DestinationsOur Services
PrivataListResidences
TrainsPartnersWhoPressContact
Start Your Journey
Le Soléal at anchor in an Antarctic bay among icebergs, seen from above a snow slope with lines of penguins

The Sisterships: Deck plans, staterooms and 2027–2028 sailings

Le Boréal · L'Austral · Le Soléal · Le Lyrial

Ponant

Four sister ships of 142 m and 10,944 UMS, ice class 1C, with six guest decks and 145 crew.

Guests
264 (Le Boréal, L'Austral, Le Soléal)
Staterooms
132 staterooms and suites (Le Lyrial: 122)
Decks
6 guest decks
Length
142 m

The ships

Le Boréal, inaugurated in 2010, was the first and L'Austral has sailed since 2011; Ponant calls Le Lyrial the latest of the series. Le Boréal, L'Austral and Le Soléal take 264 guests in 132 staterooms and suites; Le Lyrial has 122, with three suite categories the others do not have.

9 stateroom and suite categories: Window or Porthole Stateroom · Lower deck balcony stateroom · Upper decks balcony stateroom · Deluxe Suite · Prestige Suite · Owner's Suite · Privilege Suite · Grand Suite · Grand Privilege Suite

  • L'Austral264 guests, 145 crew

    Sistership, identical in layout to Le Boréal. On the published schedule she runs Antarctica out of Ushuaia and the Greenland-to-Canada crossings in early autumn.

  • Le Soléal264 guests, 145 crew

    Sistership. On the published schedule she takes the Kimberley between Broome and Darwin, then New Zealand's subantarctic islands out of Dunedin over the southern summer.

  • Le Lyrial245 guests, 145 crew

    The fourth Sistership, and the one Ponant calls the latest addition to the series. 122 staterooms and suites rather than 132, and the only one of the four to add Privilege, Grand and Grand Privilege Suites.

Crew
145
Tonnage
10,944 UMS
Flag
French

What the Ponant fare includes

  • Stateroom or suite and full board, from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last
  • The Open Bar, from the moment you board: mineral water, soft drinks, wines, beer, champagne, spirits, coffee and tea
  • One activity at each stop, chosen from a selection — guided outings led by naturalist experts (hiking, zodiac rides) or excursions led by local guides (monuments, tastings of local produce)
  • Free 24/7 Wi-Fi in staterooms and public rooms, over the Starlink network
  • Access to all common areas, the spa, the fitness room and, on Le Commandant Charcot, the snow cabin
  • Port taxes
All 8 inclusions, and what is charged separately

Staterooms and suites on these ships

Sizes as Ponant prints them for all four ships, except where Le Lyrial differs. The décor is not the same on every hull, so each photo names the ship it was taken on.

At a glance

Window or Porthole Stateroom

226 sq ft (21 m²)Up to 3 guestsDeck 3

The only category without a balcony: a window (stateroom 300 has a porthole) and a bathroom with shower.

Lower deck balcony stateroom

193 sq ft (18 m²)Up to 2 guestsDeck 3

A private balcony reached through a glass door beside a porthole or window, a king-size bed or two single beds and a bathroom with shower.

Upper decks balcony stateroom

193 sq ft (18 m²)Up to 2 guestsDecks 4, 5 and 6

The same size as the lower-deck stateroom, with a sliding panoramic window to a private balcony.

Deluxe Suite

290 sq ft (27 m²)Up to 2 guestsDeck 6

A private balcony, a sofa and armchair, butler service, priority boarding, champagne and fruit on arrival and fruit daily.

Prestige Suite

398 sq ft (37 m²)Up to 4 guestsDecks 5 and 6

A bedroom and a living room with a convertible sofa, armchairs, a second television and a sliding door, two bathrooms with showers and two sliding panoramic windows to a private balcony. On Deck 6 Ponant adds butler service, priority boarding, and champagne and fruit on arrival.

Owner's Suite

484 sq ft / 45 m² (Le Lyrial: 592 sq ft)Up to 2 guestsDeck 6

A bedroom and a living-dining room with a table for four, a bathroom with shower and spa bath, butler service, a private return transfer, priority boarding, and a one-hour wellness treatment per person for two. Le Boréal, L'Austral and Le Soléal have a 96 sq ft balcony; Le Lyrial's suite is larger, with a 12 m² balcony and three panoramic windows.

Privilege Suite

398 sq ft (37 m²)Up to 2 guestsDeck 6 (Le Lyrial only)

On Le Lyrial only. A bedroom, a living-dining room with a sofa, second television and a table for four, a bathroom with shower and bath, three panoramic sliding windows and an 8 m² balcony, with butler service.

