The Perfect Caribbean Cruise Experience. Ponant nails it.

[@visitwithus]

Thank you so much for watching! It really does mean the world to us! Please give this video a THUMBS UP (it's the KZbin way of saying thank you), please SUBSCRIBE and please leave us a comment too as that's extremely important to us (and it also encourages KZbin to suggest it with other viewers who might be interested), and also we’d LOVE to hear from you. R&H x

[@Jacksbox11]

Lovely! Thank you, Folks, my French husband would love this!

[@visitwithus]

Thank you Penny. Enjoy the review. It's VERY French and we LOVE it! :D

[@jeancharlescalvet5085]

nice to see your video Jean charles from restaurant

[@visitwithus]

Hello Jean Charles, lovely to hear from you. Thank you for watching - we hope we managed to convey how wonderful this beautiful little ship is 😍

[@napoleonsdauphin]

Well this all looks incredibly pleasant. The best kind of luxury is understated luxury, in my view, and this seems like the way to go, specifically for the kind of destinations you hit on your cruise.

[@visitwithus]

Indeed 👍 Thanks for watching 😁

[@jenniferalbert910]

Oh, it’s neat that you are able to enjoy the sunset from the land because of the late-evening departures!

[@visitwithus]

It's such a unique thing to see the sunset framing the ship from BEHIND rather than being on board. It will live very long in the memory. ❤

[@FrancoisD551]

Once again, a wonderful video beautifully done, so well paced as usual. I never tire to view one venue after the other in à so well balanced presentation to the sound of soothing music. The Blue Eye lounge could not but remind me of Jonah. You really do feel that you are inside of a whale, which the lounge decor emulates. Just delightful!

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching you for your kind comments Francois 😊 We loved the Blu lounge and went down there every time it was open. Most days we saw fish and often we had the lounge to ourselves.

[@annekenyon8333]

Could not resist - the “nut funnel” is brilliant. I purchased a couple for home after this experience. Think about how hygienic it is to restrict people from sticking their fingers into a communal dish of nuts. Covid silver linings?? Great video!

[@visitwithus]

@@annekenyon8333 Haha! This is unbelievable! Why? Because not half an hour ago, I filmed yet another nut funnel on board Viking Polaris, the only other ship that features such an innovative nut receptacle. 😂

[@lizdyson3627]

Stunning ship

[@stephered]

So happy I found your channel! We will be traveling on this ship this summer to Scotland and Noraway and I love the sneak peak! You guys are fantastic. I fell like I just took a mini vacation from my sofa. Really appreciate your content.

[@visitwithus]

Aww, thank you Stepher 😊 Hope you have a amazing time and enjoy the ship as much as we did. Thanks for watching 👍

[@wiggydebates3944]

Happy New Year! Excited to see a new video. Thanks for taking us along.

[@visitwithus]

Happy New Year to you too. Thanks for watching 😊

[@brummienik4273]

Another really enjoyable video. “Casually, quietly, elegant” - a career in marketing awaits Helen 😂

[@visitwithus]

Haha! Helen's future is assured! 😅

[@stevelaw6243]

Another superb blog...been alongside Ponant a few times and it looks beautiful. Most importantly I now know what to call the Nut holder..😁

[@visitwithus]

😂😂😂 Thanks for watching Steve 👍

[@kitbywaters2673]

Thank you for this. I really like the look of this cruise line!

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching Kit 😊

[@lizhall7143]

Would love to hear you compare and contrast luxury cruise lines! We are trying to decide which to go on. We have never cruised before except for a private catamaran trip through the BVI. Thanks for your great videos!

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching and for your comment. Watch this space - maybe one day when we have the time 👍

[@eminiarvii]

I had such fun looking at this video, quite lovely too. Did you say dinner is at 7:30 but you could have room service dinner earlier? I am not a late eater🚢😊

[@visitwithus]

Thank you 😊 Yes, dinner doesn’t start until 7.30 but there is always complimentary 24hour room service available. You can chose room service from the dinner menu too but I assume this wouldn’t be available until service started - but this might be something you could negotiate with the maitre’d if you wanted to 👍

[@eminiarvii]

@@visitwithus Thx

[@xr6lad]

1: not worried about the gym and never understood the fascination on a ship. If I work out 40+ weeks a year on land I can’t understand people not wanting to take a holiday from it for a week rather than relax for what they’ve paid thousands for (but that’s my opinion). 2: Agree on the part about the sun lounges. I’ll also a fan of shade. Coming from a hot country it’s anathema to sit under a hot direct beating sun although it’s pleasant to sit outside under shade. 3: Decor looks lovely and food great. Choices of venue are not an issue as I well remember the pre-2000’s when you were lucky to get a deck grill apart from the main dining room. So 2 venues are fine imo.

