Le Bellot

Explorer Class, Fourth Ship

Le Bellot is the fourth vessel in Ponant’s Explorer class, a series of six ships sharing the same hull form and internal logic but each named for a French explorer. She accommodates 184 guests in 92 outside cabins and suites across six decks, in a vessel designed from the keel up for expedition itineraries in remote and sometimes challenging waters.

The ship’s proportions – around 10,000 gross tons, approximately 131 metres in length – keep her sufficiently agile for high-latitude operations while offering the comfort level expected of premium expedition travel. Hull construction is rated for polar navigation. An ice-hardened bow and reinforced plating allow her to operate in conditions that would turn back an ordinary cruise ship.

Blue Eye Salon

All Explorer-class ships share one defining feature unavailable on any other expedition vessel in the world: the Blue Eye underwater lounge. Positioned below the waterline, this purpose-designed salon allows guests to observe the ocean environment through two large oval portholes without disturbing marine life. A hydrophone system transmits underwater sound into the space. On passages through waters rich in cetacean activity – the Azores, the Antarctic, certain Arctic channels – the Blue Eye provides an encounter with the sea that cannot be replicated on deck.

Accommodation and Dining

Cabins range from well-proportioned staterooms with panoramic windows to Owner Suites with private terraces. All categories face outward. The main restaurant operates open seating; a second, more intimate dining space is available for private group dinners and themed evenings. The French culinary standard – wine list included – is consistent across the fleet.

On-board expedition staff lead the Zodiac landings and shore excursions, and naturalist briefings are held in the ship’s dedicated lecture theatre.

Destinations

Le Bellot operates across Ponant’s broader expedition network: the Antarctic Peninsula, the Ross Sea, Norwegian and Svalbard fjords, the Northwest Passage, and regional itineraries in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Named for the 19th-century French naval officer Joseph-René Bellot, the ship carries his spirit of careful, prepared exploration into genuinely remote corners of the world.