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PONANT is extending its 15 years of polar expedition cruising expertise to the inlets, Eastern coastline and Inland Passage of Alaska. New for the 2015 summer season, PONANT’s Alaska and Arctic Adventure itineraries let guests follow in the footsteps of the prospectors who settled this land during the Gold Rush days of the late 1800s.
Choices from seven to 14-night itineraries include ports of call such as Haines, gateway to the Chilkoot Valley, habitat for bald eagles; and Ketchikan, Alaska’s “first city” on the southernmost tip of the Inside Passage sculpted by glaciers. Additional activities include daily shore visits and optional excursions aboard the ship’s fleet of Zodiac dinghies in the company of guides and naturalists for close-hand looks at polar bear, caribou and puffins or witness the remarkable cultures of the Tlingit and Haïda tribes.
Notable amenities aboard L’Austral and Le Boréal include:
- A captain and crew fluent in English and French
- A choice of 132 staterooms or suites with contemporary interiors, sea views and private balconies, including the Deck 6 that is home to 13 suites with 24-hour butler service
- A main foyer with a boutique, reception desk and excursion desk
- Two restaurants, offering dining from casual to fine, complete with wine pairings and a fine wine cellar, a bar and lounge and 24-hour in-room dining
- A full-service SOTHYSTM spa with signature treatments, hammam, hair salon and fitness center
- An outdoor pool with bar, panoramic terrace adjoining the indoor bar and lounge, library with Internet stations, medical center, WiFi, in-room and on-board flat screen satellite TV with complimentary on-demand movies
- A 250-seat theater for live entertainment, film screenings and presentations
- A fleet of expedition Zodiac dinghies outfitted with satellite tracking
Spotlight on Alaska and Arctic Adventure cruises for the 2015 summer season include six different itineraries and nine departure dates sailing the Inside Passage or to Arctic Russia:
- In the Wake of the Pioneers: Seven-night cruise between Vancouver and Juneau. Departures on: June 13, June 20, June 27, July 4 2015; from $3,700 per person; free single supplement.
- Fjords of Alaska: Seven-night cruise between Vancouver and Juneau. Departure on: July 11, 2015; from $4,290 per person; free single supplement.
- Aleutian Islands and Wrangel Island Reserve: 15-night cruise between Seward and Anadyr, Russia (Seattle/Seattle). Departure on: Aug. 6, 2015; from $10,910 per person, flight included; free single supplement.
- Pribilof Archipelago & Kodiak Peninsula: Nine-night cruise between Anadyr, Russia and Seward (Seattle/Seattle). Departure on: Aug. 21, 2015; from $7,230 per person, flight included; free single supplement.
- Alaska & British Columbia: 10-night cruise between Seward and Vancouver. Departure on: Aug. 30, 2015; from: $6,260 per person; fee single supplement.
- Alaska to British Columbia via the Bering Strait: 14-night cruise between Nome and Vancouver. Departure on: Sept. 11, 2015; from $8,260 per person, flight included; free single supplement.
