Ship reference
Le Soléal
Ship specifications and sources.
Quick facts
- Cruise line
- PONANT Explorations
- Class
- PONANT Sisterships
- Entered service
- 2013
- Status
- In service
About us Le Soléal
Le Soléal joined PONANT in 2013, following Le Boréal and L'Austral. Fincantieri delivered the vessel from Ancona that June. Its original service year also appears in contemporary French flag-state records of commercial cruising. The present ship retains permanent IMO 9641675, allowing its identity to be followed independently of later fleet descriptions.
Today the operator places Soléal among the four Sisterships. This is a fleet-family label, separate from a technical ice classification. Its current individual page specifies a maximum of 264 guests in 132 staterooms and suites, with 145 crew. These are present published figures rather than a crew number copied from its launch period.
Accommodation offers different views and configurations. Window or porthole categories should be compared separately from balcony rooms. Larger suites may have different living arrangements and relationships to connecting rooms. Check the exact reserved layout and room position, especially its relationship to lifts, outdoor areas and public spaces. A shared family design is not a substitute for that individual choice.
Current insurance particulars match the ship's IMO to gross tonnage of 10992 and registry in Mata Utu. Fincantieri specifies 142.1 metres overall length and a moulded beam of eighteen metres. The individual machinery description includes two electric propulsion motors and four Wärtsilä generating sets. The builder's service-speed figure remains separate from an unverified maximum-speed value.
The ship's published public areas include lounges, a theatre, pool and wellness facilities. Their relevance depends on how the booked itinerary balances sea time with activities ashore. A lecture programme can provide context for a destination, while the actual landing instructions explain the practical arrangements during the voyage. Compare the departure programme rather than assuming identical daily activities in every region.
When choosing between Soléal and a later Explorer, consider the real accommodation selection and public-space arrangement. Blue Eye belongs to the Explorer offering, rather than being a universal PONANT facility. A trip is best assessed through its vessel, route and dates together. Confirm the embarkation point before organising independent transport, and read shore activities on their own terms rather than treating the regional title as a complete description.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Year built | 2013 |
| Entered service | 2013 |
| Gross tonnage (GT) | 10,992 |
| Guests at double occupancy | — |
| Maximum guests | 264 |
| Crew | 145 |
| Cabins | 132 |
| Decks (total) | — |
| Length (m) | 142.1 |
| Beam (m) | 18 |
| Last verified refurbishment year | — |
| Maximum speed (knots) | — |
| IMO | 9641675 |
| Shipyard | Fincantieri, Ancona, Italy |
| Flag | France |
| Propulsion / fuel description | Diesel-electric propulsion with two 2300 kW electric motors and four Wärtsilä 8L20 generating sets |
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.
Last checked:
Sources
- Ponant — currentindividualprogramme — Accessed
Soleal264maximum132rooms;Lyrial245maximum122rooms;each145crew.
- Ponant — currentfamilygrouping — Accessed
Sisterships operatorfamilylabel noticeclass.
- Fincantieri — individualengineeringrecord — Accessed
Individual142.1LOA18moulded;2x2300motors4x8L20;designGTnotcurrentregisteredfigure.
- Fincantieri — actualindividualAnconadelivery — Accessed
28June2013/11April2015actualdelivery; notfirstpassengerdate.
- SteamshipMutual — currentindividual2026/27entry — Accessed
9641675/9704130;10992GT;MataUtuFrenchregistry.
- Frenchflagstate — contemporary2013commercialvoyagerecord — Accessed
ContemporarySeptember2013passengercruising confirmsactualserviceinbuildyear; casualtyreportnotcurrentoperationalassessment.