October 3, 2026 — Ponant Explorations has opened bookings on about 70 small-ship voyages in Asia, the Indian Ocean and Oceania for 2027 and 2028, including nine new routes.
The French expedition line put the program on sale on October 2, 2026, CruiseMapper reports. It covers 28 itineraries, and the report names Le Jacques Cartier as the ship. Ponant also has more than 100 further departures on sale for other regions, including the Arctic, the Atlantic islands and the Caribbean.
Seasons on sale
| Region | Season |
|---|---|
| Philippines | August 2027 – September 2028 |
| French Polynesia and Melanesia | September 2027 – February 2028 |
| Japan | September 2027 – May 2028 |
| Indian Ocean (Seychelles, Madagascar, South Africa, Namibia) | Winter 2027–28 and summer 2028 |
The itineraries focus on remote island groups and small coastal communities that larger ships cannot reach. Embarkation ports and fares were not included in the report: TBA.
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What it means for airline travelers
- Wait for the embarkation port before planning flights. Expedition voyages in these regions often start and end in different, smaller ports, which can mean two one-way tickets and limited standby options.
- Build in at least two days when flying standby on long-haul routes to Asia, the South Pacific or southern Africa. A missed expedition departure is hard to catch up with.
- Interline and travel-industry rates: none were mentioned. Ask your interline agency once fares are loaded.
