Travelers who want a small, new expedition-style ship with drinks included.
Think twice if: Only five guest decks and one main restaurant, so evenings are quiet.
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 54 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 (varies)
Explorer class.
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 |
|---|---|
| Restaurant (deck 4) | Included |
| Grill (deck 3, 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 4 midship cabins sit directly above the Deck 3 shop/excursion area; Deck 4 aft cabins near the restaurant
- Deck 6 cabins sit below the Deck 7 spa and fitness (midship)
- Deck 3 has the lower-deck balcony staterooms; decks 4 to 6 have upper-deck balcony staterooms and suites, per the deck plan legend
- Owner's Suite is on deck 5; Grand Suite on deck 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 , Sundeck; Spa; Fitness
- Deck 6 , Art Gallery / Studio PONANT; Library
- Deck 5 , Bridge
- Deck 4 , Restaurant
- Deck 3 , Marina; Pool; Grill; Bar; Shop; Excursion Desk; Medical Centre; Theatre
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
- 2020
- Guests
- 184
- Crew
- 118
- Cabins
- 92
- Guest decks
- 5
- Gross tons
- 9,900
- Length
- 131 m (430 ft)
- Width
- 18 m (59 ft)
- Flag
- Wallis and Futuna (French territory)
- Class
- Ponant Explorers class
- Ship number
- IMO 9852420
- Sister ships
- Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-d'Urville, Le Bellot
- In Europe 2026–27
- Europe (varies)
Highlights
- Small expedition ship: 184 guests in 92 staterooms and suites
- Pool, Grill, Bar and Marina all on deck 3, close to the water
- Six near-identical sisters, so the layout is the same whichever one you book
- Drinks are included on board (champagnes, wines, spirits, beers, cocktails, soft drinks), per Ponant's inclusions list
- Free Wi-Fi via Starlink
Sources & what we could not confirm · 5 sources · checked 2026-11
- Ponant: Le Jacques Cartier ship page (specs, deck plan, capacities)
- Ponant, fleet overview
- VesselFinder: Le Jacques Cartier (IMO 9852420)
- Ponant FAQ (US)
- PONANT Explorers deck plan SVGs (pex_deck-3..7) embedded in the Ponant ship pages
- Ponant's site lists the flag as 'French'; VesselFinder shows the registry as Wallis and Futuna (French territory)
- Ponant's site does not name the restaurants; generic labels from the deck plan are used
- 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: Decks 1-2 not drawn in the files found
- Deck plan: All six ships assumed to share the plan (one file set for the class)