Ponant is getting closer to building a new concept cruise ship that will be carbon neutral, according to CEO Hervé Gastinel.

“We’re thinking of something very different than what we have been doing so far,” Gastinel told Cruise Industry News.

He said the company was very serious about sustainability.

“We want the most modern fleet with the best technology aboard,” Gastinel noted.

“It’s a new kind of vessel. It has to be carbon neutral. It has to demonstrate the ability of the company to be at the forefront of sustainable tourism,” he added.

Gastinel said the ship was in the concept and design phase, with the company evaluating various technologies and what guests may be expecting after the pandemic.

It will certainly be a small ship, he continued, in the 100 to 200 guest range, and targeting slow travel with flexible itineraries.

“Our captains have this freedom to adjust the itineraries,” he said.

Technologies being evaluated for the company’s 14th ship include everything, from sails to hydrogen, Gastinel added.

“When you think about hydrogen, you can also produce your own hydrogen aboard. It is something that is feasible. Having an autonomous ship would be the ultimate solution.”