Ship reference
Le Champlain
Ship specifications and sources.
Quick facts
- Cruise line
- PONANT Explorations
- Class
- PONANT Explorers
- Entered service
- 2018
- Status
- In service
About us Le Champlain
Le Champlain was delivered in September 2018 as the second PONANT Explorer. Vard identifies Søviknes in Norway as the outfitting yard, with yard number 849 and the VARD 6 08 design. It follows Le Lapérouse in the series but has its own permanent identity, IMO 9814038.
A Barbados tourism authority report records its first local call on 27 December 2018. This independently confirms commercial cruising in the original delivery year. That historical Caribbean visit is not treated as an enduring homeport or as a description of every current deployment. The actual departure and itinerary remain the reference for today's travel planning.
The operator currently lists a maximum of 184 guests in 92 staterooms and suites, with 118 crew. These present figures are separated from older brochure complements and the builder's total-persons accommodation measure. Maximum guests, double occupancy and all persons aboard are different quantities. The explicitly labelled guest maximum is the basis used here.
Champlain belongs to the Explorer family with its Blue Eye underwater lounge. That feature offers a particular setting for observing and sensing the sea from within the ship. Other onboard spaces and the accommodation layout should be assessed through the individual plan. A shared design does not guarantee identical room positions, departure programmes or experiences across every sister ship.
Vard's individual particulars give 131 metres overall length and eighteen metres moulded beam. The current insurer entry matches the IMO with gross tonnage of 10022 and registry in Mata Utu. Rounded approximate figures for the series are kept separate from this ship's identity-specific record. No maximum speed is inferred from an unspecified cruising-speed statement.
For a useful comparison with the larger Sisterships, consider the actual accommodation selection and the itinerary's rhythm. Time at sea, small-boat activities and conventional port visits may place different demands on your day. Read the individual activity descriptions and choose the room configuration that fits your party. Then organise flights or independent stays around the confirmed embarkation point and dates. A regional label is a starting point, while the booked programme explains the practical travel experience.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Year built | 2018 |
| Entered service | 2018 |
| Gross tonnage (GT) | 10,022 |
| Guests at double occupancy | — |
| Maximum guests | 184 |
| Crew | 118 |
| Cabins | 92 |
| Decks (total) | — |
| Length (m) | 131 |
| Beam (m) | 18 |
| Last verified refurbishment year | — |
| Maximum speed (knots) | — |
| IMO | 9814038 |
| Shipyard | Vard Søviknes, Norway (outfitting yard) |
| Flag | France |
| Propulsion / fuel description | — |
A dash means no independently verified value is available. Guest counts at double occupancy and maximum capacity are different measures. GT measures enclosed volume, not weight.
Other ships in the same recorded class
Shared class does not guarantee identical cabins, venues or deck layouts.
| Le Bellot | PONANT Explorers | 2020 | 9,888 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Bougainville | PONANT Explorers | 2019 | 9,988 |
| Le Dumont d’Urville | PONANT Explorers | 2019 | 9,988 |
| Le Jacques Cartier | PONANT Explorers | 2020 | 9,988 |
| Le Lapérouse | PONANT Explorers | 2018 | 10,022 |
Last checked:
Sources
- Ponant — currentindividualprogramme — Accessed
184maximum92rooms118crew; BlueEyeExplorerfeature.
- Ponant — currentExplorerfamily — Accessed
- Vard — individualdelivery and explicittechnicalbasis — Accessed
SoviknesOUTFITTINGnotentirehullbuildchain;June/September2018;131LOA18moulded. 10000tlabeldeadweightnotadoptedasregisteredGT;290allpersonsnotpax.
- SteamshipMutual — currentindividual2026/27entry — Accessed
Individual9814026/9814038;10022GT;MataUtuFrenchregistry.
- BarbadosTourism — actual2018inauguralportcall — Accessed
2018actualfirstlocalcall27December; notpermanenthomeport.