Superior Stateroom Deck 3
20% Ponant Bonus
21 m²
3
Explore the Australian west coast during an all-new 11-day expedition cruise aboard Le Soléal. Immaculate beaches edged with turquoise waters, majestic landscapes designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, encounters with marine life and unearthing the mysterious history of the region… this unforgettable journey is sure to surprise you.
In the Murujuga National Park, on the Burrup Peninsula, you will marvel before the 40,000-year-old rock art (petroglyphs). Human figures, seabirds or extinct creatures cover the walls and provide a glimpse into the ancient world of Australia’s First Nations Peoples for a timeless moment of discovery.
A little further on, a Zodiac outing in the Montebello Islands marine park will also provide an opportunity to dive deeper into the history and wildlife of this region. You will then head for the Ningaloo Coast. You will be able to explore the sublime coral of these shores swimming and snorkeling.
Shark Bay, the next stage of your cruise, is one of the highlights of this odyssey. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its islands and lands enjoy exceptional natural characteristics.
Set sail for the Abrolhos Marine Park. The colourful coral reef and seabird breeding colonies make this a place like no other. Then you will finally arrive in the Jurien Bay Marine Park, the only major breeding area for Australian sea lions along the western coast of Australia. In this environment of islands and islets, you will discover rare wildlife in an idyllic setting.
Ref : BF094 - SO110825
Experience an extraordinary journey during an all-new expedition cruise discovering sumptuous scenery, unsuspected wildlife and fascinating history. Shark Bay, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its...
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Included in your cruise
For more peace of mind, PONANT organizes your trip before or after the cruise. This package is included in the price of your cruise.
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*Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available.
Services provided
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Expedition programmes include activities such as zodiac outings and landings (sometimes with "wet landings"), moderate walks to more active hikes, all accompanied by your expedition team of naturalist guides.
Ports of call, visited sites, outings and landings will depend on weather conditions, winds and the state of the sea. These can force a change of plans at any time. The Captain and the Expedition Leader may at any time cancel or stop any activity, or even modify the itinerary. The final itinerary will be confirmed by the Captain, who will take into account the touristic quality of the sites and above all, the safety of the passengers. His decision will be based on advice from experts and authorities.
Travelling to isolated regions is an exhilarating experience. In remote areas, please remember that you are far from modern hospitals with full medical facilities, thus evacuation is extremely expensive. Without adequate medical coverage, all expenses will have to be immediately paid with your personal funds. We urge you to subscribe to full coverage insurance, choose your insurance company very carefully, be extremely vigilant and ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive, especially if you are insured by your credit card. PONANT offers an insurance contract with extensive guarantees, please contact us for more information.
Clothing tips:
Accessories:
Please note:
During your visits to some local communities, all guests will be required to dress respectfully. Ladies must have their shoulders and thighs covered. Gentlemen should have their shoulders covered also.
Ideal clothes for life on board:
During the days spent on board, you are advised to wear comfortable clothes or casual outfits. The entire ship is air-conditioned, so a light sweater, a light jacket or a shawl may be necessary. When moving about in the public areas of the ship and the decks, light but comfortable shoes are recommended.
Informal evening:
In the evening, you are advised to wear smart-casual attire, especially when dining in our restaurants where wearing shorts and tee-shirts is not allowed.
For women:
For men:
Officer’s evening:
For all cruises longer than 8 nights, an Officer’s Evening with a white dress code may be organized. Therefore, we encourage you to bring a stylish white outfit for the occasion (otherwise black and white).
Gala evening:
During the cruise, two gala evenings will be organised on board. Thus, we recommend that you bring one or two formal outfits.
For women:
For men:
SHOP:
A small shop is available on board offering a wide range of outfits, jewellery, leather goods and many accessories.
A laundry service (washing/ironing) is available on board, but unfortunately there are no dry cleaning services. For safety reasons, your cabin is not equipped with an iron.
