![](/get-image-version/verybig/uploads/trips/feature/expedition_along_st_lawrence_luxury_le_lyrial_picture.jpg)
The river that turns into an ocean, sublime scenery inhabited by wild fauna, the echo of history that reverberates on the bend of a shore, during an all-new expedition cruise, PONANT invites you to sail up the Saint Lawrence aboard Le Lyrial. During 12 unforgettable days, the woodsy aromas of boreal forests will embellish the panoramas of this unique region in the world.
Your journey starts in the heart of the peaceful Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago. In these distant lands, the hilly horizon is dotted with ponds, the forest blends with the peat bogs, and the coastlines alternate between lagoons and sheer cliffs. During a hike, attempt to get a glimpse of the wildlife that is found here.
You will leave this part of France at the other side of the world to arrive on the island of Newfoundland. “The Rock” honours its nickname: the mountains here plunge into the clear sea while the fjords slip inland. Although it appears inhospitable, this territory was nonetheless one of the first sites in the New World to become known in Europe. Basque whalers took up residence here in the 16th century, and the Vikings had settled here as of 1000; these multiple influences make it an essential historic site.
As you continue your cruise, the rocky landscapes gradually make way for more fertile wooded expanses. North of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the sugar maple, yellow birch and American beech trees make up a unique and splendid forest, and the islands punctuate these rich waters in which many cetaceans frolic. Along these little-known shores, visit exciting historical sites and dive into the discovery of Innuit and Innu civilisations.
The salt water gradually becomes fresh water as you enter what is known as “the Walking Path”, the renowned Saint Lawrence River. The soul of an entire people runs through its waters, and nature is breath-taking throughout it. Open your eyes to see, from land or from sea, the many species of birds and the marine mammals, including blue whales. You will soon enter the heart of the Saguenay River, whose shores rise up as cliffs, sometimes more than 500 metres (1,640 feet) high. After discovering the city of Saguenay, you will visit incredible Quebec City. Founded by Samuel de Champlain in the 17th century, the capital of the Belle Province ("beautiful province”) is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its magnificent historic centre.
Your journey will end in the warm and cosmopolitan Canadian city of Montreal.
- An all-new expedition cruise from discreet Saint Pierre and Miquelon to the warm city of Montreal, along the Saint Lawrence River, discovering fascinating nature and history.
- Outings and shore visits with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
- Possibility of hiking in the heart of abundant nature.
- The island of Newfoundland, its rich history between Viking and Basque immigrations and its sumptuous scenery, to be discovered in particular during unforgettable hikes.
- The exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with its fishing villages, its territories planted with forests, its historical vestiges and the possibility of observing many sea mammals.
- Sailing on the Saint Lawrence, an ocean-like river and home to a rich ecosystem.
- Visiting the city of Quebec and discovering its historic centre, a UNESO World Heritage Site.
- Landscapes: peat bogs, jagged mountains, sheer cliffs, majestic fjords and boreal forests.
- Wildlife: white-tailed deer, snowy owls, bald eagles, gannets, Atlantic puffins, razorbills, grey seals and harbour seals, blue whales, beluga whales, minke whales.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or [email protected]) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
![Deluxe Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/deluxe_suite_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 4](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_stateroom_4__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 6](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_stateroom_6__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Grand Privilege Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/grand_privilige_deluxe_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Superior Stateroom](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/superior_stateroom_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Suite - Deck 5](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_suite_deck_5__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![DeLuxe Stateroom](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/deluxe_stateroom_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Grand Deluxe Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/grand_suite_deluxe_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Owner’s suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/owners_suite_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Privilege Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/privilige_suite_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 5](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_stateroom_5__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or [email protected]) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 4](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_stateroom_4__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Deluxe Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/deluxe_suite_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 5](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_stateroom_5__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Privilege Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/privilige_suite_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Owner’s suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/owners_suite_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![DeLuxe Stateroom](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/deluxe_stateroom_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Superior Stateroom](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/superior_stateroom_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Suite - Deck 5](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_suite_deck_5__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 6](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/prestige_stateroom_6__le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Grand Deluxe Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/grand_suite_deluxe_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
![Grand Privilege Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-lyrial/grand_privilige_deluxe_le_lyrial_new.jpg)
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or [email protected]) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
![Prestige Suite - Deck 5](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/ptrstige_suite_deck_5_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 6](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/prestige_stateroom_deck_6_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Owner’s suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/owners_suite_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 4](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/prestige_stateroom_deck_4_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![DeLuxe Stateroom](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/deluxe_stateroom_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Prestige Stateroom - Deck 5](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/prestige_stateroom_deck_5_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Superior Stateroom](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/superior_stateroom_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Deluxe Suite](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/deluxe_suite_le_boreal_new.jpg)
![Prestige Suite - Deck 6](/get-image-version/medium/uploads/cabin-photos/le-boreal/ptrstige_suite_deck_6_le_boreal_new.jpg)
Off the Canadian coast, discover Saint Pierre Island, one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago, the only French territory in North America. Endowed with a natural harbour, the island, whose name is a reference to the patron saint of fishermen, developed around the fishing industry and still has many traces of its past today. Whale hunting, cod fishing, alcohol smuggling during the Prohibition: all of these memories are still very much alive in the capital, Saint-Pierre. The island is also renowned for the observation of exceptional fauna including, among others, whales, fin whales, dolphins, seals, puffins and petrels.
