Ponant eyes ‘further expansion’ following Aqua Expeditions acquisition

French cruise line Ponant Explorations Group is poised for “even further expansion” after taking a majority stake in small-ship expeditions firm Aqua Expeditions last month.

 

Francesco Galli Zugaro, who launched Aqua Expeditions 18 years ago, remains a shareholder and will continue to lead the company as a standalone business unit alongside his senior management team.

 

However, Ponant’s deputy chief executive Belinda Hindmarsh said the two brands are “already talking about what joint product could look like” and how they could collaborate to “do something new”. 

 

She told Aspire: “There will be some easy things to implement within the existing fleet, but it’s more about even further expansion regarding what other destinations we would like to visit and investment into new vessels and product.”

 

Hindmarsh hinted the partnership could lead to expanding beyond cruise-based product.

 

“We’re thinking more broadly about travel experiences as a whole and how to offer other travel products in future,” she said.

 

Anthony Daniels, general manager for the UK and Ireland, added: “We see opportunities in so many different sectors as our product lends itself to some amazing experiences for pre and post-cruise too, which we know will appeal to people that aren’t naturally cruisers.”

 

Hindmarsh and Daniels shared aspirations to grow the line’s volume of new-to-brand guests, which made up 50% of Ponant’s passengers in 2024. They credited the figure, in part, to the line’s international expansion and the growth of its UK sales team.

 

Daniels joined Ponant last year with the goal of expanding the line’s presence in the UK market and forging stronger relationships with the trade.

 

The team has since doubled with the recent appointment of Andrew Bolton as sales manager for northern England, Scotland and Ireland, and Marine Huguet as sales and marketing coordinator. 

 

Daniels said this year the team is focused on reaching new customers by “finding those agents with a strong client base of guests that just don’t know they’re ready for us yet” and revealed the team will be hosting a series of ship visits and fam trips. 

 

The brand is also in the process of securing an ATOL license. 

 

Daniels said: “There’s a lot of things coming and it’s hopefully going to make a massive difference to the trade.”

 

Hindmarsh also praised the launch of five-cabin catamaran Spirit of Ponant, a destination vessel based in the Seychelles, which launched last summer.

 

She said the ship had been “such a success” the line was “in discussions to have a second and maybe a third [destination vessel] in the future”.

 

Though reluctant to confirm prospective destinations, Hindmarsh said Ponant was “investing heavily” in French Polynesia.

 

The line’s 330-guest ship Le Paul Gaugin is currently based in the destination, with 184-guest expedition vessel Le Jacques Cartierset to sail in the region in 2026.

 

“If the future goes well, we could even think about another, very different product out there,” Hindmarsh hinted.