BRUTALLY HONEST Review of my PONANT ANTARCTICA 🇦🇶 Cruise on Le Boréal
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- This is a Brutally Honest Review of our PONANT Antarctica cruise on Le Boréal, which we went on in December 2022.
In this video, I will review all aspects of the cruise, and I will discuss which parts of the cruise I liked, and which I didn't.
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#ponant
#antarctica
0:00 Intro
0:53 The Ship
2:06 Food
3:30 Drinks
4:35 Entertainment
5:22 Enrichment Talks
7:29 Expeditions
8:38 Parkas & Boots
9:15 Internet
10:06 Language Barrier?
10:44 Stabiliser
11:23 Conclusion
Thanks for sharing
Thank you for this series - very, very well done. I appreciate the honest assessment as I want to consider an Antarctic trip in upcoming years. Please keep doing what you are doing in these reviews and explorations. I appreciate your voice and opinions.
Thanks so much for your kind comment. I definitely will, although the series has quite finished yet. There are still a few episodes left.
Thanks for the video, I appreciate videos that are not influenced by gifts.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to drop a comment. Much appreciated.
Nice job Ken.
Thank you!
Another great video. We also agree with all your comments. We thought there would be more enrichment too!
Thanks so much for the comment. I think overall most people still enjoyed it a lot but there were just a few things that they could improve upon.
Hi Ken, Fantastic informative video. interesting about the lack of talks on the cruise. I definitely enjoy talks given usually by the Cruise Director as it gives a snapshot of what you are going to see/experience on your next day’s excursion. Thank you for all the work you do on these videos. I will catch up to all of them eventually. Regards, Pauline x
Hi Pauline, thanks for the comment. I think, in retrospect, the fact that it was a bilingual cruise, reduced the amount of time available to give enrichment talks due to the fact that every lecture had to be delivered in one language first, followed by another. So for the same workload to the onboard naturalists, the cruise could only deliver half the amount of lectures.
Very valid points, good insight. Thanks!
Thanks for watching, glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for this! I'm doing Antartica with Le Soleal in a few months, so this was very helpful!
Thanks for visiting, and glad you found it helpful. I hope you have a great cruise on Le Soleal. it's the most memorable trip I've taken. Be sure to check out my other videos about my Antarctica cruise too, if you haven't done so already.
Thank you for your video.... I'm planned to go next year and I appreciate!! The choice of the Vessel...that's not simple for me...Grazie
Glad it was useful.
Great videos, Ken. I did find it interesting to hear you talk about the lack of presentations by the naturists on board. I was on the charter cruise that immediately preceeded yours. The naturists, some of whom left the ship with us and were replaced by others, did a great job of having lectures throughout the trip. Again to be fair, we did not experience the Drake Quake in either crossing, only the Drake Lake. We know that the start of your voyage would be significantly worse than our ending as the weather front hit between the two sailings. That may have made the most difference in the timing of the talks.
Yes we heard from some of the crew that the cruise before us had really great sunny weather. Was it true that you didn't spot any whales during the cruise? They mentioned that whales do not come up as much when it's sunny. Something to do with where the plankton is.
We only saw a couple of whales. We did see a lot more dolphins. Of the 5 days on Antarctica, we had 4 very sunny and calm days. The last day was cloudy but calm. They are probably right about the plankton, especially with the intensity of the sun there. I'm sailing on Le Boreal next week. This time from Hawaii to Tahiti. It will be nice to be able to take advantage of the ship's outdoor areas this time.
@@thomaschase5769 Marvellous! We did have one day of sunshine, and that's when I had a dip in the pool on Le Boreal (the only day they filled it up, with ice cold water).
Another great video, Ken. Thank you so much!! I appreciate your taking so much time to put this whole series together. I’ve learned a lot about sailing to Antarctica and cruising with Ponant from you. I agree that more time should have been spent on enrichment talks as you are embarking on a voyage of such immensity. Do you know which cruise ship offers these enrichment talks?
All the Expedition cruise ships offer these talks including Le Boréal. It's just somehow on our particular cruise we felt the talks were insufficient. We did write that on their feedback form. People on a subsequent cruise on Le Boréal did confirm that they had sufficient talks, so perhaps they had listened.