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching, hope you found it helpful and informative 👍

[@---jt5wg]

About the gym, I think some people just like a routine, but honestly on such a small ship its silly to expect it to be there. Due to my job involving so much exercise walking 12 miles a day, I myself have to exercise on a vacation, I just feel better (not to mention it helps to stay regular when traveling!).

[@TheLuftie]

That food is high level compared to other competitors . It convinces me for a once in a lifetime cruise to book this company for a cruise in the South Pacific

[@visitwithus]

That sounds like a good plan ❤️Thanks for watching 👍

[@dianned1560]

Love your videos. They’re so comprehensive. ❤

[@visitwithus]

Thank you 😊

[@ManWhoLovesTheMary]

My jaw dropped at the Blue Eyed Lounge because it LOOKS si chouette. Which…I’ve simped over overhyped gimmicks before. So I appreciate that point made. Looks can be deceiving. I imagine it’d be perfect while at port…though. I’m not sure if it’s open while at port. As someone who longs to master French once and for all, this looks like le viré parfait. Been more and more open and even excited about small ship cruising through this channel. And I always appreciate Rich’s reviews on the gyms aboard. With a physique like his, I trust his takes. And as someone who tenses and aches when going a week without exercising, I’m always on the lookout for gym options aboard. Something seldom discussed on other cruising channels.

[@visitwithus]

Thank you for watching and commenting. Yes the Blue Eye lounge is a bit of a gimmick maybe but we liked it. It was only open when in port and we were surprised how much we could see. Should imagine it would be great somewhere like the Seychelles. And as you probably already know, a ‘Best gyms at sea’ video is on the to do list 😂 Thanks again for supporting our channel, we really appreciate it 👍

[@PiaAdora]

Island-hopping the Ponant way! I’ve added it to this my ever-expanding bucket list.

[@visitwithus]

That bucket list just never gets any shorter does it 😆 Thanks for watching Luna 👍

[@jenserikjohansson6228]

Stunning ship and vlog ,tanks

[@visitwithus]

Thank you Jens 😊

[@loumello8813]

I agree with Rich about the gym, I like to get up very early and go to the gym for an hour on the treadmill and some resistance training. When I have been on small ships, I sometime have a treadmill and no barbells so I just do my 100 daily pushups and move on. This looks like a lovely ship and I am looking forwar to your series.

[@xr6lad]

I’m the opposite. You spend how many hours per week on land in the gym and yet can’t take a break for a single week and actually relax and spend time with your partner (my opinion). I stick to a regime for 40+ weeks, if I can’t take some time off after spending thousands on a holiday then I have an addiction. Plus if you were touring round a country you wouldn’t have access to gyms every day.

[@visitwithus]

Glad someone is with me in the gym 💪 😁 Thanks for watching Lou 👍

[@loumello8813]

@@visitwithus That's how we stay like Greek Gods for our ladies.🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@lindaparker1823]

Love this video. Thank you! We are looking forward to our cruise❤

[@visitwithus]

Thank you Linda 😊 Enjoy your cruise 🚢

[@ielicath3097]

Loved watching the video and to reminisce about the Caribbean cruise that we went on as well. (We were the American couple from Colorado ) Great video and pictures! And agree with you about the understated luxury.

[@visitwithus]

Thank you so much for watching and glad you enjoyed it 😊 It was a pleasure to meet you both. Maybe we’ll bump into each other on another Ponant cruise one day 😁

[@youtubewatcher1135]

Lovely video, beautifully photographed as always. We were hoping you would mention the presence or absence of smoking. We have avoided French ships in the past because we dislike the odor of cigarettes and even moreso cigars. Could you please comment on that here, and in the future please do include the topic of smoking in all your videos.

[@visitwithus]

There was a dedicated smoking ‘pole’ on the outside aft deck starboard side. Thanks for watching 👍

[@jmb1101]

Saying Tea confuses us Yanks, lol. Sounds like a very light dinner!!! This was excellent. Thank you!

