Travelers who want a small French ship with drinks included and easy Zodiac landings.
Think twice if: Only one theatre and a small pool; few evening options compared with big ships.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Ponant's page for this ship →
What she's like
Quiet and personal. Small enough for little harbours big ships can't use. About 41 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
'The languages spoken on board are French and English.' Signage in French and English (French-owned line).
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
All meals; Open Bar (drinks free and unlimited from boarding, including minibar and room service; champagne included on Sisterships/Explorers); free Wi-Fi; port taxes; one included activity at each stop on all cruises; spa and fitness access.
No children under 1 year on Ponant Explorations cruises.
Casual-elegant; cocktail attire for gala evenings; white or black-and-white for the Officers' evening; no shorts at dinner in gourmet restaurants.
Where she sails in Europe
Europe/Arctic (varies)
We don't have her sailing-by-sailing schedule yet. See the line's site for dates.
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | EUR 10-12 average (discretionary) per person per day; Not added automatically |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Included (Open Bar). |
| Wifi | Included (free Wi-Fi in cabins and public areas). |
| Specialty restaurants | Gourmet restaurant included (no surcharge stated). |
| Money on board | EUR (US dollar also accepted; bills shown in both). |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 2 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Main restaurant | Included |
| Grill (deck 6, by the pool) | Included |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
The line doesn't publish cabin sizes for this ship that we could find.
Good to know before you pick
- Deck 6 aft-most cabins (625/626) are next to the pool and grill area
- Deck 4 and 5 aft cabins sit near the tender/lifeboat stowage drawn just aft of the cabin block
- Accessible cabins marked with a wheelchair icon: 309, 407 and 509
- Deck 3 holds the lower-deck balcony staterooms and the window or porthole staterooms, per the deck plan legend
- Suites (Prestige, Deluxe, Owner's) are on decks 5 and 6
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Ponant's quote form offers an 'I need an accessible stateroom' option; no count of accessible staterooms is published on the ship page Only the Sisterships and PONANT Explorers can accommodate reduced mobility (detail truncated); tender/Zodiac policy not published. Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 7 , Pool Bar; Sun deck with loungers
- Deck 6 , Pool; Grill; Library; Bar
- Deck 5 , Fitness; Spa; Studio PONANT; Bridge
- Deck 4 , Theatre
- Deck 3 , Bar / lounge; Shop; Reception Desk; Medical Centre
- Deck 2 , Marina; Restaurant (tables drawn, no label)
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Pay a deposit or full balance online. Optional paid excursions charged onboard; cancellable up to 48 hours before.
Paying and cancelling
not published (FAQ links to separate policy).
Tips for her Europe sailings
French-English bilingual atmosphere; prices onboard in euros.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Ponant
- Kind of ship
- Expedition
- Built
- 2011
- Guests
- 264
- Crew
- 145
- Cabins
- 132
- Guest decks
- 6
- Gross tons
- 10,944
- Length
- 142 m (466 ft)
- Width
- 18 m (59 ft)
- Flag
- Wallis and Futuna (French territory)
- Class
- Boréal class (Ponant "Sisterships")
- Ship number
- IMO 9502518
- Sister ships
- Le Boréal, Le Soléal, Le Lyrial
- In Europe 2026–27
- Europe/Arctic (varies)
Highlights
- Small ship: 264 guests in 132 staterooms and suites
- Marina platform on deck 2 for Zodiac landings and water activities
- Pool, Grill and Bar together on deck 6
- Drinks are included on board (champagnes, wines, spirits, beers, cocktails, soft drinks), per Ponant's inclusions list
- Free Wi-Fi via Starlink
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 5 sources · checked 2026-11
- Ponant: L'Austral ship page (specs, deck plan, capacities)
- Ponant, fleet overview
- VesselFinder: L'Austral (IMO 9502518)
- Ponant FAQ (US)
- Boréal-class deck plan SVGs (sis_deck-2..7, plus sis_lyrial-deck-6 for Le Lyrial) embedded in the Le Boréal ship page
- Ponant's site lists the flag as 'French'; VesselFinder shows the registry as Wallis and Futuna (French territory)
- Deck plan SVG labels show no restaurant on decks 2-7; the main restaurant's deck is not stated on the page
- Dining cost status from Ponant's 'High-end gastronomy in all restaurants' / full-board inclusion text; restaurant names are generic on the deck plan
- Ponant: Cancellation schedule
- Ponant: Accessibility detail
- Ponant: Nationality mix (French guests often a majority, not stated by line)
- Deck plan: Elevator positions not labelled on the SVGs
- Deck plan: Some labels exist only as SVG text and were not visible in the rendered image; positions taken from label coordinates
- Deck plan: Restaurant name on deck 2 not given
- Deck plan: All four ships assumed to share the plan; only Le Lyrial has its own deck 6 file