Ponant Partners with Five-Star Relais & Châteaux to Deliver Three Gourmet Cruises

When it comes to dining, there’s nothing quite like going on a cruise. On the high seas, your every food whim is catered for, from the bulging breakfast buffet right the way through to indulgent midnight feasts, with food offerings on cruises becoming more and more important to passengers looking to book.

Appealing to those who love their food, Ponant has revealed its latest partnership with five-star hotel group, Relais & Châteaux, launching a series of gourmet cruises. The cruise line is committed to setting new standards in culinary excellence on board its vessels and celebrating French gastronomy at its finest.

Setting sail in 2020 and 2021, the three new itineraries will see some of France’s best chefs come onboard, hosting culinary demonstrations, cookery classes and lectures.

As well as gourmet education, the chefs will also be orchestrating two halal dinners and creating two delicious new dishes specially for the occasion.

On select sailings, the chefs may even bring passengers along to visit local markets, meeting with producers and helping to shop for the ship’s kitchens. Ponant has become well-known for

The gourmet experience will kick off with a Treasure of Brittany cruise, sailing on the 20 September 2020 along with Breton coastline. Onboard will be two Michelin-star Relais & Châteaux’s Chef Mathieu Guibert (Chef of the restaurant Anne de Bretagne, la Plaines-sur-Mer), who will guide guests through the cuisine of the Ponant Islands, the Gulf of Morbihan, Port-Navalo, Houat, Hoëdic, Ouessant and Belle-Île-en-Mer.

Departing on 11 October, the next cruise will venture around the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, sailing from Portugal to Senegal in nine days. Joining the voyage aboard Le Dumont-d’Urville will be Relais & Châteaux’s Chef, Federico López Arcay, Chef at A Quinta da Augg, Santiago de Compostela). From the Canary Islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the cruise will bemire to Mindelo, Santiago and Dakar, providing plenty of foodie inspiration.

Finally, Ponant will host a gourmet cruise in China and Vietnam, departing from Shanghai and arriving 10 days later in Haiphong. Joining guests on Le Lapérouse will be an unconfirmed Relais & Châteaux chef, who will take guests on market visits and host classes and demonstrations.

“Through this partnership, we are delighted to offer a unique stay and the best of the French cuisine at sea to our guests,’ said Philippe Gombert, CEO of Relais & Châteaux on the partnership.

“Ponant’s ships boast exceptional accommodation making every cruise an unforgettable experience. More than just a sense of excellence, we share fundamental values including ethics, commitment and authenticity, which are reflected in particular in the respect of local cultures and heritage, and the protection of the environment.

“We believe in an ethical cuisine – this is very important to us. The ocean must now be considered as one of our planet’s most precious ecosystems.”

“Showcasing French excellence on the seven seas… This philosophy, which has driven Ponant for 30 years, finds its full meaning in the exclusive partnership that we have developed with Relais & Châteaux,” added Jean Emmanuel Sauvée, CEO and co-founder of Ponant.

“Our shared values in the protection of the environment, a thrive for excellence in service and gastronomy, the concept of ‘boutique hotel’ that echoes the intimate size of our ships… we have a lot in common enabling us to provide our guests with a unique and refined experience.”

To book your spot on a gourmet cruise, visit ponant.com