Page 38: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2018)

The French Connection

Edie Rodriguez, the Americas Brand Chairman for PONANT

Yacht Cruises and Expeditions, has spent a life and built a career centered on travel, cruise and branding in a most luxurious man- ner. She was a natural to discuss the booming luxury expedition sector, the next big frontier in the global cruise industry.

BY GREG TRAUTHWEIN

It is natural, in the U.S., to pronounce PONANT as “po also the parent company of Christie’s (auction house) and nant,” but the French have a different style and the company Kering (which owns a number of luxury brands including name is pronounced “po non,” dropping the ‘t.’ But Edie Ro- Yves St. Laurent and Gucci, to name a few). driquez, charged with spreading the PONANT name in North So, in short, Ponant has a well-funded, passionate owner

America, does not get hung up on diction in this case. “You with deep roots and ties to the global luxury brands. “It’s just say ‘po-tay –toe’ ... ‘I say po-ta-toh’ … as long as you book a winning combination. At Ponant, we are not selling a prod- with us, call us what you like!” uct, we are selling experiences – vacations of a lifetime that

For those of you not in the know, PONANT is the only deliver memories of a lifetime,” said Rodriguez.

French-owned cruise line, small but growing fast and a world leader in luxury expeditions. The company was created by

Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée and a dozen of? cers of the French Cruise Growth

Navy, and as it prepares to celebrate its 30th birthday in The global cruise market has been embarked on a steady 2018 it has on order ? ve ships that will essentially double growth trajectory for a generation, more recently enjoying a its capacity by 2021, a burgeoning ? eet that will include the serious and more substantial growth spurt. According to the world’s ? rst LNG-fuelled icebreaking luxury cruise ship. 2018 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook from the Cruise (See story on page 42) Lines International Association (CLIA), more than 27 mil- “PONANT has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide lion passengers are expected to set sail in 2018, following and growing,” said Rodriguez. “Today, as we speak, Ponant an estimated 25.8 million passengers in 2017 and 24.7 mil- has ? ve vessels accommodating approximately just over lion passengers in 2016, an increase of 20.5 percent over ? ve 1,000 guests in total. But as you know we are building four years from 2011-2016. In 2018 alone CLIA Cruise Lines are new Explorer ships; the ? rst two are coming in the summer scheduled to debut 27 new ocean, river and specialty ships. of 2018; the next two are coming in the summer of 2019.” In total, CLIA reports in 2016 that the industry cumulatively

But the story of PONANT and Rodriguez’s decision to join generated expenditures of more than $126 billion in total out- the brand transcends ships and itineraries. put worldwide, supporting more than one million full-time

All four of the Explorer ships are identical in size and out- equivalent employees who earned $41 billion in income.

? t, each differentiated with interior colors and décor. All four “I am very bullish on the global cruise industry,” said Ro- of those ships will host 92 suites/184 guests. In addition the driguez. “It is a robust market, and we haven’t yet tapped its company is building the world’s ? rst ever luxury icebreaker full potential. Even with the rapid growth, it doesn’t even to take PONANT guests to the North Pole. All ? ve new ships scratch the surface of the potential. What excites me most, in the ? eet by 2021 equals an additional 900 guests. and where I see the most opportunity, particularly for the “Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée is a very passionate founder; a U.S. market is the growth of the entire luxury yacht expedi- true sailor and sea captain, and the genesis of Ponant,” said tion world.”

Rodriguez. “Ponant is owned by Groupe Artemis, which is In evaluating the potential for the luxury yacht expedition © PONANT - STIRLING DESIGN INTERNATIONAL 38 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • FEBRUARY 2018

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