L’Astral was launched in 2011 by French line Ponant. The elegant, yacht-like atmosphere suits couples and solo cruisers who enjoy good food and service. The 10,944 tonne ship carries 264 passengers and 140 crew.

[fa type=”bed”] Accommodation

There is a total of 132 staterooms in nine categories, all with outside views. The largest accommodation is the Owners Suite which measure 485 square feet. All staterooms have a mini-bar, flat-screen television, DVD player, individually controlled air conditioning and marble bathroom.

[fa type=”cutlery”] Food

The main dining room on board is the Gastronomic Restaurant which features French cuisine. The Grill offers indoor/outdoor open seating for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[fa type=”ticket”] Activities

The wellness area on board includes a hammam, treatment rooms, hair Salon, beauty corner and spacious terraces. Treatments include massage, facials, manicure and pedicure. The gym has panoramic views. The theatre is used for lectures and shows.

[fa type=”group”] Families

There are no facilities or programs for children on board L’Austral. There is a small kids’ playroom in the leisure area.

Verdict

– Cruise Passenger

The crew were excellent in discovering and spotting wildlife throughout the tour. The A&K crew work closely with the Le Boreal crew to make decisions where and when to visit different spots and their work to manage the travel speed during great weather to provide buffer when wildlife was spotted was very much appreciated. Only one of the landings/expeditions was a poor location or a bad use of time in the Greenland fjords. It is possible we were fortunate to spot wildlife on every other landing/expedition and this one was merely normal. I think we saw a total of 12 polar bears on our trip which was very exceptional and fortunate to the hard work of the crew to be watching and searching for wildlife 24×7. Be ready, the sightings may not occur until 1:00 or 3:00 in the morning, but when you have 24 hours of daylight in the Arctic Circle, it is much easier to stay up late. . – cowprintrabbit

– Cruise Critic

– Berlitz