Ponant has taken delivery of Le Lapérouse, the first of six Explorer-class ships.

The ship left the shipyard in Norway, on 16 June, for Reykjavik for the start of her maiden cruise. The official naming will take place on 10 July, also in Reykjavik.

“Le Lapérouse is a wonderful achievement for the company and the result of intensive teamwork with Vard and Fincantieri,” said Jean Emmanuel Sauvée, CEO and co-founder of Ponant. “From remarkable nautical performances to technical excellence and offering an extraordinary level of comfort, everything is in place for the Ponant Explorers series to be a huge success.”

Le Lapérouse has 92 staterooms and suites, all with a balcony or private terrace, and features Blue Eye, a multi-sensorial underwater lounge allowing passengers to discover and experience the underwater world via two portholes.

Construction of the other five ships in the class is under way. It is expected that deliveries will start in 2018, for the Le Champlain; 2019 for Le Bougainville and Le Dumont d’ Urville; and 2021 for Le Bellot and Le Surville.