[@visitwithus]

😂😂😂 Thanks for watching 😊

[@MsSuzie12345]

Just perfect…❤

[@visitwithus]

Thank you 😊

[@johnkean6852]

Great vid thx. R&H!

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching John 👍

[@Beachdudeca]

Thank you for the walk through

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@CruisingPeter]

Another great vlog Rich and Helen, thanks for taking us around the ship. I’ve always thought the Ponant ships looked fantastic - that Blue Eye lounge looks amazing. I do like small ship cruising 😊. As I said on one of Bob’s videos the other day, I need to stop being such a Silversea fanboy and spread my wings 😂. Looking forward to following along with this series!

[@visitwithus]

Thank you Peter 👍 It was a lovely ship and a wonderful itinerary. We’re looking forward to Nova though 😍

[@CruisingPeter]

@@visitwithus yes, me too! The deck plans and renderings released this week look fab. Good job I’ve got a 31 night back-to-back booked on her for early next year. 🫢 See you onboard!

[@-DC-]

Happy New Year that looked absolutely fabulous 😍

[@visitwithus]

Happy new year to you too. Thanks for watching 😊

[@---jt5wg]

The quality of your editing is wonderful. I sure hope you are passing on some of your knowledge to others who are interested in doing similar work. There is a finesse to it that many don't have.

[@visitwithus]

I appreciate your kind feedback! We do try and go the extra mile when it comes to editing. Lovely to see it's being recognised. :D

[@YouChwb]

Happy New Year and thank you for this appetising video. That noise coming from the kitchen, hope it wasn't Basil and Manuel fighting again?😄

[@visitwithus]

😂😂😂 Thank you for watching 👍

[@susanm784]

Nut funnel! Love it. Viking do them also and I will now refer to them as “nut funnels”!

[@visitwithus]

😂😂😂 Thanks for watching 😊

[@exploringwitheric]

I have one of these planned for 2024 so thank you for a great overview ! Have you two been on hurtigruten before

[@visitwithus]

Thanks Eric. No, we were booked on. Hurtigruten that got cancelled because of the pandemic. We would love to try them though, especially one of their northern lights cruises.

[@youtubewatcher1135]

I agree with you about resistance training equipment. That's the most important bit of exercise equipment for us, too. We don't care about free weights, but resistance machines that are adjustable would be great.

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@jameskeenan6773]

Dear R&H, thanks fir a fab honest review about this cruise ship.... We know that you both love Silversea cruises.. We appreciate all you've said concerning the size of this ship, and, it looks and sounds amazing. My husband and I follow your trips and we plan to do a once in a life time luxury cruise. Is this cruise in your opinion better than Silverseas or on parr? Would really appreciate your honest opinion, many thanks, Karen and James

[@visitwithus]

Although we’ve done a few Silversea cruises, we’ve only been on the larger ships and the older Silver Galapagos (which has now been replaced by the new Silver Origin) so it’s hard to make a direct comparison. Think it would come down to itinerary/personal preference etc. Feel free to email us ([e-mail]) if you have any specific questions you’d like answers and hopefully we can be of more help. Thanks for watching and for your kind words 😁

[@ToddRileyRealEstate]

Brilliant review!

[@visitwithus]

Thank you Todd! :D

[@Cassandra_Loveday]

What exercise regime do you adopt to keep thin while eating all this yummy food?

[@visitwithus]

We both try to get at least two sets of exercise in when we’re on a ship - Rich likes to go to the gym and Helen for a long swim in the morning, then we’ll usually try to get a 3-5km walk in later in the day. Was quite hard on Ponant as the gym and pool are small but we tried to be active when we got off of the ship.

[@robyoungquist5803]

My type of ship … quietly elegant yet casual. Also fan of Azamara, Windstar ships. The only large ship I like is Cunard but that’s for a crossing and I’d only book it one way at that 🤔😉

[@brucegordon4992]

If I had the financial and physical ability I would book back to back to back Cunard crossings as from what I have seen I could be fascinated and entertained there for a month.

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching Rob 👍 Hope you get to try them one day.

[@chriswilliams6568]

What does it matter about the gym, it is a small ship and you can walk and get exercise and you are on vacation, so can make up for that at home. Ship looks lovely, we were booked on a Penang for 2020, of course it got cancelled, and we have never seen another that we could afford. Thx for this, it looks like the line for us, but cannot afford it. Take care.

