Luxury expedition cruise company Ponant is acquiring Paul Gauguin Cruises, whose ship specializes in French Polynesia and the South Pacific. Under the agreement, the two cruise lines will keep their management. Diane Moore, as CEO of Paul Gauguin Cruises and her team will remain based in Bellevue, Wash. and Navin Sawhney, as CEO Americas of Ponant will be based in New York.
Sawhney, said the addition of the 320-guest Paul Gauguin that home ports in Papeete, Tahiti, puts Ponant at the forefront of small ship exploration. “We are expanding our Ponant fleet to 14 ships by 2021. Now, through Paul Gauguin and its expertise, we will be able to offer our clients and partners yet another bucket list destination visiting the exotic islands of Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific.”
“We are pleased to welcome Paul Gauguin Cruises to our family,” noted Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, founder and President of Ponant. “Our guests can now select from a wider range of iconic destinations and become enriched by cultural and expedition cruises that literally travel to the ends of the earth from the most remote ports to more perennial favorites, on our combined fleet of small ships. We share the same core values. The synergy between our operations makes this the perfect collaboration while preserving the unique DNA of both brand experiences.”
