Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2023 36 G R E A T E S C A P E S Go to Sea WITH THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND CRUISE LINE The only French-flagged cruise line in the world offers guests the chance to experience the French way of life at sea. From food to entertainment to spontaneous adventure, a cruise with PONANT means laid-back luxury designed with French savoir-faire. THE FRENCH CONNECTION A group of officers from the French merchant navy started PONANT in 1988 with the idea of perfecting the art of exploration. Their first ship, Le Ponant, was a three-mast yacht and it still sails today with up to 32 guests and a guest to crew ratio of 1:1. Since those early days, the company has added 11 more ships to its fleet, larger than the first, but still on a human scale, meaning passengers can walk from bow to stern in mere minutes and ships can slip into small, less visited ports. MUST TRY Le Champlain is one of PONANT's Explorer ships, named for none other than Samuel de Champlain, considered the Father of New France. VOUS NE PARLEZ PAS FRANCAIS? Pas de problème! Crew on PONANT ships speak English as well as French and switch effortlessly back and forth. Announcements are made in both languages. Only about one-third of guests are French. Other Europeans, Australians, Brits and Americans are among those who love French panache. MUST TRY Watch live dancers performing tightly choreographed songs with a French theme. You might even pick up some French! C'EST BON PONANT chefs pride themselves on upholding the art of French cooking by serving cuisine that tantalizes the taste buds and your eyes. Chefs are trained and menus created by Ducasse Conseil, the catering company run by celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse. France-sourced products and a French baker who bakes fresh bread on-board daily make eating a baguette slathered with Bordier's famously creamy butter and a selection of French cheese hard not to think you're in France. MUST TRY PONANT ships don't sail without a supply of macarons from Ladurée, the Parisian pastry shop that popularized the colourful cookies. BY SUZANNE MORPHET

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