FAQ

Life on board

Are children welcome on board?

Is there a doctor on board?

Are pets allowed on board?

Are electric plugs in compliance with European Standards?

Can we smoke on board?

Is there a dress code?

Are cabins equipped with safe for my valuables?

What about meals?

Can I be contacted on board?

Security on boat

What is the safety policy of Compagnie du Ponant ?

Life on board

Are children welcome on board?

Of course!

Because you are never too young to discover the wonders of life sea, we warmly welcome our little sailors and have much to offer them.

Flexible, or connecting staterooms, baby-sitting service on request, children's menus, fun tea parties, games, piano lessons and a host of other activities. Please do not hesitate to ask our cruise consultants for more information.

For children under the age of 8, we kindly request their parents to complete the parental responsibility discharge form.

Is there a doctor on board?

Yes.

Each of our ships is equipped with a Medical Center where a doctor can be reached at any moment. The doctor also accompanies the guests during the excursions ashore.

If you are undergoing a special treatment, please inform us as soon as you book and include it in the identity form completed prior to departure. Then inform the crew when you embark, and make sure to bring your specific medications on board.

Are pets allowed on board?

For satefy and health reasons, pets are not allowed on board.

Are electric plugs in compliance with European Standards?

Yes.

The electric current on board is 220 V AC 50 Hertz in compliance with European Standards. However, universal plug adapters and voltage converters are available at the reception desk.

Can we smoke on board?

All our ships are non-smoking vessels. Please smoke only in the outside areas of the ship.

The indoor areas (lounges, dining-room, staterooms, reception, etc.) are all non-smoking areas.

Is there a dress code?

• During the day, casual attire is recommended. For the excursions, bring practical clothes and comfortable shoes.
• Evening attire is at your discretion.
• If you are cruising in the Arctic or Antarctica, you will receive a polar parka in your size.

Are cabins equipped with safe for my valuables?

A personal safe is available in your stateroom. We recommend you use the ship's main safe for your valuables. Please ask the Reception Desk for more details.

What about meals?

Breakfast can be delivered to your stateroom on request, or is available in the form of a buffet at the restaurant. Lunch is also buffet style, in the evening a sit-down "French-style" dinner is served.

24 hour room service is available.

Please contact our Maitre d' regarding any special dietary needs.

Can I be contacted on board?

We provide a satellite communication system which allows for calls anywhere in the world. The calls you will receive will be directly transferred to your cabin or to any common area on board.

You can also send or receive faxes by contacting the Reception Desk.

On board Le Boréal, a WIFI internet access is available in the staterooms and the common areas.

Security on boat

What is the safety policy of Compagnie du Ponant ?

You will find one life jacket per passenger in your cabin. There will be a presentation on how to use it at the beginning of the cruise during the an abandon ship dril.

Our vessels are provided with state of the art fire detection systems. However, all guests are asked to help prevent it.For safety reasons, it is strictly forbidden to smoke in the cabins and the common areas. It is also forbidden to throw cigarette butts overboard. Please use the ashtrays. Naturally, all our vessels are equipped with fire-doors and watertight doors.

Our fleet is registered under the French Overseas flag and is monitored in terms of safety by the Centre de Sécurité des Navires (Vessel Security and Safety)  PACA- Corsica based in Marseille.Our safety equipment is rigorously checked and approved by the French administration on an annual basis, as it does for all passenger ships flying the French flag. Our company and all its ships are ISM (International Safety Management) certified which means:

1.    That our company’s safety management system meets all the criteria required by this international standard.

2.    That the French administration annually audits the safety procedures on each ship and at the company’s head office.

3.    That our safety and training procedures conform to this very strict regulation.

Moreover, all the ships in our fleet are subject to a rating and regularly have to submit to often unexpected and very thorough checks in foreign ports of call, in accordance with international conventions. These checks have never resulted in one of our ships being downgraded.

In Polar regions numerous extra precautions are taken. As a member of IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators), COMPAGNIE DU PONANT has devices to monitor the position of its ships in real time in these regions. An experienced ice pilot is taken on for the entire polar season to help the captain choose the safest routes. Our crews also benefit from internal training given onboard relating to survival and how to behave in polar waters. Another very important point - our ships have been built to the IC Ice Class, enabling them to go to the Polar Regions and navigate through sea ice.That means the structure and hulls of our ships are reinforced.

IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators), of which we are members, includes several companies who do cruises in the Polar Regions.This means we know in real time the position of all boats operating in the area, which could assist each other if a problem arose.  Meanwhile, the rescue equipment is designed to cope with the extreme conditions outside while waiting for help to arrive: double hulled lifeboats to protect against shocks and cold, safety kits, water and food supplies, and first aid kits, as well as instruments for signalling and communication.