Grand Suite

484 sq ft (45 m²)Up to 2 guestsDeck 6 (Le Lyrial only)

On Le Lyrial only. A bedroom, a lounge with sofa and second television, a bathroom with shower and Balneo bathtub, two panoramic sliding windows and a 12 m² balcony, with butler service.

Grand Privilege Suite

592 sq ft (55 m²)Up to 4 guestsDeck 6 (Le Lyrial only)

On Le Lyrial only. Two bedrooms, a lounge with sofa, third television and two armchairs, a bathroom with shower and bath, three panoramic sliding windows and a 12 m² balcony, with butler service. Ponant's deck key shows it as staterooms 611 and 615 together.

Deck plans

Plans as Ponant publishes them for the Sisterships, bow to the right. Decks 2 to 7 are the same on all four ships except Deck 6 of Le Lyrial, shown separately. We confirm the category of any stateroom number with Ponant before booking.

Deck 2 plan of the Sisterships, showing the Marina at the stern

Swipe the plan sideways to follow the deck.

Deck 2

The Marina at the stern.

On board

Restaurants and bars

The Compass
The restaurant Ponant lists on Le Boréal.
Pool and Grill
At the stern of Deck 6, with the Pool Bar on the deck above.

Spa, pools and public areas

Theatre
Aft on Deck 4, for talks by the naturalist team and guest experts, concerts and shows.
Spa and fitness room
On Deck 5, with SOTHYS and Davines treatments, a sauna and hairdressing.
Library
Forward on Deck 6.
Marina
At the stern of Deck 2.

Sailings on these ships

7 sailings on these ships, from our shortlist of the Ponant calendar, with the fare as we last read it. Open one for the route, the map and our hotels at either end, or send it straight into the form.

  • 25 May 2027 · 7 nights · L'Austral

    Around the Emerald Isle

    Cork to Dublin

    From USD 16,440 per person1 stateroom left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    Route map: Cork to Dublin
    1. Day 1: Cork
    2. Day 2: Kinsale
    3. Day 3: Bantry
    4. Day 4: Dingle
    5. Day 5: Galway
    6. Day 6: Killybegs
    7. Day 7: Portrush
    8. Day 8: Dublin
    On the Ponant page

  • 6 Jun 2027 · 8 nights · Le Boréal

    Authentic Mediterranean Shores

    Valletta roundtrip

    From USD 13,860 per person4 staterooms left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    Route map: Valletta roundtrip
    1. Day 1: Valletta
    2. Day 2: Porto Empedocle, Sicily
    3. Day 3: Trapani, Sicily
    4. Day 4: Palermo, Sicily
    5. Day 5: Lipari, Aeolian Islands
    6. Day 6: Sailing in front of Stromboli
    7. Day 7: Reggio di Calabria
    8. Day 8: Syracuse, Sicily
    9. Day 9: Taormina, Sicily
    10. Day 10: Valletta
    On the Ponant page

  • 7 Dec 2027 · 10 nights · Le Lyrial

    Antarctica: Ocean (Re)Imagined - with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

    Ushuaia roundtrip

    From USD 33,120 per person1 stateroom left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    1. Day 1: Ushuaia
    2. Day 2: Crossing the Drake Passage
    3. Day 3: Antarctic Peninsula
    4. Day 4: Crossing the Drake Passage
    5. Day 5: Ushuaia
    On the Ponant page

  • 11 Dec 2027 · 8 nights · Le Soléal

    Multicultural Discoveries from Malaysia to Thailand

    Singapore to Phuket

    From USD 11,340 per person7 staterooms left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    1. Day 1: Singapore
    2. Day 2: Malacca
    3. Day 3: Port Klang
    4. Day 4: Penang (Georgetown)
    5. Day 5: Langkawi Island
    6. Day 6: Ko Rok Nok Island
    7. Day 7: Ko Kradan
    8. Day 8: Phang Nga
    9. Day 9: Phuket

    The night before you board

    Stay in Singapore

    After you disembark

    Stay in Phuket

    On the Ponant page

  • 26 Jun 2028 · 10 nights · Le Soléal

    Australia's Iconic Kimberley

    Broome to Darwin

    From USD 23,240 per person5 staterooms left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    1. Day 1: Broome
    2. Day 2: Lacepede Islands
    3. Day 3: Collier Bay
    4. Day 4: Careening Bay
    5. Day 5: Hunter River
    6. Day 6: Swift Bay
    7. Day 7: Vansittart Bay
    8. Day 8: King George River
    9. Day 9: At sea
    10. Day 10: Darwin
    On the Ponant page

