Last updated: 10:00 PM ET, Thu November 22 2018
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One-on-One With Navin Sawhney
Ponant's CEO, Americas, on the luxury line's new ships, key selling points, agent programs and more.
Cruise Line & Cruise Ship Anne Kalosh
The 184-passenger Le Lapérouse has the sleek, super-yacht look of Ponant's existing fleet, but is slightly smaller and sports a unique feature: the Blue Eye, a multi-sensory underwater lounge. (Photo courtesy of Ponant Cruises)
IT has arguably been a busy year for Ponant, the French luxury line specializing in luxury expeditions. In July, the company introduced Le Lapérouse, the first of six 184-passenger ice-class yachts in its new Explorers class, with a second, Le Champlain, debuting in October. And, in 2021, the company plans to launch a one-of-a-kind icebreaker.
Founded 30 years ago by Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée and a dozen French merchant navy officers, the company is now part of the Artemis Group of luxury brands owned by French billionaire François Pinault.
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AGENTatHOME caught up with Navin Sawhney, CEO, Americas, aboard Le Lapérouse to discuss the line's new ships, key selling points, agent programs and more.
What's special about your new ship, Le Lapérouse?
It's a very intimate vessel. Its design is beautiful, crafted to bring the light in from the outside and showcase the destination. The most breathtaking aspect is the Blue Eye underwater lounge. It allows you to truly become part of the environment by seeing what's below the waterline and listening to the sea via hydrophones.
The Blue Eye lounge envelops you and makes a modern-day explorer out of you. There's an infinity pool and a tri-purpose marina that can quickly convert for launching watersports equipment and Zodiacs.
Why should agents sell Ponant?
A ton of reasons. The biggest is that we are the most refreshing brand in the cruise industry and the best-kept secret in the American market. It's a stunningly beautiful fleet built for luxury expeditions. It's a category we started.
People today are traveling for a deeper meaning. The destination is the focus. They like to come back transformed. They want to travel responsibly. We have a high repeat-passenger rate and are bringing in lots of people who are new to cruising.
Commissions are very generous and, for our most preferred partners, begin at 13 percent.
What agent training and support do you offer?
We offer everything from webinars to one-to-one training. There are opportunities to visit the ships. For example, in October, West Coast agents had the chance to see Le Soléal as it was sailing from Vancouver to San Diego as it makes its way to Mexico.
Our co-op program helps trade partners in ways they find useful, whether in digital form, direct mail, or inviting their clients to an event. Our business development managers work closely with agents.
If you do a group, we'll even invite your clients to visit the ship in port before their cruise. For our preferred partners, we will give you a back-end override in the polar regions.
Who sails on Ponant?
Typical clients are well educated with college [backgrounds]. The average age is 60. They are married, though a fair amount are solo travelers. We have an average of 55 departures a year where there's no single supplement.
Ponant caters to a global clientele with a French flair. Clients are from North and South America, Australia, the U.K., China, South Africa and Japan. In destinations like the Kimberley region in Australia and the Coral Triangle, we carry a huge number of English-speaking guests. On Mediterranean sailings, we carry a significant number of North and South Americans.
Will English-speakers feel at home on this French line?
English is spoken by all officers and all hotel crew. We've been catering to Americans for 25 years. We also have cruises specifically crafted for the U.S. market, outlined in our "Quintessential Collection" brochure.
We don't mix language groups on tours. On expeditions, the people who drive the Zodiacs all speak English.
What synergies does Ponant enjoy as part of the Artemis Group?
In 2017, just after the Artemis Group acquired us, we visited two beautiful museums of modern art in Venice in conjunction with the Biennale. Both are owned by Monsieur Pinault, the head of Artemis.
In conjunction with our sister company, Christie's, on an Adriatic cruise, experts from Christie's demonstrated what collecting art is all about, including how to bid at auctions.
We'll have a similar cruise between Vancouver and San Diego with a focus on discovering the arts. There's a very vibrant arts scene in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, all of which you'll see with Christie's experts. In the wine region of northern California, Christie's experts will talk about how to collect rare wines.
We partner with other brands of Artemis, such as Chateau Latour, so guests get a very rare insiders' visit when the ship calls at Bordeaux.
Do you market Ponant as a luxury line?
We market Ponant as a luxury experience brand. We are specialists in small-ship cruising. We visit legendary and iconic destinations and build itineraries that are truly enriching, truly transformative and full of discovery.
Is it a true expedition experience?
Absolutely. In Antarctica, it's a 20-day true expedition that doesn't have a set plan. Excursions depend on the ice and sea conditions. In the high Arctic, the expedition can involve taking a hike up terrain where the expedition leader could carry a rifle (in case of polar bears).
What itineraries are hot?
Antarctica is immensely popular, and you can do it in as little as 10 nights on our ships. In the world of classic yachting, the Mediterranean is hard to beat. You can experience it differently each time you go back.
For more Cruise Line & Cruise Ship News
A version of this article appears in print in the November 2018 issue of AGENTatHOME Magazine.
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