The fare
The Ponant 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 Lapérouse
The first Ponant Explorer: Le Bougainville's twin, often farther afield.
Overview
Le Lapérouse entered service in 2018 as the first of Ponant's Explorer class: around 180 guests, the Blue Eye lounge, a stern marina and a bilingual program, often deployed to Japan, Asia and the Pacific.
Le Lapérouse is Le Bougainville's twin and sails the farther itineraries: Japan in blossom and fall seasons, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with Northern Europe in summer.
It suits couples and adult families who want a small ship on long-haul routes with a European tone.
At a glance
- Line
- Ponant
- Size
- Small ship, around 180 guests
- Entered service
- 2018 (approximate)
- Our pick
- A Prestige stateroom midship on Deck 5
Thinking about Le Lapérouse?
We will say whether Le Lapérouse is right for your party, which suite we would book and which sailing, or name the ship we would choose instead.
Best for
- Couples going to Japan or the Pacific on a small ship
- Adult families on longer itineraries
- Travelers who want a European crowd
Not for
- Families with young children
- Anyone wanting many venues
- Travelers who want a short Mediterranean week; Bougainville takes those
Price
What Le Lapérouse costs
Upper luxury; long-haul routes add flights. Planning figures on each sailing page.
What it costs
Planning figures for Ponant, the line Le Lapérouse sails for
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 Lapérouse
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, Deluxe, Prestige, Grand Deluxe and Owner's suites, as on Bougainville.
- Cabins we would book
- A Prestige stateroom midship on Deck 5 for most couples; a Prestige suite for a separate living area on a long voyage.
- Dining
- The main restaurant and a grill by the pool; French-led menus, included, with wine at lunch and dinner.
- Entertainment
- The Blue Eye underwater lounge, lectures, a small theater and live music. Quiet evenings.
Want the right suite on Le Lapérouse?
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 Lapérouse 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 only; outside those dates there is little for children.
- Grandparents
- Small and calm; long-haul routes mean long flights, which we plan around with stopovers.
- Accessibility
- A few accessible staterooms; many Japanese and Pacific calls are by tender. 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 Lapérouse goes
The regions this ship sails as far as we know; the itinerary confirms the ports and the season.
Japan
Kyoto, Hiroshima and the Inland Sea without the trains, hotels and luggage.
French Polynesia
Bora Bora, Moorea and the Society Islands from a yacht that stays a while.
Baltic & Northern Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in a week, with culture the whole way.
Sample itineraries
Sailings on Le Lapérouse
We have not written up a sample sailing on Le Lapérouse yet. Ponant publishes the current itineraries; tell us the season you have in mind and we will send the two or three we would consider, with planning figures.
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 Lapérouse
On Ponant's official site; we send the marked-up plan with every proposal.
The bow of Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot alongside the pier in TallinnPhoto: Pjotr Mahhonin · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Ponant's Le Bougainville, a 184-guest expedition yacht, under wayPhoto: Ponant Cie · 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 Lapérouse 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 Lapérouse FAQs
Lapérouse or Bougainville?
Twins; it is the itinerary that differs. Lapérouse usually takes Japan, Asia and the Pacific; Bougainville the Mediterranean and Adriatic.
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 Bougainville
A small French ship with an underwater lounge, at home in the Adriatic and the Aegean.
Compared
Ponant against the alternatives
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Plan your Le Lapérouse 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.