TECHNICAL OUTFITS:
ACCESSORIES:
HEALTH CARE:
OUTFITS ON BOARD:
PRECAUTIONS:
In your hand luggage, remember to bring any medicines that you need, and possibly a small spare bag of toiletries (in case of delay in the delivery of your baggage by the airline). Remember to always have your travel documents with you in case you need them: hotel vouchers, cruise vouchers, return flight tickets... Never leave them in your hold luggage.
All our cabins have a safe. We recommend not to go ashore with valuable jewellery.
PONANT activities
Embarkation 11/08/2025 from 16:00 to 17:00
Departure 11/08/2025 at 18:00
Located in the northwest of the Kimberley region and in the far north of Western Australia, the town of Broome is reputed for its history and its glorious pearling era. The fascinating Chinatown district, which is the historic city centre, and the famous Japanese Cemetery, dates back to 1896, and has a past marked by the immigration of numerous Chinese and Japanese workers, attracted by the prosperous pearl industry at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Broome is also famous for the “Staircase to the Moon”, an optical illusion created by the Moon reflecting on the sand banks at low tide, like a staircase climbing up towards the sky, a unique spectacle provided by nature…
Arrival 12/08/2025
Departure 12/08/2025
During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.
Arrival 13/08/2025
Departure 13/08/2025
Murujuga National Park and the islands of the Dampier Archipelago showcase what is thought to be the highest concentration of rock engravings of any known site in the world. Aboriginal people have been living there for more than 50,000 years and the petroglyphs (rock engravings) have been estimated to be as old as 40,000 years. The petroglyphs are diverse, depicting a record of what was meaningful to the Aboriginal people of the Pilbara and beyond. The sacred rock art’s traditional custodians are the Ngarluma-Yindjibarndi, the Yaburara-Mardudhunera and the Woon-goo-tt-oo and you will have the opportunity to visit Deep Gorge with a traditional custodian guide and marvel at the petroglyphs up close.
Arrival 14/08/2025
Departure 14/08/2025
Located off the Pilbara Coast 120km west of Dampier, the Montebello Islands Marine Park covers more than 58,000 hectares of ocean and over 250 low-lying limestone islands and islets. The flat limestone islands range in size from Hermite, the largest, at about 1,000 ha, to several small islets and rocks of less than one hectare. They are the remnants of an old coastal landform and have been separated from the mainland for more than 8,000 years. They were named by the French navigator Nicolas Baudin in 1801 after the battle of Montebello. The area is rich in natural marine diversity and human history. They achieved international notoriety in 1952 when the British, in an operation code named Hurricane, detonated an atomic weapon in a bay off Trimouille island. Two further atomic tests were carried out in May and June of 1956 on Alpha and Trimouille Islands. You will have the opportunity to explore the marine park with our fleet of Zodiacs®.
Arrival 15/08/2025
Departure 16/08/2025
The Ningaloo Coast Marine Park is a place of spectacular contrast between lush and colourful scenery beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean and the rugged, arid landscape of Cape Range National Park. Here is also one of few places on Earth where you can see the biggest fish in the ocean - the whale shark. Depending on the season, you will have the opportunity to encounter these amazing giants of the sea. We will also have the opportunity to swim and snorkel on the largest fringing coral reef in Australia and the only large reef in the world found so close to a continental land mass, making it an easy snorkel from shore.
Arrival 17/08/2025
Departure 17/08/2025
Cape Peron, named in honour of the French explorer François Péron, is a wild and isolated spot in the middle of Australia's Shark Bay, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean contrast with endless white sandy beaches and ochre cliffs tinged with the red sand of the surrounding deserts. You can set out to discover the astonishingly rich underwater wildlife, including stromatolites: the oldest known life forms on the planet. You will be amazed by the unspoilt beauty of this nature.