At the entrance of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, not far from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Miquelon is one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago and will delight those with a love of wide open space. Made up of three peninsulas connected by long sand spits, this wild land, famous for being home to France’s only boreal forest, has sublime scenery of hills, dotted with ponds, woods and bogs, and ringed by lagoons and steep cliffs. The rich and varied wildlife is the promise of fine encounters, whether inland, populated with white-tailed deer, snowy owls and bald eagles, or on the coast, home to many sea birds and grey seals.
Standing guard at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, the Canadian island of Newfoundland, battered by the waters and storms of the North Atlantic, stirs the imagination. Officially discovered by the navigator Jean Cabot in 1497, Newfoundland bears the traces of a Viking occupation around the year 1000. The island also carries the memory of the Terre-Neuvas, tough cod and whale fishermen from Brittany or the Basque Country. From the 16th century, these seamen would set off for long months on perilous but lucrative fishing trips along the Grand Banks, shoal waters teeming with fish, but where fog and hurricanes reign. These days, the summer is an ideal time of year for whale watching, observing icebergs drifting by from Greenland, and hiking.
Set off in the wake of the discoverers of Quebec during an unprecedented exploration of the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Jacques Cartier landed there during his first voyage in 1534, and the fishing trade subsequently attracted many settlers. The first peoples to settle in the region around 9,000 years ago were the Innu and the Naskapi. Today, several communities maintain a nomadic lifestyle close to nature. From Havre-Saint-Pierre, you will be able to discover the Mingan Archipelago, where limestone monoliths sculpted by erosion rise from the waters, forming an enchanting decor. Aboard local boats, the naturalist guides will help you identify the rich marine wildlife and a multitude of birds.
In the St. Lawrence estuary, the small town of Les Escoumins is the nearest inhabited town to Tadoussac. Its pretty bay marks the entrance to the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, a marine protected area where some 2,200 different species can be found. The small local boats are allowed to approach the finback whales, humpback whales, belugas and seals in the summer months, as long as they follow the rules regarding distance and speed. Witnessing one of these giant mammals blow and appear on the water’s surface is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime experience! You can also watch the animals easily from the beautiful granite rocks lining the bay.
Sailing on the Saguenay River is your guarantee of majestic sights in the heart of Quebec. This river, which originates in the Laurentian Highlands of Lac Saint-Jean and reaches the famous Saint-Laurent River, offers unforgettable landscapes to those who cross it. The river’s trajectory moves between cliffs that rise up over 500 metres tall (1,640 feet). Sculpted during the last ice age, the lower part of the Saguenay forms a fjord whose spectacular beauty will surprise you. The city of Saguenay nestles in a valley through which flows the eponymous river, one of the region’s treasures. As it joins the Saint-Lawrence, the Saguenay River forms a spectacular fjord boasting extraordinarily differing landscapes. From Saguenay, you can explore the attractive Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, which is a paradise for those who love the great outdoors. You can combine country walks with boat trips within the various national parks studded throughout this extraordinary natural kingdom.
The capital of "La Belle Province" sits at the confluence of the St Charles River and the Gulf of St Lawrence in south-east Canada. Founded in the 17th century, the city still has an encircling wall, a historic civil engineering work and the only one of its kind remaining in North America. You will love the postcard-perfect stone houses of Old Quebec, the historic district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shopping is a pleasure in pedestrian streets such as Petit-Champlain Street, or you can relax over a spruce beer, seasoned with pine buds. Dufferin Boardwalk, an esplanade near the emblematic Château Frontenac, is the perfect place for views of the river and old city.
