French luxury cruise line Ponant has unveiled a variety of Christmas and New Year itineraries close to home offering flight credits and no single supplement.

So if you don’t want to slave at the kitchen preparing the Christmas turkey, then consider taking your family on a holiday on the high seas to celebrate the festive season.

You can visit the pristine wilderness of Tasmania, uncover New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands or head to exotic South East Asia.

Here are the highlights:

Celebrate Christmas on an expedition to New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands.

On this 14-nights journey onboard Le Soleal you will experience a unique voyage to explore NZ’s Southwest World Heritage area, home to the breathtaking Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds. The cruise departs on 17 December 2024.

You will then head to the Snare Islands, a wildlife haven with colonies of fur seals. The Subantarctic Islands. often referred as the Galapagos of the Southern Ocean, are some of the most protected and preserved  environments on the planet. It is also the playground of the Royal Albatross and a nature-lover’s dream come true.

For more details click here.

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Christmas cruise from Singapore

Departing on 20 December onboard Le La Perouse the 8-night voyage will visit the hidden gems of Southeast Asia visiting Penang, Malacca, Langkawi Island, Lumut and Singapore.  You will have a chance to immerse in the local cultures to make this an unforgettable Christmas.

For more information click here.

Christmas and the Yacht Race to Tasmania.

This is a 10-night cruise in board Le Jacques-Cartier departs on 23 December 2024 to celebrate the festive season through Tasmania’s amazing wilderness, exploring UNESCO-listed Maria Island, tasting gourmet food on King Island and visiting the remote village of Stanley. You will cap off this adventure with a spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks in Constitution Dock.

For more information click here.

New Years’s Eve cruise from Dunedin to Auckland.

You will enjoy a $1500 flight credit per person if you book this 15-nights cruise onboard Le Soleal which will depart Dunedin on 31 December. Ponant is also offering free solo supplement. The voyage will explore the South Island and the North Island, offering stunning nature and captivating wildlife such as gannets, whales and seals. You will visit the untouched wilderness of Stewart Island, fjords, and Akaroa. You can also go hiking and kayaking.

For more information on this itinerary click here.

For more information, click here.