Take a look at Polar Latitudes. My experience with this operator in November 2018 was superb. Their crew served as a faculty who provided, for the three weeks we were aboard, exceptional illustrated lectures that deeply covered the wildlife, geology and maritime meteorology of the region thru which we were traveling and exploring during the shore expeditions. And there was a library chock full of more information. The emphasis was on comfort instead of luxury. One cannot sufficiently praise Polar Latitudes.
@@finistereny4531 that’s great!
Quark. They have scientists (marine biologists, glaciologists, ornithologists, historians etc) give lectures multiple times a day. No professional dancers, singers, and no galas. This is a serious expedition company.
Hi Ken, I returned from the same cruise and same boat a week ago. On the whole I agree with your comments - what a magical experience it was. However, everyone has a view about enrichment talks. To my mind they were sufficient and interesting. Each day during the recap I found sufficient info about what we’d seen that day and what to expect the following day. Perhaps the Cruise Director took your comments on board? We were lucky to have a Drake Lake going and coming back from Ushuaia and on the return voyage got very close to Cape Horn which was an additional thrill. Thank you for your videos and I’ll continue to watch your travels with interest. 🇦🇺😊
Thanks for your comments. I think there were many talks but they were concentrated on the Drake passage days whereas the days in Antarctica I think we had fewer and shorter talks and I think that was when the talks would be more useful. But anyway as you said too, it was overall an amazing experience.
Yes and perhaps the cruise director took our feedback. The recap you had sounds much better than the ones we had.
Hi Ken, Great Video series. Whats the laundry situation like onboard?
No self laundry I'm afraid, so you'd have to pay per item. We prepared for it and brought enough clothes.
Great video Ken. Do they replenish in room the mini bar everyday with new drinks? Or do you have to make them last for the entire cruise
They do replenish it daily! Sometimes they may forget, and you have to ask, but the daily replenish is included in the cruise fare. Not to mention most drinks are included at the bar too.
Many thanks for your review videos about Le Boreal. Does Ponant cover all the charter flights from BA to USH and USH to BA ? Also how is the wifi signal strength ?
The wifi is pretty good. Sometimes it’s unavailable if the signal is blocked by mountains.
Yes the charter flights are included in the cruise fare. In fact if you watch this video, everything is included the moment you arrive at the hotel, as shown in the video.
th-cam.com/video/pOGHtrFb7wI/w-d-xo.html
@@KenTravels360 I appreciate your responses. Your reviews convinced me to book through Ponant 😊. Any suggestions about travel insurance ?
@@marycolmenar1633 I am sure you’ll enjoy it. As for travel insurance I didn’t buy theirs as it’s too expensive. I added additional cover with my annual travel insurance to cover cruising and additional coverage for any medevac. In any case, don’t go there without one.
Hello, how was the weather in Buenos Aires in December? Also, is it possible to mail the Ponant jacket towards the end of the cruise?
It was very warm in Buenos Aires in December, as it's high summer there. We are talking about 25 - 30 C.
You can probably try to post the jacket back home, but I haven't investigated that option. We just squashed ours into the luggage.
@KenTravels360 many thanks for your reply. It will help me plan ahead.
How many zodiac trips did they offer during your trip ? Also, are there any optional activities that were offered such as camping ? I am trying to decide between Ponant or Quark's Ocean Adventurer.
In general, they run one landing (tendered by zodiac) and one zodiac cruise each day while being in Antarctica. They have optional kayak but no camping. Ponant is the more luxurious option compared to Quark, all drinks and Internet are included but with Quark you get a younger crowd and activities like polar plunge.
@@KenTravels360 Thank you for your response. Which week in December 2022 did your group go to Antarctica ? I am trying to figure out the most suitable weather to go. Also, is the included pre-cruise hotel in BA or USH ?
@@marycolmenar1633 It was 17th-27th Dec, although really the Antarctic weather is just so unpredictable that you can't just make predictions based on the past. The pre-cruise hotel is in BA, and if you watch this video, you will see the whole process from BA to the cruise ship.
th-cam.com/video/pOGHtrFb7wI/w-d-xo.html
Finally, if this has been helpful to you, please consider subscribing to my channel, if you haven't yet, thanks!
