Ponant’s Le Boreal completed 15 years of service earlier this year after being delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard on April 27, 2010.

As the first ship in a series of four vessels known as Boreal Class, the expedition vessel was built at the shipbuilder’s yard in Ancona, Italy.

Designed to offer an upscale experience, the ships in the series are described as mega yachts in terms of size and appearance.

According to Fincantieri, at the time, the design was highlighted by a larger-than-average number of private balconies, which were present in 94 percent of the vessels’ staterooms.

Le Boreal was also built with sustainability in mind, featuring what the shipyard called cutting-edge technologies to reduce environmental impact.

The 10,700-ton ship was also designed to visit destinations that can’t be reached by larger cruise ships.

As part of its maiden season, Le Boreal sailed in the Mediterranean, offering summer cruises before repositioning to Northern Europe and the Baltic.

For its inaugural voyage, the vessel offered a seven-night cruise between the French ports of Marseille and Nice.

The 264-guest ship then repositioned to North America to offer a fall foliage season in the Great Lakes and Canada.

Before heading to Antarctica in early 2011, the vessel also offered itineraries in South America and the Caribbean.

In 2025, Le Boreal is scheduled to offer a fall season in Canada and New England before repositioning to South America.

The ship is then set to offer an expedition to the Chilean Fjords ahead of kicking off a schedule of exploration cruises to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

The vessel is scheduled to return to Europe next May for a series of summer cruises in the Mediterranean and the Greek Islands.

Le Boreal was later followed by three sister ships: L’Austral in 2011, Le Soleal in 2013 and Le Lyrial in 2015.