Ponant Cruises Health & Safety Protocols
In order to guarantee your entry into the country or countries visited, you will need to ensure you are compliant with the public health requirements specific to each destination in advance. You can find all the formalities you need to complete before your voyage (visas, travel authorisations per country, vaccinations, etc.) in just a few clicks by using the online search engine below and indicating each town/city visited in the drop-down menu "Your port of embarkation". The international situation can change rapidly, so be sure to check this information regularly prior to your departure.
Medical Questionnaire
For reasons of safety, you will be sent a document enabling you to notify the presence of certain contra-indicated medical or physiological conditions prior to the start of the cruise, which you will also need to sign and return before the start of the cruise.
Vaccination
When you visit certain destinations, vaccines can be recommended. Once you have made your reservation, Ponant will send you all the important information so that you can begin your cruise with peace of mind. It is worthwhile contacting your medical advisors before you travel as they will have access to the latest information. If you would like to know more about a destination, the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can give you some invaluable advice.
Onboard Medical Attention
All the ships have a doctor and a nurse available on board, except Le Ponant, on which there is a nurse and a telemedicine service available:
- The schedules of consultation are listed each day in the log book (emergency consultation 24/7).
- The Sisterships, PONANT Explorers, Le Paul Gauguin and Le Commandant Charcot also have a hospital for any small surgery.
- During excursions, cruise guests are accompanied by a doctor or a nurse to provide first aid when away from the ship.
Consultations, medical or surgical treatments, and laboratory-based or medical imagery-based (radiology) analyses carried out on board by the doctor or the nurse have to be paid for. The price can vary according to the time and place of the consultation (hospital or stateroom). The prices for all treatments and procedures are displayed in the waiting room. Any medication must also be paid for by the passenger. If using medications on a regular basis make sure to bring adequate supplies for the duration of your cruise.
The doctor on board is not authorised to distribute sick leaves and prescriptions. Only accounts and invoices are provided which may be used by the passenger to obtain a refund from his/her health insurance if his/her contract allows.
Special Medical Treatment
If you have any special treatment, Ponant asks you to inform the reservation service when you register for the cruise, to note it on the information sheet before departure, then inform the on-board crew at the moment of departure and always keep your medication with you for the duration of the cruise.
Accesibility
The Sisterships, Ponant Explorers, Le Paul Gauguin and Le Commandant Charcot were designed for people with reduced mobility in mind:
- Specially designed staterooms;
- Access ramps allowing easy movement in communal areas
- Posters, signage and stateroom numbers are translated into Braille.
Despite these arrangements, each passenger should be able to be independent or travel with a close family member or friend who can give them whatever assistance they require during their trip.
Note: If a person has not been judged suitably fit for travel in complete safety, the company reserves the right to refuse their embarkation. Disembarkation in difficult places or in a Zodiac is subject to the approval of the Captain, who will always have the safety and wellbeing of the passenger in mind.
