AMC, PONANT Explorations partnership approaches one year milestone

This October, PONANT Explorations and the Australian Maritime College (AMC) will mark the first anniversary of their partnership, which has provided navigation and engineering cadets with sea-time placements, mentorship and practical experience aboard the expedition operator’s fleet.

Since the program began in October 2025, 29 cadets have gained hands-on experience at sea across nine vessels. Together, they have recorded over seven years of sea time, sailing from the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean to the geographic North Pole.

Feedback from this year’s cohort points to a consistently positive experience. Cadets highlighted the crew culture and camaraderie on board, along with mentorship from officers who tailored their guidance to each cadet’s development. They also valued the level of responsibility entrusted to them as their skills progressed.

The operational tempo of the vessels, the frequency of port calls, interaction with guests and access to destinations outside the technical curriculum were also identified as important parts of the training.

The cadets’ experience extended beyond core navigation and engineering tasks. It included training on onboard equipment, helping build troubleshooting skills rather than simple operational familiarity, as well as public speaking and technical presentations. Cadets also developed practical skills in safety-drill coordination, vessel maintenance, regulatory and compliance reporting, celestial navigation and conversational French.

Safety was rated strongly and consistently across the responses gathered this year, with cadets saying it was treated as a clear priority across every department on board. They also pointed to the importance of interpersonal skills at sea, including learning to work constructively with different personalities without allowing those differences to affect the job.

Among this year’s cadets was Finn Arnold, who helped design and run a new fire-drill scenario aboard Le Bellot before leading the debrief.

“I gained confidence whilst running the scenario and knowing what should happen at each stage; I enjoyed leading the debrief afterward presenting to the team what had gone well and what we could improve on,” Mr Arnold said.

Mr Arnold completed 4.5 months of sea time earlier this year, sailing from the Seychelles to Iceland. He is due to return on board in late November for a further 4.5 months, sailing from Darwin to the Ross Sea in Antarctica, Micronesia and Japan.

The placements contribute to the 18 months of sea time required for Arnold to graduate as an officer.

“Beyond delivering the technical skills our students need, the PONANT Explorations program gives them confidence in their future at sea,” said AMC principal Mal Wise AM.

“It shows them that opportunities are real, their work matters, and their profession is respected and valued.”

The partnership, launched in October 2025, represents a long-term commitment to developing Australia’s maritime capabilities through sea-time placements. Recruitment for next summer’s intake is now under way, with applications open to students at AMC.

“I am so proud of what the cadets have achieved in this first year of our partnership,” said Deb Corbett, chief executive of PONANT Explorations Asia Pacific.

“We look forward to continuing to support the next generation of Australian seafarers.”