  • 21 Jul 2028 · 7 nights · Le Boréal

    Icelandic mosaic

    Reykjavík roundtrip

    From USD 16,480 per person6 staterooms left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    1. Day 1: Reykjavík
    2. Day 2: Sailing in the Vestmannaeyjar
    3. Day 3: Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar
    4. Day 4: Grundarfjördur
    5. Day 5: Grímsey
    6. Day 6: Akureyri
    7. Day 7: Isafjördur
    8. Day 8: Reykjavík
    On the Ponant page

  • 12 Dec 2028 · 10 nights · Le Lyrial

    Emblematic Antarctica

    Ushuaia roundtrip

    From USD 29,300 per person6 staterooms left · read 9 Oct

    Booked through usUSD 1,500 from us at USD 40,000+ · Virtuoso amenities below that

    View the route
    1. Day 1: Ushuaia
    2. Day 2: Crossing the Drake Passage
    3. Day 3: Antarctic Peninsula
    4. Day 4: Crossing the Drake Passage
    5. Day 5: Ushuaia
    On the Ponant page

Ask us for the full calendar and the dates that suit you.

Each fare is the lowest stateroom or suite category still open when we last read Ponant's own booking data (the date is on the row), per person at double occupancy, and it changes as categories sell. The itineraries are the published day-by-day calls; Ponant sails thirteen ships and the ship is named on each departure; we confirm ship and fare at enquiry. The full calendar runs to roughly eight hundred departures.

Questions about The Sisterships

Which stateroom categories does The Sisterships have?
9 categories, as Ponant names them: Window or Porthole Stateroom, Lower deck balcony stateroom, Upper decks balcony stateroom, Deluxe Suite, Prestige Suite, Owner's Suite, Privilege Suite, Grand Suite and Grand Privilege Suite. Each is listed above with its size, its deck and the photographs Ponant publishes.
Can I choose a particular stateroom number on The Sisterships?
Usually, yes. Most Ponant categories are sold by stateroom number, so you can pick one from the deck plans above and we ask Ponant to hold it while the category is open. Some fares are sold as a guarantee, where the line assigns the stateroom later; we tell you which before you commit.
When does The Sisterships sail next?
Our shortlist above holds 7 Ponant sailings on these ships, 25 May 2027 to 12 Dec 2028. Ponant's own calendar is longer; tell us your month and we send every departure that fits.
What does the Ponant fare include on The Sisterships?
Ponant publishes the fare as including: Stateroom or suite and full board, from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last; The Open Bar, from the moment you board: mineral water, soft drinks, wines, beer, champagne, spirits, coffee and tea; One activity at each stop, chosen from a selection — guided outings led by naturalist experts (hiking, zodiac rides) or excursions led by local guides (monuments, tastings of local produce); Free 24/7 Wi-Fi in staterooms and public rooms, over the Starlink network. The full list, and what is charged separately, is on the Ponant page.
What changes when I book The Sisterships through Via Privata?
USD 1,500 onboard credit per suite. Credited by Via Privata on bookings of USD 40,000 or more — on top of the line's own amenities, at the fare you would pay booking direct. Below that, the Virtuoso amenity applies instead: a USD 100 shipboard credit per guest (USD 200 per stateroom) on all voyages, confirmed in writing at booking.
Which ships does this page cover?
4 ships: Le Boréal, L'Austral, Le Soléal and Le Lyrial. Plans as Ponant publishes them for the Sisterships, bow to the right. Decks 2 to 7 are the same on all four ships except Deck 6 of Le Lyrial, shown separately. We confirm the category of any stateroom number with Ponant before booking.

The other Ponant ships

Ponant: the line, what the fare includes, every sailing

Deck plans, stateroom sizes and photographs from Ponant's own published materials · read October 2026 · a size in parentheses isour arithmetic on the line's figures

Photography and deck plans appear courtesy of Ponant and remain the line's property; Via Privata shows them as an independent travel advisory that arranges Ponant bookings. We are not owned by or affiliated with the line, and all trademarks belong to their owners. Layouts can change at a refit: we confirm the plan for your sailing before you choose a room.

Enquire

Sail on The Sisterships

Tell us roughly when you would like to sail on The Sisterships. We reply with what is open, the fare and the stateroom worth having, with every benefit in writing.

No commitment — nothing is booked until you say so.