PONANT

PONANT, founded in 1988 by Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, Philippe Videau, and other officers of the French Merchant Navy, is a French cruise company based in Marseille. The fleet currently consists of twelve ships, including the three-masted sailing yacht Le Ponant (built in 1991) and modern expedition ships such as Le Commandant Charcot, the first hybrid polar expedition vessel powered by LNG.

Since 2015, PONANT has been part of the Artémis Group, owned by the Pinault family. In January 2025, Ponant acquired a majority stake in Aqua Expeditions, a provider of river and sea cruises in South America and Southeast Asia. Additionally, PONANT operates Paul Gauguin Cruises, a luxury cruise line specializing in voyages to the South Pacific, particularly French Polynesia.