Headquartered in Marseilles, and the market leader in specialist polar cruises, Ponant transports over 30,000 passengers per year to the polar regions and other locations, and was acquired from Groupe CMA CGM, the French container shipping company. Founded in 1988 and employing 580 personnel, the company has the youngest and best invested fleet in the market.
The luxury cruise market is an under-penetrated segment of the broader cruising market that enjoys resilient growing demand and an affluent global customer base. The company is the largest cruise operator in the polar region where demand outstrips supply and access is limited to specialist vessels. Consequently, it benefits from high barriers to entry in its niche market. In 2015, in order to accelerate its development, Ponant acquired Travel Dynamics International, a US-based provider of premium educational cruises focused on the non-profit market.
