Ponant Expands 2027 Explorers Club Speaker Voyages

Ponant Deepens Alliance with The Explorers Club for 2027

Ponant is taking its expedition storytelling to new heights in 2027, expanding its alliance with The Explorers Club to feature expert speakers on 12 voyages around the world. Now entering its fourth year, the partnership will also be joined by Paul Gauguin Cruises, extending the program into French Polynesia alongside Ponant’s polar, tropical and coastal itineraries.

You can explore the collection of Explorers Club–themed journeys on Ponant’s site under The Explorers Club voyages: Ponant – The Explorers Club Cruises.

12 Voyages with World-Class Explorers and Storytellers

Across the 2027 season, guests on selected Ponant and Paul Gauguin Cruises sailings will sail alongside members of The Explorers Club, the legendary multidisciplinary society of scientists, adventurers, conservationists and storytellers. Next year’s roster spans:

• Mountaineer and philanthropist Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary, bringing a lifetime of high‑altitude experience and Himalayan stories.
• Cultural anthropologist and author Wade Davis, known for his work on cultures, landscapes and the meaning of place.
• Specialists in penguins, coral reefs, marine conservation, polar science and underwater photography, plus award‑winning authors, filmmakers and photographers.

Each expert will join a specific voyage, delivering onboard lectures, informal conversations and Q&A sessions that give guests a first‑hand window into fieldwork, discovery and the challenges facing the regions they visit.

Live Science at Sea on Le Commandant Charcot

Ponant’s partnership with The Explorers Club isn’t only about lectures; it also enables real‑time research aboard the line’s hybrid‑electric luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot. Select voyages will welcome scientist grantees who use the ship’s two dedicated onboard laboratories to conduct studies in areas such as oceanography, glaciology and marine biology while sharing their work with guests.

Travellers can expect to see how samples are collected, how instruments are deployed in polar waters, and how data from remote regions contributes to a deeper understanding of climate, ecosystems and wildlife—all while travelling in Ponant’s signature blend of small‑ship comfort and expedition capability.

From Greenland to the Kimberley to French Polynesia

The 2027 Explorers Club voyages will span a wide geographic range, illustrating Ponant’s focus on immersive, place‑driven itineraries. According to the program outline, upcoming journeys include:

• Arctic and Greenland expeditions, where glaciologists, marine biologists and photographers interpret ice, wildlife and northern cultures.
• Australia’s Kimberley, with speakers such as Wade Davis joining to explore Indigenous cultures, rugged coastlines and ancient rock art.
• French Polynesia and the wider Pacific, where Paul Gauguin Cruises will host speakers on topics like coral reef health, oceanic navigation and Pacific Island cultures.

Across these voyages, Ponant Explorations Group emphasises that guests are invited to engage deeply with cultures, environments and histories, rather than simply passing through, making the talks and onboard encounters a core part of the itinerary rather than an add‑on.

How to Find and Book an Explorers Club Voyage

Guests interested in sailing with The Explorers Club can:

• Browse Ponant’s dedicated theme page: The Explorers Club – Ponant.
• View speaker line‑ups and detailed itineraries via The Explorers Club’s 2027 program list, which matches experts to specific voyages and dates.

Whether your interests lean toward polar science, marine conservation, anthropology or adventure mountaineering, the 2027 program offers a rare chance to travel alongside people who have dedicated their lives to understanding the planet—often in the very places you’ll be exploring by sea.

If you were to choose one Explorers Club voyage, would you rather join a polar sailing on Le Commandant Charcot, a Kimberley expedition, or a Paul Gauguin cruise through French Polynesia?