Designed to visit both the North and South Poles, Le Soléal, the latest ship from Marseilles, France–based Compagnie du Ponant, has just made its maiden voyage, departing from Venice to cruise to Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic to Russia, and then heading to Japan, Southeast Asia, India, and back to the Mediterranean.
Setting itself apart from other cruising companies that boast enormous vessels with Vegas-like amenities, Compagnie du Ponant designs it…