Hapag-Lloyd Cruises vs Ponant: which is better for an expedition cruise?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 9 November 2026
No score and no verdict of ours: what Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Ponant each publish on their own websites, read 9 November 2026, topic by topic, each line linked to the page it came from.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises vs Ponant: which is better for an expedition cruise?
Neither is better for everyone: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises takes no more than 230 guests on each HANSEATIC ship, with English and German on board, while Ponant runs a larger fleet; both price in euros, such as Hapag-Lloyd's Antarctica and South Georgia, 7 to 21 January 2028, from €13,640 when booked by 28 February 2027 and Ponant's Svalbard, 3 to 10 July 2027, from €9,720.
What is each line?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises runs what it calls luxury and expedition cruises on five ships, with English and German spoken on board; it is a TUI Cruises GmbH company. Source
Ponant sells expedition and other ocean cruises on its own fleet as PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP, which also takes in PONANT YACHTING, PAUL GAUGUIN CROISIÈRES and, since 2025, Aqua Expeditions. Source
Which ships does each line sail?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises sails the expedition ships HANSEATIC nature and HANSEATIC inspiration (both 2019) and HANSEATIC spirit (2021), plus the luxury ships EUROPA (since 1999) and EUROPA 2 (since 2013). Source
Ponant sails Le Commandant Charcot, the PONANT Explorers (Le Bellot, Le Bougainville, Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Dumont d'Urville and Le Jacques Cartier) and the sisterships Le Boréal, L'Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial; its group's other brands sail Le Ponant, Spirit of Ponant and Paul Gauguin. Source
How many guests are on board?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises takes no more than 230 guests on each HANSEATIC expedition ship, up to 400 on EUROPA and a maximum of 500 on EUROPA 2. Source
Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
Where does each line sail?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises sells named expedition voyages to Antarctica and South Georgia, the Antarctic Circle, Svalbard, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, Norway, Alaska's Inside Passage, the Chilean fjords, the Kimberley and Indonesia including Raja Ampat. Source
Ponant sells named voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea, South Georgia and the Falklands, Svalbard, Greenland, Norway, the Chilean fjords, the Kimberley and Indonesia. Source
What ice class are the ships?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises says its three HANSEATIC expedition ships have the highest ice class for passenger ships (PC6). Source
Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
Who leads the landings?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises sends experienced experts from various disciplines on every cruise, who give lectures and join the Zodiac landings; it names no team size or ratio. Source
Ponant sends a team of about ten naturalist guides and experts on every expedition cruise, double that on Le Commandant Charcot, covering history, marine biology, geology, marine and land mammals and ornithology. Source
How much time ashore?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' expedition fares include all landings and rides in the ship's own Zodiacs. Source
Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
What can you do off the ship?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises includes a sports programme with activities ashore depending on the destination, plus loan of snorkelling equipment and Nordic walking poles; personal training is extra and shore excursions are charged to the on-board account. Source
Ponant includes sea kayaking (from age 16), snowshoeing (17), hiking (10) and the polar plunge (16) on Le Commandant Charcot, with limited places; diving and kayak outings are paid extras on some cruises. Source
What does a voyage cost?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises prices Expedition Antarctica: South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, Ushuaia to Ushuaia, 7 to 21 January 2028 on HANSEATIC inspiration, from €13,640 per person, with an early-booking discount until 28 February 2027. Source
Ponant prices Fjords et glaciers du Spitzberg, 7 nights on Le Lyrial round trip from Longyearbyen, 3 to 10 July 2027, from 9,720 € per person, double occupancy. Source
What does the fare include?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' expedition fares include full board with selected soft drinks, all Zodiac landings, expert lectures, loan of binoculars, parkas and rubber boots, a restocked minibar, one hour of internet a day, harbour fees and all gratuities; spa treatments, laundry, shore excursions and a beverage package at 44 euros per person per day are extra. Source
Ponant's fares include the cabin, full board, an open bar (premium spirits excepted), free wifi, port taxes and one activity per call except on Paul Gauguin; polar cruises add a parka to keep and loaned boots, while visas, paid excursions, spa treatments and premium drinks are extra. Source
What do solo travellers pay?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises lists solo prices in each cruise's price table and offers selected cruises with no or only a small single surcharge. Source
Ponant applies a single supplement automatically but waives it on a choice of cruises each season, marked 'Voyageur Solo 0%', giving a double cabin for one at no extra price. Source
How much is the deposit?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises asks a deposit of 20%, 25% or 30% of the price on its PLATINUM fare and 40%, 45% or 50% on SILVER, rising as departure nears; bookings within 30 days of departure are paid in full at once. Source
Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
Is your money protected?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has insolvency cover with Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH for European customers; UK bookings are protected by ABTOT under its ATOL Franchise for TUI Cruises GmbH, ATOL number 12926. Source
Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
What insurance do you need?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises recommends, without requiring, trip cancellation, international health and luggage insurance; it names no evacuation minimum. Source
Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
Can children come?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises sets a minimum age of six on the HANSEATIC ships and runs voyages for young discoverers aged 10 to 17; EUROPA and EUROPA 2 offer childcare from four and two years. Source
Ponant accepts no children under 6 on expedition cruises and none under 8 on Le Commandant Charcot; its Kid Explorers club, run with the Maud Fontenoy Foundation, sails on Mediterranean cruises. Source
When is each not the fit?