Famous for its gentle way of life, Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, is a warm and cosmopolitan metropolis. Situated on the eponymous river island, it is home to a multitude of districts, each as unique as the other. Set off to discover Old Montreal, most of which is declared a historic area, Little Italy, where you’ll be able to stroll around the largest open-air market in North America, or the Golden Square Mile, the luxurious district located on one of the hills of Mount Royal and which has sumptuous Victorian-style residences. Simultaneously marked by the influences of the Old Continent and North-American gigantism, Montreal will never cease to amaze you.
Itineraries are subject to change.
Le Boreal
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Luxury Expedition / Cruise Ship
A superb mega-yacht with 132 cabins, she is the fruit of the expertise of the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and French sophistication, as interpreted by designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. Le Boreal creates a unique atmosphere, a subtle blend of luxury, intimacy and well-being.
The best materials, discreet elegance and a tasteful décor combined with exterior and interior lines to reflect a nautical mood. On board, soothing neutral tones are enlivened by splashes of red, our signature theme linking tradition and innovation to create personal touches in the spirit of a “private yacht”.
Cuisine
Loyal to the great French tradition, the haute cuisine on board is worthy of the finest restaurants, where discreet, attentive service is the hallmark.
Choose from two restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Gastronomic Restaurant is situated on Le Liberte Deck and serves you French and international cuisine accompagnied by fine wine. In the Grill Restaurant, you have the opportuniny to eat outside and enjoy buffet lunch and themed dinner.
Life On Board
Whether you want to join other guests in the theatre or games area (Wii™ consoles, etc), or relax on your own in a quiet corner of the library, Le Boreal has been designed to meet the needs of every guest.
Everything has been done to preserve the independence of each guest to suit their personal tastes: lounges for lectures and shows, a spa in partnership with Carita™, but also more intimate spaces such as the library and internet corner. Comfortable cabins, nearly all with private balcony, are available for families either as triples or as communicating cabins. There is also a games area with Wii™ consoles, children’s menus, and a baby-sitting ser vice. Just as if you were on a private yacht, your time is your own to do as you please.
Fitted with the latest equipment (Kinesis Wall, running machine) and in partnership with the famous Carita™ brand, the Beauty Centre on Le Boreal welcomes you for some relaxation and pampering (beauty treatments, hairdresser, hammam, balneotherapy).
Wheelchairs3 specially adapted wheelchair cabins (Deck 3 = Superior cabin no. 307, no balcony, Deck 4 = Prestige Cabin no. 407 - with balcony and Deck 5 = Prestige Cabin no 509, with balcony) and lifts to all decks/areas.
DetailsLength: 142 metres. Passenger Capacity: 264 (in twin cabins, just 200 in Antarctica). Built: 2011
Please click the following links to read more about Ponant and the other Ponant cruise ships.
![Cabin layout for Le Boreal](/get-image-version/big/uploads/ponant/planche_ponts_sisterships_en_copie.jpg)
Le Lyrial
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Length: | 142 metres |
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Launched | 2015 |
A sleek silhouette, a welcoming intimate atmosphere, discover aboard this new ship the philosophy that has made our sisterships such a success: the spirit of Yacht Cruises.
Sailing under the French flag, this magnificent yacht of only 122 staterooms and Suites, with balconies, will join our fleet in April 2015. You will be enchanted by the contemporary decor inspired by the our destinations and the blue light of the Vega star in the Lyra constellation. The result is a subtle variation around a palette of blues, ranging from the luminous delicate grey-blue of the Polar ice to splashes of the vivid turquoise blue found in Mediterranean coves
A refined ambiance is enhanced by the quality of the workmanship and materials: white Corian counters in the lobby contrast with the warmth of leather to recall a boat’s hull, while the central sculpture of enamelled pieces takes its inspiration from the sea. In the loungebar, the carpet picks up a tennis stripe theme symbolising a certain idea of cruising, one synonymous with French elegance and a chic seaside spirit.
Please click the following links to read more about Ponant and the other Ponant cruise ships.
Includes
- accommodation in stateroom,
- the full meal plan,
- the Open Bar: beginning with boarding, and during the duration of the cruise, a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Charles Heidsieck champagne, spirits, coffee, tea) is served on request and at any time of the day. Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar,
- free Wi-Fi internet access 24 hours a day*,
- access to all the common areas:
- fitness room, steam room, hair salon, swimming pool (sea water, heated), solarium, lounges, theater, boutique & leisure area.