Arrival 18/08/2025
Departure 18/08/2025
With its white, sandy beaches, turquoise waters, rust-red sand dunes and abundant wildlife, Shark Bay became Western Australia’s first Wold Heritage listed area in 1991. The colourful and diverse landscapes, rare fauna and flora and world class examples of Earth’s ecological processes are what qualify Shark Bay for World Heritage listing – making it a truly remarkable place. You will have the opportunity to sail past the location of the first recorded European landing on Australia’s west coast at Cape Inscription where in 1616 Dirk Hartog left evidence of his landing in the form of a pewter plate inscribed with details of his journey.
Arrival 19/08/2025
Departure 19/08/2025
The Abrolhos Islands Maine Park consists of three main clusters of islands that stretch from north to south across 100 kilometres of ocean, and includes the Wallabi Group, Easter Group and Pelsaert Group. Established as a marine park in 1983, the waters of the Abrolhos are famous for colourful coral, crystal clear waters and large breeding colonies of seabirds. Here, the southward flowing Leeuwin current has created a meeting place for tropical and temperate sea life. In July 2019 the Islands were declared a national park for their ecological and historical significance. You will have the opportunity to explore East Wallabi Island and its fringing reefs.
Arrival 20/08/2025
Departure 20/08/2025
Jurien Bay Marine Park located 150 kilometres north of Perth, was named by Captain Nicolas Baudin aboard the Géographe in honour of the French naval administrator Charles Marie Vicomte Jurien. The marine park surrounds dozens of ecologically important islands that contain rare and endangered animals found nowhere else in the world. The marine park and its immediate surrounds is the only major breeding area for Australian sea lions along the western coast of Australia. It is also a primary breeding ground for seabirds and is populated with a mix of temperate and tropical plants and animals, courtesy of the Leeuwin Current.
Arrival 21/08/2025 early morning
Disembarkation 21/08/2025 at 07:00
The vibrant city of Fremantle blends the old with the new, creating an enriching cultural experience. Maritime, convict and colonial history can be explored in one of the best-preserved examples of a 19th century port streetscape on Earth, while buzzing markets, lively bars and casual street cafés give you a taste of 21st century life with the locals. If you're hitting the heritage trail, be sure to include a visit to the Western Australian Maritime Museum, World Heritage listed Fremantle Prison and Western Australia's oldest public building, the Roundhouse.
For your serenity, a transfer to the ship is organised on the day of embarkation and this is included in your cruise fare.
Embarkation day – Broome
In Broome, the meeting point for embarkation is at the Mangrove Hotel, 47 Carnarvon St, Broome.
– Cruise onboard your ship –
Please note:
This programme is subject to change.
Tropical Expedition
Explore the planet’s most remote tropical regions during a PONANT expedition cruise. In the heart of Oceania’s archipelagos or the Indian Ocean atolls, along the wild coastlines of Central America or Australia, our luxury amenities and services will make your expedition cruise an unforgettable experience. Our expedition leaders and their teams of naturalist guides devise exceptional itineraries and organise daily outings, shore visits in Zodiac dinghies, or snorkelling when the cruises are conducive to it, to take you as close as possible to nature. Aboard the ship, they share their knowledge during lectures on a variety of topics such as the fauna and flora, the history of the great explorations, geology and climatology. On land, using the local transport options or during hikes, discover the must-see natural sites and, for a few hours, partake in the life and ancestral customs of the local populations.
Christmas offer
Offer valid from November 25, 2024, to January 3, 2025, providing an additional 10% discount on a selection of cruises. This non-retroactive offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with Flight Credit, Free Single Supplement, Onboard Sale, Webinar, or Ponant event offers. The price displayed online on the product page does not include the additional discount. The discount is applied only to bookings made online by entering the "XMAS24" privilege code or by phone with a Travel Consultant or through your usual travel agency.
Guest Speaker
Aboard your ship, an English-speaking lecturer will enlighten you about the culture and history of your destination to deepen your knowledge of the origins of local traditions, the history of emblematic sites, and stories involving famous personalities and those of major historical significance. During on-board lectures or on your shore visits, this expert will be there to share their precious knowledge with you throughout your PONANT cruise.