After four months of internal and external meetings following his appointment as Global CEO of Ponant, Benoît-Étienne Domenget said a single word kept cropping up. He was trying to get to the “DNA” of Ponant.
“And one word came from every conversation – and that is ‘exploration’,” he says in conversation with Ponant Asia-Pacific CEO Deb Corbett at an event in Sydney during his first visit Down Under as chief executive.
That’s because exploration, and not just cruising, lies at the heart of everything the expedition cruise company does.
“Exploration at Ponant is making sure that we do exploration everywhere, for everyone, every time,” Domenget says.
It’s a bold statement. And one that requires maximum commitment.
“Of course, exploration is about the destination, making sure that we go where no one else goes. That’s one part,” Benoît explains.
“I would say the rest of it is making sure that it’s an end-to-end experience… onshore expedition, on board services. Everything needs to be embedded to live and breathe exploration.
“Exploration is not only a motto; it’s a compass; it’s the backbone of everything that we are going to do.”
After sailing with the company for the first time last [northern] summer, Domenget also noticed remarkable energy at Ponant.
“The way the team on board welcomed us, the authenticity, the simplicity, the eye contact, the attention to detail, the willingness to serve, the willingness to please – that, for me, has been one of the key markers of Ponant,” he says.
“There will always be a newer vessel, a bigger one, a more innovative one [but] you cannot replace the heart of the team.”
Access most areas
Of course, you can’t have exploration without access, which Corbett describes as the “new luxury”.
“People are so sick of bringing goods and things home; they want to bring those stories home,” she remarks.
Ultimately, Benoît says “the battle is access”.
“We are a company willing to offer more opportunities to our guests… but it’s making sure that we continue to access areas where you can see something that you haven’t seen.”
A case in point is Japan. While the country has become a popular cruising destination (as it has on land), Ponant explores the Asian nation at a level no other operator does, says its Japan-Korea Branch Manager, Ryo Ijichi.
For instance, at the Seto Inland Sea, vessels longer than 200 metres can only sail during the day, which deters many cruise lines. Ponant’s smaller ships, however, afford access to the sea’s less frequented ports.
Thus, Ijichi, who’s also an experienced expedition leader, tells Karryon Ponant “dominates” the region. Its cruises generally spend three to four days in the Seto Sea, visiting small villages and islands. But Ryo says he’d like to see Ponant stay in the region for up to a week.
Elsewhere, Ijichi says Ponant explores more of Okinawa than its rivals, sailing to ten islands beyond the prefecture’s three main ports.
This access is proving a winning formula. According to Ryo, Ponant’s ships “always” achieve more than 90 per cent occupancy in Japan, with many of those guests hailing from Australia.
Australia advancing
Overall, Ponant recorded double-digit growth in the Aussie market in 2025. And Benoît calls this rise “remarkable in absolute value [and] in relative value”.
“My best guess is that tenancy will continue given how craving Australia is to learn, to discover and to travel the world,” he adds.
Our favourite destinations, Deputy CEO Belinda Hindmarsh tells Karryon at the event, are the Kimberley, Antarctica, the West Arctic region, and of course, Europe, showing the adventurous spirit of the Australian traveller.
When it comes to the trends the company is seeing, it’s all about purpose.
“Finding purpose is very high on the list of customer expectations today – it’s purpose above consumption,” Benoît remarks.
“When you look at what we offer as an experience, [it’s]… well in tune with what people are actually looking [for].”
Purpose. And of course, exploration.