The limits below are published by each line on their own websites.
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: not the fit if you use a wheelchair ashore: it says guests who depend on a wheelchair cannot travel in the Zodiacs. Source
- Ponant: not the fit if you want helicopter flights: the helicopter on Le Commandant Charcot is used only for navigation and safety. Source
How do their reviews compare?
Their figures per platform, read 9 November 2026, each from a listing under the line's own name; a whole-company profile is marked. Figures are never added together.
- Ponant: Google (whole company): 4.8 out of 5 from 699 reviews; Trustpilot (whole company): 4.6 out of 5 from 644 reviews, newest 7 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
The lines at a glance
One card each, as on every Uncompromised Travel expedition page: what each sells, why to choose each, what to ask for and the limits each publishes.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
- Best for
- Bilingual PC6 expedition ships, pole to pole
- What it sells
- Runs voyages on five ships of its own: the luxury EUROPA and EUROPA 2 and the expedition ships HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit, with English and German spoken on board.
- Why choose them
- Its three HANSEATIC expedition ships, commissioned in May and October 2019 and May 2021, have PC6, which it says is the highest ice class for passenger ships.
- Ask for
- Ask for the cruises on its offers list where there is no or only a small surcharge for single occupancy of the cabin or suite.
- Not the fit if
- you use a wheelchair: guests who depend on one cannot travel in the Zodiacs.
- Published price
- From €13,640 per person, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, 14 days from Ushuaia on HANSEATIC inspiration, 07 Jan 2028 (early booking discount until 28 Feb 2027). Read 9 November 2026.
- Money protection
- Insolvency cover with Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH for European customers; ABTOT ATOL Franchise, ATOL number 12926, for UK customers.
- Website
- hl-cruises.com
Ponant
- Best for
- Polar expeditions with French-style service
- What it sells
- Runs expedition cruises on its own fleet, including Le Commandant Charcot, the PONANT Explorers and Le Boréal, L'Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial, from Antarctica and the Arctic to the Kimberley.
- Why choose them
- Le Commandant Charcot is a hybrid electric ship running on LNG, which it says cuts CO2 by 25%, nitrogen oxides by 85% and fine particles by 95%. Google (whole company): 4.8 out of 5 from 699 reviews; Trustpilot (whole company): 4.6 out of 5 from 644 reviews, newest 7 November 2026. Read 9 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a departure with the single supplement waived, marked 'Voyageur Solo 0%', for a double cabin to yourself at no extra price.
- Not the fit if
- you travel with children under 6, who are not accepted on expedition cruises (under 8 on Le Commandant Charcot).
- Published price
- From 9,720 € per person, double occupancy, Fjords et glaciers du Spitzberg, 7 nights on Le Lyrial round trip from Longyearbyen, 3 to 10 July 2027. Read 9 November 2026.
- Website
- ponant.com
Which other lines sell the same voyages?
The lines that sell voyages to the same regions are compared on What are the best alternatives to Ponant in 2026?
Hapag-Lloyd vs Ponant: the questions people ask
How many guests are on board with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Ponant?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises takes no more than 230 guests on each HANSEATIC expedition ship, up to 400 on EUROPA and a maximum of 500 on EUROPA 2. Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
How much does a voyage cost with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Ponant?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises prices Expedition Antarctica: South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, Ushuaia to Ushuaia, 7 to 21 January 2028 on HANSEATIC inspiration, from €13,640 per person, with an early-booking discount until 28 February 2027. Ponant prices Fjords et glaciers du Spitzberg, 7 nights on Le Lyrial round trip from Longyearbyen, 3 to 10 July 2027, from 9,720 € per person, double occupancy.
What does the fare include with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Ponant?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' expedition fares include full board with selected soft drinks, all Zodiac landings, expert lectures, loan of binoculars, parkas and rubber boots, a restocked minibar, one hour of internet a day, harbour fees and all gratuities; spa treatments, laundry, shore excursions and a beverage package at 44 euros per person per day are extra. Ponant's fares include the cabin, full board, an open bar (premium spirits excepted), free wifi, port taxes and one activity per call except on Paul Gauguin; polar cruises add a parka to keep and loaned boots, while visas, paid excursions, spa treatments and premium drinks are extra.
How much is the deposit with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Ponant?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises asks a deposit of 20%, 25% or 30% of the price on its PLATINUM fare and 40%, 45% or 50% on SILVER, rising as departure nears; bookings within 30 days of departure are paid in full at once. Ponant does not publish this on the pages read.
Is there a single supplement with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Ponant?
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises lists solo prices in each cruise's price table and offers selected cruises with no or only a small single surcharge. Ponant applies a single supplement automatically but waives it on a choice of cruises each season, marked 'Voyageur Solo 0%', giving a double cabin for one at no extra price.
How do I compare prices like for like?
Ask for a written quote for the same dates and the same cabin type, with every inclusion listed: flights, hotel nights, drinks, gratuities, kayaking or camping and the parka. The price lines above give what each line publishes and on what basis.
Can I book directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Every line on this page links the page of the line's own website it was read from, read 9 November 2026.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what each line published on its own website, read on 9 November 2026, with links to the pages read. Google and Trustpilot figures are shown where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel expedition cruise lines table. Lines are set out in the order the question names them. No score and no verdict. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.