Camping in Antarctica: no way, not permitted
What about laundry? How much do they charge for laundry?
I didn't use the laundry service. I took enough clothes for the whole cruise. There are no washing machines for self use. The prices are in general similar to what you would expect in a luxurious hotel, so a few dollars per item for things like socks and underwear, and $15 ish for shirts and trousers.
Thank you... as you said the price is excellent, but "something" is missing.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Overall of course I enjoyed the whole experience but just thought it could have been even better.
Thank you. Useful. But, I shall never prefer French cruise ship from my past experience.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.
Une immense déception. Cette compagnie ne soigne pas les détails et son "amour" pour la culture française et la croisière traditionnelle n'est que du marketing. Les animations sont horriblement ringardes, hormis un remarquable et unique concert de piano (piano Steinway). C'est la seule animation qui m'a impressionnée. Les passagers ne questionnent même pas la qualité de ces croisières hors de prix, sur des navires austères (L'Austral) et à la décoration peu audacieuse. On mange mieux avec des compagnies de moyenne gamme. Nous avons eut au dîner de gala un fraisier avec une unique fraise, aussi invraisemblable que cela puisse paraître (véritablement un pavé composé d'un biscuit avec une généreuse couche de crème au beurre, le tout surmonté par une unique fraise coupée en deux). Il ne suffit pas de servire du caviar pour revendiquer le prestige de la gastronomie française !
En tant qu'amoureux de paquebots, d'histoire et d'art, j'ai été très déçu d'une compagnie que j'ai idéalisée...
Merci d'avoir regardé la vidéo et pris le temps de partager votre expérience!
Thank you so much. There is no way I would take a cruise to the Antarctic with a company that provides dancers but not scientists or people trained in science and history who give lectures every day. I also don't want to travel with 200 people to the Antarctic especially when they divide themselves into Francophones, and others. That is the kind of anti-social snobbery that would wreck the culture of the cruise. I've used Quark, twice, and I was thrilled with the lectures and experience of the expedition crew, every one of whom was highly educated. And OMG, a "gala" requiring dressing up? What a joke! That right there tells me this is not a serious expedition line. I just would not do this one, period.
Thanks for watching and adding your input. It's wonderful to hear about your positive experience with Quark. Your perspective on the importance of a knowledgeable expedition crew makes total sense, and I appreciate your perspective on the potential impact of the social dynamics on a cruise. It's clear that you value a serious and educational approach to Antarctic expeditions. Each person's preference for travel style is unique, and your input helps paint a more comprehensive picture for those considering Antarctica expedition cruises. Happy travels on your future adventures!
I've enjoyed your videos and find them very informative and accurate. Thanks!@@KenTravels360
Absolutely agree with Ken Travels, I've been with Quark 6 times (!), and have always been very satisfied, no frills, just scientific lectures, no gala nonsense. This time it will be my first time with Ultramarine, a cruise ship of the new generation, I hope it's a sensible expedition.
@@mariannesuesli5680 I've only done Ocean Adventurer and wondering about Ultramarine.
@@oxi9846 Can tell you after our trip in Jan/Feb 24
I’ve just come back from a Quark expedition. Do people go to Antarctica for luxury food, entertainment and cabins? I find that very sad. So many people can’t go to Antarctica who just want to experience a wild place. Our tour was all about the experiences and getting of the boat and the science and saving the animals we saw, not luxury. Why go if luxury is important to you? People with a lot of money may very well have got that from natural places being destroyed.
I suppose luxury is relative to different people. What’s considered luxury by me might well be considered as standard to someone else. My review just serves to show what a Ponant cruise is like and you can then decide if that’s the kind of cruise you would like.
Hello I'm very interested to know more about Quark...I'm planned to go next year... is it possible to contact you? thank you!!!
What's it to you? Stop being judgmental .
Quark cost same as Ponant😂
Judgemental hypocrite much?
Thank you been there in 1993 on an expedition, expensive but worth the trip
It was definitely worth it! Thanks for watching.
I think Trip was ruined for French people as France lose😂😜
I think any disappointment was soon replaced by excitement as we saw the first icebergs and then penguins.