THE FACTS

Prestige Suite offers the following amenities and services:

private (step-out) balcony accessed via floor-ceiling sliding glass-doors and furnished with 1 table and 2 chairs
1 double bed (King-size) or 2 twin beds, bedside cabinets, wall-mounted lamps
en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity, hairdryer, premium bath robes, French bath products)
minibar
flat TV (satellite reception, infotainment system / on-demand movies, Internet, live cam views, ship information)
vanity / writing desk with stationery, mirror, wardrobe, comfortable sofa
Ipod players
direct-line satellite phone
electronic safe (in the closet)
power outlets (110 / 220 V)
individual air-conditioning
24-hour room service (complimentary)
Wi-Fi Internet (complimentary)

““My “Prestige” Cabin is really well fitted out with all the amenities you could wish for – Hermes Bath products, Coffee Pod machine, Robes and slippers, Large Flat Screen TV offering International channels and Movies and a Minibar which is restocked daily.””

— Jenny

I have been cruising onboard this magnificent ship for the last few days with another week to go, cruising to Cape York, West Papua and The Spice Islands of Indonesia.

Ponant is an all inclusive product – the food has been fabulous, the staff are most attentive and the ship is really spectacular!

La Laperouse has a fabulous Marina area to launch the zodiacs – making is an easy task for older clients.We have a fabulous Expedition team of 12 – led by the legendary Mick Fogg who is very well known to most Expedition cruisers from his days on the Orion.

THE TRIP

Our first port of call was Cape York located at the Northernmost tip of the Australian mainland. Most visitors to this area have to drive the 14 hours from Cairns to the Cape. We were lucky enough to see a different view arriving by Zodiac on the shoreline and walking the last 750 metres to the very tip of our mainland.

Western New Guinea is one of the most mysterious parts of the world. Governed by Indonesia this area is home to some 44 tribes – some who have never had any contact with the modern world.

Asmat is the legendary land of the Headhunters, a fascinating region of small villages with thatch-roofed stilt houses.

We visited the small town of Agats and were offered a traditional greeting by the war canoes.

Our Zodiacs assembled as a group and we were surrounded by the locals in the dugouts, chanting and singing – it was a fabulous experience, and the photos say it all really!

We have had some days at sea whilst cruising with Ponant on this itinerary.

These days are the perfect time to relax in the lounges or by the pool, join in the Trivia and Music quizzes, or enjoy a pamper in the spa.

The ships also offer a small fitness room, a library and quiet area, photo shop, boutique plus a games area where they have a jigsaw puzzle set up.

There are often lectures in the Theatre – and each night we do a recap of the day and hear our plan for the next.

The Expedition crew set up an area for us to swim off the Marina in the middle of the Arafura Sea.
What a wonderful highlight to an already magical trip!”

— Jenny

Out for more adventures in the Zodiacs exploring Triton and Sebakor Bays plus the Kei Islands over a number of days.

It’s amazing how everything works on this ship – The Hydraulic Marina Platform, the winch hoisting the zodiacs up and down each day is so interesting and exciting to see!!

This journey is a true Expedition!!

On the way through to Sebakor Bay we discovered Mommon Waterfall and this is the first time a Ponant ship has stopped in this area.

The Expedition team set up the zodiacs around the falls and we were able to swim and snorkel straight off the boats.

I walked to the back of the waterfall and stood feeling the water absolutely thundering down in front of me.

Some of the more brave passengers swam through the falls and described the experience as being in a washing machine!!

Sebakor Bay in situated in the Bomberai Peninsula of West Papua.

This area was covered in ancient forests, boasting isolated beaches rich with marine life.

There is a very sad story to this area – the amount of plastic waste that the passengers and crew cleaned up was horrific.

This is a virtually uninhabited part of the world and the rubbish on the beaches was heartbreaking – this rubbish is being washed in with the tides!

Bags and bags of this rubbish were taken back to the ship to be disposed of in a better manner.

It was a big wake up call for me to really try harder to stop using single use plastic (bottles, bags etc) – it truly is ruining our environment.