In 2018, the French company Ponant applied to enter the area of Chesterfield Islands once per year with a vessel carrying 180 guests.
Although the government of New Caledonia had not yet made a decision, the cruise company unveiled it had suspended the project in order "to find the time for more discussions."
Beginning in Auckland NZ, the 14-day voyage was due to visit the Chesterfield Islands, that the company describes as "an archipelago lost in the Coral Sea teeming with seabirds and sea turtles."
An alternative stop is to be sought.
However, Ponant's website still offers seats on La Laperouse and lists the islands as part of its itinerary.
In October 2018, Ponant was fined in NZ for ship grounding in a protected area in 2017.