Paul Gauguin Cruises, the luxury cruise line that operates a single ship in the South Pacific, has announced they will be acquiring the luxury ship Le Levant from French “Yacht Cruise” operator Compagnie du Ponant.
Le Levant, sailing for Compagnie du Ponant
The 90-passenger ship will be re-christened Moana and join the Paul Gauguin Cruises fleet in December 2012 after an extensive renovation. Moana will be Paul Gauguin’s first foray beyond the South Pacific, with the new ship scheduled to sail the Mediterranean in the summer and the Caribbean and Latin America in the winter. Full deployment details will be announced early in 2012. Moana means ‘Ocean’ in the Polynesian language.
“We are monumentally proud to add a second ship to our Pacific Beachcomber portfolio and Paul Gauguin Cruises family,” said Diane Moore, President of Paul Gauguin Cruises. “This is an incredibly huge branding achievement for the growth of our cruise line and I look forward to welcoming fans of The Gauguin on board our latest addition.”
The new ship effectively doubles the line’s fleet, but with only 45 staterooms and 90 passengers, it will represent less than a 1/3 increase in passenger capacity when it joins the 332-passenger Paul Gauguin next year.
2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for Paul Gauguin Cruises, with the recently announced $7 million renovation of the line’s flagship early next year and Moana joining the line by year’s end.
Meet on Cruise Members: What do you think about the legendary South Pacific cruise operator venturing into new territory? Would you consider cruising on the new ship in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean? Tell us in the comments below.
For even more Travel News & Views, check out Simon’s Blog at SimonTravels.net or follow Simon on Twitter @SimonTravels.
Related posts:
- ms Paul Gauguin to Undergo $7 Million Renovation
- NCL Announces New Ship Names
- “Full Sail Ahead” for Windstar Cruises
Join MeetOnCruise to Make Friends Before Your Cruise, Create Your Cruise Profile and Share Reviews and Tips.
If you like our blog, you'll LOVE MeetOnCruise. Join right now.
Tags: Compagnie du Ponant, cruise news, Le Levant, Moana, New Ship, Paul Gauguin, Paul Gauguin Cruises
Wow, that ship looks sleek! More like a yacht. Look fwd to seeing it post refurb.
We are thinking of cruising on the Le Levant in February to the Panama Canal. Any comments?
Hi Mary,
Never sailed on Le Levant or Compagnie du Ponant (but I can dream – maybe after I win the lottery, lol), but I’ve researched them extensively and spoken to several past passengers, and from all accounts, it’s an amazing and upscale experience, very much equivalent to sailing on a large private yacht.
If you have the opportunity to experience for yourself, my comment would be “Go for It!”