Le Soléal
A Le Boréal-class expedition cruise ship operated by Compagnie du Ponant.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Le Soléal is a French-operated expedition cruise ship in Compagnie du Ponant's Le Boréal class. Constructed by Fincantieri at its Ancona shipyard in Italy, the vessel was launched on 6 December 2012 and entered service with its maiden voyage on 1 July 2013. Its christening was conducted by Kiki Tauck Mahar. The ship belongs to a class designed to combine the atmosphere and scale of a yacht with the capabilities of an ocean-going passenger vessel, supporting itineraries in destinations that are less accessible to larger conventional cruise ships. Le Soléal's most notable recorded voyage was its 2013 transit of the Northwest Passage. Departing from Kangerlussuaq in Greenland on 26 August 2013, it reached Anadyr in Russia on 16 September. This voyage made the ship the first French commercial shipping vessel reported to have navigated the Northwest Passage, giving it a distinctive place in French maritime and expedition-cruise history. The transit also illustrates the vessel's role within Ponant's strategy of offering destination-led voyages in polar and remote regions rather than operating solely on mainstream warm-water cruise routes. The ship has also operated in Asian waters and was featured in the television program Mighty Cruise Ships during a voyage around Indonesia. Its documented operating profile therefore spans both expedition-oriented navigation and scenic, culturally focused regional cruising. Le Soléal is not a standalone corporate company or a broad consumer product family; it is an individual named vessel marketed as part of Ponant's cruise fleet. Its commercial identity is consequently tied to the ship's name, design, itinerary portfolio, and association with the Ponant brand. Public reference material identifies Compagnie du Ponant as the operator. Detailed information about the ship's current ownership structure, onboard capacity, specifications, current itinerary schedule, and present corporate reporting is not established in the supplied sources. The vessel is nevertheless described as an operating Ponant ship and is treated here as an active cruise product, with the qualification that current operational details should be checked against the operator's latest fleet information.
History
Le Soléal was built as a member of Compagnie du Ponant's Le Boréal class of cruise ships. Fincantieri constructed the vessel at its Ancona shipyard in Italy. After launch on 6 December 2012, the ship was prepared for entry into commercial operation and was christened by Kiki Tauck Mahar. Its maiden voyage began on 1 July 2013. The vessel's defining historical episode came soon after its entry into service. On 26 August 2013, Le Soléal departed Kangerlussuaq in Greenland for a voyage through the Northwest Passage. It arrived in Anadyr, Russia, on 16 September. The crossing was reported as the first Northwest Passage transit by a French commercial shipping vessel, establishing the ship as a notable participant in French expedition cruising and polar navigation. The voyage also demonstrated the commercial use of a relatively small cruise ship for an itinerary associated with difficult and remote waters. Beyond the Arctic, Le Soléal has operated on international itineraries, including a voyage around Indonesia. That journey brought the ship to wider public attention through its appearance in the television series Mighty Cruise Ships. The available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of later voyages, refits, changes in ownership, or current technical specifications. On the supplied evidence, Le Soléal remains identified as a Ponant-operated Le Boréal-class cruise ship.
- 2013
Maiden voyage
[1]The ship began its maiden voyage on 1 July 2013.
- 2013
Northwest Passage transit
[1]Le Soléal completed a voyage from Greenland to Russia through the Northwest Passage, described as the first such transit by a French commercial shipping vessel.
- 2012
Launch at Ancona
[1]Fincantieri launched Le Soléal at its Ancona shipyard in Italy on 6 December 2012.
Products and positioning
A premium small-ship expedition and destination-cruise vessel emphasizing access to remote maritime regions, including polar routes, while also serving conventional international itineraries.
Expedition cruise ship · 2012
Le Soléal cruise ship
Le Soléal is an individual Le Boréal-class cruise ship operated by Compagnie du Ponant. Its documented role includes expedition-style voyages in remote and polar waters, as well as international destination cruises such as an itinerary around Indonesia. The vessel's Northwest Passage voyage is its best-known recorded offering.
Brand decisions
2013
Deployment on a Northwest Passage expeditionStrategyBackground
Ponant used the newly entered service vessel for a challenging itinerary through the Northwest Passage, a route associated with expedition cruising and remote polar navigation.
Action taken
Le Soléal departed Kangerlussuaq in Greenland on 26 August 2013 and completed the voyage at Anadyr in Russia on 16 September.
Aftermath
The transit was reported as the first Northwest Passage crossing by a French commercial shipping vessel and became the ship's principal documented historical distinction.
Recent events
- 2013
Le Soléal began its maiden voyage[1]
Product launch
Le Soléal commenced its first commercial voyage on 1 July 2013 as a Compagnie du Ponant cruise ship.
- 2013
Le Soléal completed a Northwest Passage transit[1]
Other
The ship sailed from Kangerlussuaq in Greenland on 26 August and arrived in Anadyr, Russia, on 16 September, becoming the first French commercial shipping vessel reported to traverse the Northwest Passage.
- 2012
Le Soléal launched at Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard[1]
Other
The Le Boréal-class vessel was launched in Ancona, Italy, on 6 December 2012 before entering the final stage of preparation for commercial service.
Le Soléal featured on Mighty Cruise Ships[1]
Other
The vessel appeared in the television series Mighty Cruise Ships during an Indonesian voyage.
Sources2 sources
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