PONANT , France's number 2 cruise company and world leader in polar expeditions celebrates 30 years of existence. It was on 1 April 1988 that the adventure began in Nantes, where 14 young Merchant Navy officers aged 23 to 29, including Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, still active as CEO, and Philippe Videau, decided to create the company, which first took the name COMPAGNIE des ÎLES du PONANT (it became COMPAGNIE du PONANT in 2009 and simply PONANT in 2014). PONANT is the only cruise company in France flying the Tricolore. by Earl of Cruise based on an article by Vincent Groizeleau at Mer et Marine LE PONANT in the port of Bonifacio, Corsica - Sourece: Wikipedia ( original seize ) The first ship, built in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, was born in 1991. It is the sailboat and cruise vessel LE PONANT , a modern three-masted ship of 85.5 meters long with 32 cabins, still in service. LE PONANT´s sails became the logo of PONANT. LE LEVANT - Source: Wikipedia ( original seize ) ...
HISTORY - One of the earliest steam ship companies in the world ÖSTERREICHISCHER LLOYD was founded in 1833 - I 1833-55
ÖSTERREICHISCHER LLOYD , in its corporate language Italian, LLOYD AUSTRIACO, was founded in 1833 by 19 insurance and banking companies and 127 private shareholders in Trieste after they got the permission from the government of Austria-Hungary. ÖSTERREICHISCHER LLOYD develped into one of the biggest shipping companies of the world. From the start the corporate language was Italian. After WWI it became LLOYD TRIESTINO and is stillexisting as ITALIA MARITTIMA , a subsidiary of EVERGREEN MARINE . by Earl of Cruise ARCIDUCA LUDOVICO of 1837 - Source: Civico Museo del Mare Trieste In my previously published article about AUSTRO-AMERICANA I wrote about the naval heritage of Austria-Hungary and my special personal interest in its shipping companies. Austria-Hungary is so far more than what I mentioned there and forgott mentioning its most prominent citizen, Kaiserin Elisabeth , named Sisi, empress of Austria and Apostolic Queen of Hungary . Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österr...