It seems all of the cruise lines are flexing their muscles to see who can manufacture the greatest and most imaginative cruise ship, and French expedition cruise company Ponant is certainly getting in on the diversion.
Ponant are launching the first-ever underwater lounge at sea that will unquestionably heighten the experience of the sea.
Blue Eye, a shiny, multi-tactile space where guests can see, hear and for all intents and purposes touch the passing nautical life in the ocean, will be divulged on the brand’s four new Ponant Explorers: Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-d’Urville, Le Lapérouse and Le Champlain.
On board each ship, guests will have the capacity to head underneath the water line to the Blue Eye lounge. There are two substantial glass viewing windows proposed to look like the eyes of a whale that let guests find the marvels of the dark blue sea, computerised screens that venture live pictures filmed by three submerged cameras, marine surround-sound in view of sounds in inside a three-mile range of the ship, and couches that vibrate in amicability with the ocean.
Sarina Bratton, who founded Australia’s Orion Expedition Cruises and moved on to Ponant to help internationalise the France-based business, emphasised Blue Eye was unique, inclusive and complimentary.
“It allows all guests to indulge in the subaquatic world, not just a few passengers in a submarine or a helicopter,” she said, referring to other luxury expedition yachts with these extra-fee features. But she added: “We welcome other companies’ new ships as the luxury expedition market cannot be sustained with 20 and 30 year old vessels.” Bratton said to Cruise Critics.
Expedition leader Mick Fogg said the sound experience would be a phenomenal natural symphony of whales singing, dolphins frolicking and fish chomping on coral.
“With over five kilometres of noise, you’re going to want to turn that volume down, ” he said.
“They don’t look like normal cruise ships, ” Bratton said. “But people now expect luxury on an expedition cruise. Luxury expedition is no longer an oxymoron. “