[@sharon5115]

Hello. Thank you for the great review. I do have one question you might be able to address. I am deathly allergic to all dairy items and nuts too. Is there any hope for me with the French menu choices? I've never had issues on other cruise lines and I've been cruising since I was 4 years old, so I'm not a newbie cruiser. Thank you so very much.

[@visitwithus]

I’m sorry we can’t give you a definitive answer but I’m pretty sure if you informed them of any dietary requirements prior to boarding they would make sure they could offer alternatives where necessary 👍 Thanks for watching 😊

[@Burrowbk]

Love this video. But for some reason I can’t seem to find your vlog that you mentioned in it? Did I miss something? Thx!

[@visitwithus]

So sorry, we simply haven’t had the time to produce the vlogs yet. Please subscribe and hit the bell then you’ll be notified when they come out - hopefully in the next mont or two 👍

[@Burrowbk]

Will do! I want to book this trip, but my husband needs more convincing as he is very anti-cruising. He doesn't want to be around that many people and wants to be able to relax, and he also doesn't want anything too stuffy. We love the Four Seasons Nevis and spend a lot of time in France, so this is an outstanding balance of both. Thanks for making these videos; there are not many videos for the Caribbean for Ponant! @@visitwithus

[@visitwithus]

@@Burrowbk Hi Kevin! If your husband doesn't want to be around many people then something like Ponant is perfect. The ships are very small but very luxurious and there's plenty of areas to relax. It's not a sunbathing ship though so if you like to relax around a pool, then we can suggest something more suitable. The Ponant ships are essentially expedition ships which means they focus on the destinations rather than being 'resort style' like the larger ones. However, they are very refined without being stuffy and obviously very French in style and there's many French guests, so you should feel right at home. We really cant' say enough good things about Ponant. Our experiences so far have been exceptional. Maybe speak to our travel partners Panache Cruises and see what's most suitable for your circumstances, particularly as your husband has yet to be convinced about cruising? They are so supportive and will handle everything for you, even transfers, flights etc. :)

[@visitwithus]

@@Burrowbk Oh and I forgot to mention, we still have to release the full experience vlog all about this trip. There's some incredible footage of the itinerary to come soon! :D

[@Burrowbk]

This is why I thought this cruise was perfect; we both hate “forced fun,” like endless tours and events, and it looks effortless to avoid here. It was actually part of the video where the two of you stayed back and got a drink at the local bar watching the sunset that had him saying he thinks this may work; he liked the flexibility. But he wanted to see a little more. Neither of us spends much time around the pool; I burn easily, so I stay mostly out of the sun, but the idea be able to see all of those islands and being able to walk around, check out the local beaches, then head back to the boat whenever we want without a large crowd seems perfect. Do you know if the internet was any good? He needs to be “connected” if something comes up. I haven't really found any good information about how good the connection is in the Caribbean. I’m sure it’s non-existent when in the Arctic. Thanks for your comments; much appreciated! @@visitwithus

[@johnkean6852]

"Little islands," did you mean _Aves_ (part of Venezuala?) OR much lower down _Los Testigos and Isla Blanquilla?_

[@visitwithus]

We were sailing along the Leeward and Windward islands. Thanks for watching 👍

[@youtubewatcher1135]

What is the minimum formal attire required onboard?

[@visitwithus]

During the day attire was informal. In the evening it varied quite a bit with some people dressing up and others being more relaxed. The dress code for the evening was no shorts and for men a collared shirt (including polo shirts). No requirement to wear a jacket. There were two Gala nights where some people wore black tie but it wasn’t necessary. Hope this helps.

[@johnkean6852]

One weird question: Are the wooden tables clean or sticky? ... is the ship squeaky clean, adequately clean, okay? I mean l would do this cruise JUST FOR THE FRENCH FOOD which l love but l don't wish it to be spoilt by minor details.

[@visitwithus]

No sticky tables 👍 Generally a very clean ship. The food was amazing 😋

[@johnkean6852]

@@visitwithus That's good news. I saw a sight (CruiseWeb) with 60% off! I wonder if they're to be trusted.

[@johnkean6852]

@@visitwithus thx guys

[@brucegordon4992]

Perhaps it is just me however 130 to 180 other folks seems like the perfect cruise (for me.)

