Travel Weekly caught up with Ponant’s Asia-Pacific vice president, Monique Ponfoort, to find out how the cruise line is coping through the COVID-19 pandemic and how she expects the sector to bounce back.

When does Ponant expect to begin cruising again?

Our teams around the world are working with head office in Marseille to redeploy the fleet when the time comes but, as you will appreciate, there are so many variables in play that all we can do is look at options as best we can when borders are likely to be reopened; when domestic and international flights will again operate at a viable level for significant numbers to travel; when adding to our already very high level of onboard health and safety protocols for cleaning, food preparation and serving have been revised; when social distancing, boarding procedures and medical health checks have been updated. So, the answer is we are not sure of the date, but we are undertaking the groundwork to recommence right now.

What support is Ponant offering travel agents and clients whose travel plans have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

In the ANZ markets, all our staff have relocated to operate from their homes (in itself a complex technical challenge) in order to provide secure remote-office access to the corporation’s main files and operating systems.

Add the massive increase in enquiries from our trade partners and travelling guests wanting to review bookings, ask questions, consider alternatives and discuss options, and you will understand the pressures our staff have been under as they work through the numerous individual requests in chronological priority, spending as much time as required on each query to maintain the high expectations individuals have in us.

I am very proud of just how well our staff are managing in these extraordinary circumstances.

How well has CLIA responded to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cruise industry, particularly in Australia? What could it have done better?

I think that CLIA has done a remarkable job in staying on top of this rapidly evolving global and local situation. They have clearly communicated with trade and mainstream media on a regular basis and provided excellent overview and updates.

Will the diehard cruisers return back to cruises faster than we all would rationally expect?

I can only respond in the context of Ponant, but our feedback from the trade and clients indicates that there is pent-up demand for our small-ship luxury expedition cruises to get going again as soon as feasibly possible.

Will river cruises rebound faster than ocean cruises?

This probably is dependent on the opening of borders and the end of self-isolation on entry to countries. Focusing on the Australia and New Zealand markets, I anticipate ocean cruising will commence before river cruising returns in Europe or Asia, in part because of convenience of boarding and disembarkation locally.

Ponant is well-positioned in that small-ship luxury expedition cruising is set for a strong comeback. The combination of a small-ship onboard environment with less numbers of passengers, attentive service and the world’s most modern fleet remains compelling, especially so when cruising recommences to places like the Kimberley, New Zealand, Melanesian and Polynesian islands and, of course, Antarctica.

Will the cruise industry ever be able to attract new cruisers after this?

It will take time; however, I am confident the industry will rebound and continue its growth. Australia now represents the world’s highest percentage of cruisers, yet only about one in 17 or so of our population cruise each year, so we have plenty of opportunity to attract more people to cruising in all its forms.

I think the cruise industry may find it hard, at least initially, to attract large numbers of new-to-cruise passengers, but experienced cruisers are most likely to travel again and their positive experiences will again attract more cruisers.

What will the future of cruising look like?

Once new protocols are established, the resurgence will depend upon boarders re-opening, cruise ships being allowed access to local waters, suitable flights and connections.

Most likely for our region, the ‘bubble’ that is being talked about will open up access between similarly virus-free states and then nations like New Zealand, followed by our South Pacific neighbours PNG, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Tahiti – all perfect for expedition cruising near home.

In Asia, nations with suppressed virus contamination will again welcome visitors and then at some stage the progressive reopening of European borders.

Potentially, some port authorities will have taken this time to review policies with regard to the impact of overtourism, and this may lead to greater restrictions on numbers of ships and passengers allowed at any one time. Again, Ponant’s small-ship fleet is well positioned in this scenario.