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News: Le Ponant Headed for Djibouti
Zegrahm Expeditions and its family of travelers is so very pleased to learn of the news that Le Ponant’s crew is free and safe. Thanks go to our many travelers who contacted us, shared their feelings, prayed for this result. Le Ponant, under the command of Captain Patrick Marchesseau, is now headed to Djibouti for arrival April 15. We hope for a speedy recovery for the crew members as they are reunited with their families and friends.
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We are delighted at the effective action of the French, who both put the crew’s safety first, and then immediately acted to punish the pirates. The news that Le Ponant is on the move to Djibouti leaves up the hope that she is now - or will soon be — back in the hands of her owners.
Hi All! Lia here…For those that JUST traveled on Le Ponant with Zegrahm Expeditions and Stanford when I led the Seychelles voyages in February and March, no I was not still on board! Thank you to many people who have been emailing me! What a shock to hear the news while I was waiting in France to rejoin the ship in Aqaba. But now it is such happy news that everyone is free and I just heard from the Chief Officer Mickael that they flew a new crew of officers down to bring the ship up to Marseille. If she is not already on her way to her home port then she will be soon. Right now in fact, I am leading the Zegrahm Expeditions and Archaeological Institute of America - Petra to the Pyramids voyage which was supposed to go through the Suez Canal on Le Ponant. Of course Zegrahm Expeditions scrambled to put together a GREAT itinerary for us after we learned that we would not have Le Ponant and we are having a GREAT time doing the trip mostly by land but we did charter a plane and crossed the gulf of AQABA from Jordan to Egypt in our own private sailboat. We hiked all through Petra and then did the Wadi Rum Desert by Four Wheel Drive…We have hiked up Mt. Sinai and stayed overnight by St. Catherine’s Monastery. Everyone got a chance to snorkel in the Red Sea at Ras Mohammed National Marine Park in the Sinai off Sharm El Sheikh and now we are in Alexandria and I’m writing to you all from the famous LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA (Which now has internet access)! So Yes, we miss our favorite ship Le Ponant but we are so thrilled that things turned out so well. What a relief for their families and for all of their friends and shipmates. In fact our land group here is going up to Ismalia on the Suez Canal on Tuesday and maybe with a little luck she’ll be passing through on that day. If we see the ship I promise to send a big wave and a big kiss her way for all of us who have traveled aboard and all who will again! I’m sure there will be a few tears of happiness shed as well. Take care all and Fair Winds, Lia Oprea- Expedition Leader - Zegrahm Expeditions