Snapshot

Le Lyrial, which debuted in April 2015 from the French cruise line Ponant, is one of a handful of vessels that can rightly be called a luxury expedition ship. The intimate yacht, with no more than 264 passengers, visits exquisite ports of call around the world while guests revel in her lean, modern design and welcoming atmosphere.

Like her sister ships — Le Boreal, L'Austral and Le Soleal — Le Lyrial has been built for upscale, yacht-like cruising to exotic destinations around the globe. She also has been specially outfitted for the icy terrain of Antarctica, where she spends several months a year. The ship carries a dozen Zodiacs used to take passengers on expedition-like outings.

Fully 95% of Le Lyrial's 122 staterooms and suites have private balconies. Throughout the ship, you'll find a contemporary decor inspired by the ship's destinations. The experienced crew has a reputation for solicitous, personal service, and you can coordinate excursions in port with the port excursions manager. Socialize in the lounges or on deck, or carve out some quiet time and read in the library or while enjoying the salt air.

Language spoken on board, you ask? English and French. The crew is bilingual, with many of the service staff from Asia.

Courtesy of Ponant Having fun on Le Lyrial's sun deck.

Where Le Lyrial sails

Le Lyrial offers a wide range of itineraries that stop at small, exotic ports. Cruise from Lisbon to Cadiz, Casablanca , Funchal (on Madeira) and Arerecife (Canary Islands). Or sail from Athens to Katakolo (Greece), Lipari and Salerno (Italy), Bonifacio and Calvi (France), then on to Marseille. Or have the experience of your life and cruise to Antarctica. 

Your take

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Interested in a cruise on this ship?

If you're interested in a cruise on Le Lyrial, contact a Cruiseable travel advocate at 1-877-322-3773 or by email. You'll get a better deal than you can get by contacting the cruise line directly.

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