THE planned partnership between expedition cruise line Ponant and Paspaley Pearl will no longer proceed, with the highly touted luxury yacht experience north of Australia now cancelled. A statement issued by Ponant Asia-Pacific CEO Deb Corbett confirmed the news which has already been shared with affected travel agent partners. “Ponant...
THE planned partnership between expedition cruise line Ponant and Paspaley Pearl will no longer proceed, with the highly touted luxury yacht experience north of Australia now cancelled.
A statement issued by Ponant Asia-Pacific CEO Deb Corbett confirmed the news which has already been shared with affected travel agent partners.
“Ponant regrets to inform its valued customers and travel partners that the proposed cruise program to operate on Paspaley Pearl is not proceeding with Ponant as the cruise operator.
“However, Ponant remains dedicated to exploring the Kimberley, Australia’s Far North, Papua New Guinea and East Indonesia, with over 40 explorations on Ponant’s Le Soleal and Le Jacques Cartier over the next two years,” it continued.
A statement from Paspaley Pearl sourced by Cruise Weekly said the company was “very disappointed to learn that the upcoming voyages on the Paspaley Pearl, operated by Ponant have been cancelled.
“We do not have any further details at this time.”
A dedicated website promoting Paspaley Pearl by Ponant has been taken offline and replaced with a message that includes: “To discuss alternate Ponant itineraries and experiences, please call 1300 737 178 to speak to one of our cruise consultants or visit au.ponant.com.”
In her statement, Corbett said affected agents are being looked after, with commissions protected and clients offered the option of either a full refund or an additional saving to rebook onto another sailing across Ponant’s global fleet of 13 ships.
“Guests holding reservations have been advised that they will receive a full refund or alternatively, guests can receive a travel credit with an additional 15% saving to choose a cruise on Ponant’s fleet across the globe, which is combinable with the Ponant Bonus Savings and Ponant Yacht Club benefits for members of the club,” Corbett said.
Affected travellers have until 31 Dec 2025 to make their decision.
Travellers looking to maintain their Kimberley expedition with Ponant are being accommodated on numerous departures operated by Ponant’s Le Soleal and Le Jacques Cartier. ML
