French cruise line Compagnie du Ponant has ordered another "latest generation" yacht with 132 staterooms and suites from the Italian Fincantieri shipyard. The yet-to-be-named new ship will join sister ships Le Boréal and L’Austral, launched in May 2010 and April 2011 respectively. The new vessel is expected to join the fleet by June 2013. Compagnie du Ponant currently comprises five French-flagged yachts: Le Ponant, 32 staterooms; Le Levant, 45 staterooms; Le Diamant, 113 staterooms and suites; and Le Boréal and L’Austral, both with 132 staterooms and suites.
By the end of 2011, Compagnie du Ponant expects its growth to exceed the 20,000 passenger per year threshold. The recent addition of the two cruise yachts to the fleet, Le Boréal and L’Austral, represents Compagnie du Ponant’s focus on luxury travel and environmental consciousness. The "clean ship" label was awarded based on many eco-friendly features: dynamic-positioning, advanced waste water treatment, reduced fuel consumption and emissions and underwater detection system. This dual-focus business model has helped. The line says that one in two guests in 2011 is a new customer for Compagnie du Ponant, while one in four is going on a cruise holiday for the first time.
"For Compagnie du Ponant this order is another step towards the future that validates an effective business model, a good and successful bet," says CEO Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée.
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