Catching Up with Ponant’s CEO of the Americas Navin Sawhney

No two cruise lines are the same, but some are more different than others. Some have that je ne sais quoi you can’t quite put into words. In the cruise industry, that’s Ponant, the French-owned luxury yacht and expedition cruise line that sails worldwide, has a decidedly French ambiance, and offers some of the most remote itineraries imaginable.

When Navin Sawhney, CEO, Americas at Ponant, joined the line in 2014, not a lot of North American advisors were familiar with the line. Today, America accounts for at least half of Ponant’s global business.

Travel Market Report recently caught up with Sawhney to talk about what makes the cruise line tick, its two-brand Tahiti offerings, who the right client is, and what’s on the horizon.

Travel should enrich
Sawhney takes great pride in explaining what he calls Ponant’s “contrarian” view of cruise travel.

“When we launched 35 years ago, the industry was building, at that time, what were called big ships, with an atrium in the middle. And here we came with a 32-stateroom sailing yacht,” he said of the line’s earliest days.

The idea, from day one, was to put the destinations that Ponant visited front and center, not the ship. Not only should visiting the destinations be most important, but so, too, should the experiences on land.

“Every destination should give people a deeper understanding and a meaning,” Sawhney told TMR. “You’re not going there to shop. You can do that on Amazon.”

A bonus is the cruise line’s “French DNA, with elegance, and sophisticated service,” but that’s not the main reason cruisers choose Ponant.

They choose it for the enrichments, whether they’re visiting someplace remote with a scientists guide or well-trodden – like visiting Gdansk, Poland and getting to hear directly from Lech Walesa.

“It’s not just going on another tour bus to see another cathedral.”

Making the inaccessible accessible
Speaking of the remote, one of Ponant’s core offerings is a collection of far-off-the-beaten-path itineraries that bring cruisers to places not easily visited, like the Arctic in the winter or parts of the Antarctic rarely visited, like Marie Byrd Land.

The former, which will consist of four sailings between January and early March 2025 on Canada’s Saint Lawrence, will offer active adventures from dog sledding and snow shoeing to sleigh races and more.

The latter will be a 30-day deep dive into Antarctica designed in cooperation with the Explorer’s Club.

Such adventurous explorations are a core piece of the Ponant portfolio, and exactly what so many travelers are looking for these days.

“People are seeking to explore, seeking an adventure,” Sawhney said. “You’d be surprised how many people actually want a deeper understand and like being able to be led by an expert in these places…This is not checking things off a list. This is gaining a deeper understanding and there’s a real clientele for this.”

Identifying the Ponant client
TMR asked Sawhney how advisors can identify which of their clients are right for Ponant.

Some, he said, will self-identify. “This client is somebody that wants to experience and explore and better understand environments that are very fragile, that are not easy to access… they’re saying I’d really like to be in this destination in the winter [in the case of the winter Arctic cruises].”

In most cases, advisors need to think about what their clients like and don’t like.  

Ponant attracts what Sawhney calls “citizens of the world.” They like traveling among an international crowd. They won’t mind being one of a handful of cruisers from the United States or Canada.

“If your client is looking for small ship destination experiences that are delivered with the elegance and sophistication of French flair, if your clients are looking to have their minds enriched and their spirits inspired… then Ponant should be your choice.”

Tahiti choices
In Tahiti, Ponant isn’t the only choice Sawhney is happy to talk about. In 2019, the cruise line purchased Tahiti specialist Paul Gauguin Cruises. According to Sawhney, the acquisition plugged a gap in Ponant’s offerings – a year-round South Pacific product that provides “an unparalleled destination experience of French Polynesia in all of its natural splendor.”

Choosing between Paul Gauguin and Ponant is a great example of how to decide if a client is right for Ponant or not.

“For one thing, Ponant ships don’t offer seven night cruises. They’re much longer voyages,” Sawhney said.

Secondly, Paul Gauguin provides “an experience that caters to the American sensibility,” while Ponant is for the internationally-minded client.

Ponant cruises are also more active and adventurous, Sawhney said. “Look at the fact that every one of them [Ponant ships] is equipped with multiple Zodiacs.”

Finally, Ponant ships are much smaller than Paul Gauguin, which is appealing to some clients.

Looking forward
Looking into the future, Sawhney told TMR that Ponant is focused on sustainable travel. As part of its commitment to zero emissions, last month the line introduced a new ship prototype that it plans to have in the water by 2030.

Codenamed “swap2zero,” the sailing ship combines six technologies including solar energy, wind assisted propulsion, and fuel cells.

“There’s a rising consciousness amongst all segments of the traveling population,” he told TMR. “We can’t pretend that we don’t it to preserve the planet… even the boomer is more conscious of this type of travel, never mind the generation behind the boomer and the ones behind them who are hyperconscious.”

Grateful to the trade
While North America represents about half of Ponant’s global business, Sawhney said it’s never enough.

“We’re always expanding. We have 14 ships and there’s more in the hopper. We’re always looking for growth and we continue to appreciate the support and are thankful for it to the advisor community.”

For advisors who have not yet worked with Ponant, Sawhney said they should feel free to get in touch with their local salesperson and have a conversation. Or attend one of the line’s webinars, which are usually led by a subject matter expert and only last 15 to 20 minutes so they don’t take much time out of advisors’ busy days.