The Coolest Ship You've Never Heard Of

The ultra-luxe Le Boreal at sea.

Photo courtesy of Compagnie du Ponant.

You've probably never heard of Compagnie du Ponant.  You've also probably never heard of their fleet of yacht-like vessels, dedicated to whisking discerning travelers to some of the most interesting ports in the world.  It's entirely likely, then, that you've also never heard of their newest marvel: Le Boreal.

Based in Marseille, Compagnie du Ponant obviously caters to a large European passenger base - but that doesn't mean North American travelers are excluded from the fun, and that's a good thing.  Le Boreal alone sails to the Mediterranean, South America, Antarctica, North America, and does two transatlantic crossings during the remainder of 2010 and the spring of 2011 alone. 

Best of all?  Their voyages are remarkably affordable for a line offering the kind of premium product they do.  Their suites are not out of range for what a passenger might pay for a typical suite on a North American line cruising Europe - and that's just one of the things that makes this line, and Le Boreal so remarkable.

So what else is there to like?  Besides its remarkably sleek and modern design, Le Boreal is designed to transport between 224 and 264 lucky passengers in the ultimate comfort.  The smallest staterooms weigh in at a comfortable 226 square feet, with the largest Owner's Suite clocking in at just under 500 square feet.  The latter includes a 97-square foot balcony with panoramic sea views in addition to a sitting room, two bathrooms, and separate bedroom area.

The staterooms aboard are also remarkable for their design, and tend to resemble a chic hotel in France more than your average cruise ship stateroom.  Rooms are decorated in a pleasing sea of charcoal, rose reds, and ivory whites.  The result is sleek and oddly welcoming. 

Public rooms apply this same modern trendyness in their decor.  There's no mistaking Le Boreal for a turn-of-the-century liner, and that's exactly what the designers have tried to accomplish: a modern Euro-yacht.

In short, there really isn't any ship afloat like Le Boreal, or any North American ultra-luxe line like Compagnie du Ponant.  So the next time you're looking for a smaller, yacht-like cruise experience to Europe or elsewhere, pop on over to Compagnie du Ponant's English site and see what they have to offer. 

You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find!