[@visitwithus]

It dep ends what sort of cruise you are looking for really. We love this size of ship but the compromise is that there is less choice with regards to dining, bars, entertainment etc. But for us that is totally outweighed by the itinerary and the feeling that you’re sailing on a private yacht so much of the time. However, we do like to go on the bigger ships occasionally too. Variety is the spice of life as they say. Thanks for watching 👍

[@Michele-ot8bh]

Very informative, thank you, but which champagne do they serve please?

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching Michele. I can't recall which champagne they serve unfortunately. Sorry!

[@pumpkin462]

Awesome. We’re you able to have conversations with the French passengers? We’re they friendly ? I did f45 at 9am on Apex every sea day on our transatlantic, I didn’t gain a pound which was lovely! 😂

[@visitwithus]

Other passengers extremely friendly and most spoke way more English than either of us spoke French (even though Helen is supposed to be trying to learn 😆). And we soon found the other English speaking guests on board (they’re were about a dozen of us). Yes, Rich put on quite a bit of weight on this cruise which he blames completely on not going to the gym rather than eating too much 😆😆😆

[@pumpkin462]

@@visitwithus hahaha. Always time to reset when you get home! Thanks for the response!

[@bstanz5266]

Do they have souffles?

[@visitwithus]

Unfortunately I don’t think we saw a soufflé on the menu and with Helen being a soufflé lover I’m sure she would have noticed. Lots of delicious cheeses though 😋

[@ToddRileyRealEstate]

Do you have plans to go on Atlas Cruises?

[@visitwithus]

We nearly did a year ago but couldn't slot it into our diary. Their ocean ships look very nice though. :)

[@masonjones6717]

What would you say was the average age of the passengers?

[@visitwithus]

It was quite a mix, we even had a family with a child on board and a few young couples. Average probably about 50s.

[@MrTomV]

How were the beds guys? Soft, hard? Sheet quality? Pillow quality?

[@visitwithus]

Can’t remember specifically Thomas but we had absolutely no complaints. The beds were on the firm side but that’s our preference. Sheets were lovely quality. there’s a pillow menu so you should find something that suits you. 🙂

[@MrTomV]

@@visitwithus , thanks. Loved the Regent mattresses. Nice to hear about the pillows.

[@DarthMuffin007]

As a diver, if i were to bring my gear do you know if i can simply grab a tank and hop off the back of the ship when we are at anchor?

[@visitwithus]

That's a great question David. Unfortunately you'd have to enquire with Ponant but they have a dive instructor on board so I wouldn't have thought it would be too much problem. :)

[@randyv8232]

A liitle off topic some of these luxury ships have submarines on them. Ever thought of going on 1? I scuba dive, but the idea of mini submarines from expedition cruises kinda scares me.

[@visitwithus]

No subs on this ship. Like you they sort of scare us too, but would probably give it a go - you never know until you try 😁👍 Thanks for watching 😊

[@mikekauffman4899]

You mentioned your VLOG of the trip several times ... how do I view it?

[@visitwithus]

Hi Mike. Thanks for watching. I’ve not edited the vlog yet so it’s not available. I build the narrative in as a future proof. Sorry about that. Vlogs coming soon. 👍🙂

[@BeantownMrs]

It's really too bad Ponant don't call them nut funnels. Truly a missed opportunity.😁

[@visitwithus]

😂 we agree. Maybe they will from now on 😆 Thanks for watching 👍

[@bernardhatton5594]

What about the suites?

[@visitwithus]

Thanks for watching Bernard. I didn't get to film all the various suite options I'm afraid, but there's a great vlog coming soon which goes into more (very pretty) detail about the itinerary and experience. :D

[@warrenwolf4690]

How is your French? Parlez vous Francais?😊

[@visitwithus]

N'es pas parle le French. Or something like that. 😂

[@warrenwolf4690]

@@visitwithus tres damage!

[@BGrabowski718]

I am afraid of Ponant. I might not be James Bond-ish enough in appearance. And they seem to be quite nosy from the outside.

[@visitwithus]

😂 Thanks for watching 👍

[@brucegordon4992]

I have not finished the video yet, however I feel I must ask this: You said they give you instructions how to use the Zodiacs. How hard are they to drive (pilot?) Safe guess the first few times they do not let you take the Zodiac out of site of the ship? 😃🛥

[@visitwithus]

The zodiacs are used to transport guests much like a tender is when a ship is at anchor but there is no pontoon ti dock a tender. They are always driven by one of the deck department and simply shuttle guests backwards and forwards from ship to shore 👍