose.
Deck plans and photographs
Deck plans and pictures of Le Bougainville
On Ponant's official site; we send the marked-up plan with every proposal.
Ponant's Le Lapérouse leaving Tallinn, navy hull and white superstructurePhoto: Pjotr Mahhonin · CC BY-SA 4.0 
The bow of Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot alongside the pier in TallinnPhoto: Pjotr Mahhonin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Our promise
We will say no.
We do not recommend a cruise because it is expensive, and we do not put people on the wrong ship. If Le Bougainville is not right for your party, we will tell you and suggest the one that is, even if it costs less or is sold by someone else. We are an advisor, not a booking engine.
Speak to a specialistGood to know
Le Bougainville FAQs
Is everything in French?
The program is bilingual: announcements, lectures and excursions run in French and English, and the crew switch easily. English-speaking guests are well looked after.
Same line
Other Ponant ships we have written up
Le Commandant Charcot
The only luxury icebreaker: the North Pole, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea.
Le Lapérouse
The first Ponant Explorer: Le Bougainville's twin, often farther afield.
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 programs 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 programs, 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.
Plan your Le Bougainville cruise with Blackbury Travel.
Our pick: A Prestige stateroom midship on Deck 5. Tell us who is traveling and when, and we will say which sailing and which suite, or whether another ship would suit you better.