Le Boréal

Le Boréal launched Ponant’s modern fleet of small luxury expedition ships in 2010, and she still sums up the line’s formula: a sleek, yacht-like silhouette, chic, understated French interiors, and a guest count small enough for Zodiac landings almost anywhere. Her ice-strengthened hull has taken her to Antarctica and the Arctic for years, and in other seasons she sails warmer regions. Most staterooms have private balconies. Announcements are in French and English, and many fellow guests are French speakers, which gives voyages a cosmopolitan, European feel that many North Americans enjoy.

Best for: Travelers who want a small, elegant French ship for polar expeditions and don’t mind a bilingual, international atmosphere.

Ponant is a French luxury expedition line sailing small, yacht-like ships of 180 to 265 guests everywhere from Antarctica and the Arctic to the Mediterranean, the Kimberley and Japan, including the polar icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, which can reach the North Pole. Fares include an open bar, gratuities and Wi-Fi, with French cuisine and a bilingual French-English atmosphere. It suits curious, well-traveled adults who enjoy a European style.