HIGHLIGHTS
- Through
PONANT’s alliance with The Explorers Club, this voyage will
feature English-Speaker David Borish, a social scientist and
documentary filmmaker who is pushing the boundaries of the use of
audiovisual methods to explore and understand the relationships between
humans and animals in the Arctic and Subarctic. We are also joined by
The Explorers Club French-Speaker Ghislain Bardout who has advanced
expertise in deep polar diving expeditions, on behalf of his
organization, Under The Pole’s mission, focused on scientific
discovery and raising awareness.
- We
also welcome a team of two Explorers Club Science Grantees, Dr. Ari
Koeppel, Research Associate at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center and Dr.
Christopher S. Edwards, Associate Professor of Planetary Science at
Northern Arizona University. For their research project on
this voyage, they’ll carry out a suite of measurements to
track and help determine the thawing of ice and permafrost to enhance
our understanding of land surface processes via remote sensing on Mars
and Earth. Expect their findings to offer captivating narratives and
valuable insights.
- With
the presence of Ian Dawson and Sue Flood, British Photo Ambassadors.
- The
eye and the advice of our photo ambassador, a privileged opportunity to
immortalise your trip with, in the programme: workshops, conferences
and personalized advice to improve your photographic skills.
- The
crossing of the Northwest Passage by a unique maritime route, long
coveted by the great explorers, only accessible thanks to Le Commandant
Charcot, capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice.
- Enjoy
the unique comfort of Commander Charcot during days of exploration on
board, where time stands still in the middle of the ice floe, in the
special silence of the polar desert.
- The
west coast of Greenland, between traditional villages, glaciers and
monumental icebergs.
- Meeting
the Inuit communities of the west coast of Greenland.
- Discovery
of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
- An
exploration into the heart of the ice in the Northwest Passage and the
contemplation of sublime reliefs of unspoiled and immaculate
landscapes, which are constantly changing.
- Landscapes:
icy channels, fjords, vast expanses of ice floe, icerbergs (Disko Bay),
myriads of jagged islands, blue-toned glaciers, mountain chains,
vertiginous walls, expanses of tundra.
- Fauna:
Arctic foxes, sea birds, belugas, bowhead whales, walruses and the
possibility of seeing polar bears.
- Brand-new
activities: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, ice fishing, polar plunge.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Prestige Stateroom-I | Prestige Stateroom-II | Prestige Stateroom-III | Deluxe Suite-I | Deluxe Suite-II | Deluxe Suite-III | Prestige Suite-I | Prestige Suite-II | Grand Prestige Suite | Privilege Suite | Duplex Suite | Owner's Suite |
|---|
| Aug 12, 2024 | Sep 05, 2024 | 50,140 | 51,080 | 52,010 | 53,400 | 55,740 | 57,620 | 73,490 | 75,830 | 78,170 | 82,830 | 113,190 | N/A |
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Prestige Stateroom-I | (Mid-range)
Prestige Suite-I | (High-end)
Owner's Suite |
|---|
| Aug 12, 2024 | Sep 05, 2024 | 50,140 | 73,490 | N/A |
ITINERARY
Day
1 : REYKJAVÍK
Iceland’s
capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the
country. Perlan, the “Pearl of
Reykjavík”, a museum located on
’Oskjuhlið hill, offers a panoramic view of the lush,
green landscapes. A little further, one can easily spot the signpost
showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church,
and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the
Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two
lively streets with charming small shops. For some relaxation just
outside of the city, visitors have the opportunity to visit the
Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.
Day
2 : AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
3 : PRINS CHRISTIAN SUND
Your
ship glides silently towards the Greenland coast, in a setting
punctuated by pointed peaks and majestic glaciers… You are
on the verge of crossing the Prins Christian Sund, a narrow channel
that stretches out and zigzags over some one hundred kilometres between
Greenland’s south-east and south-west. Fall under the spell
of the primitive beauty of these unique landscapes, including rocky
cliffs and waterfalls that are fed by the ice sheet and plunge into the
icy waters. Here, bearded seals love to lie on the floating ice to soak
up the sunshine.
Day
3 : KUJALLEQ GLACIER
In
the immense and mythical Greenland, in the Prince Christian Sound
region, your ship will make its way to the Kujalleq Glacier. You will
be captivated by this frozen tongue, in front of which dance small
icebergs and a few growlers. Growler is the surprising name given to
chunks of ice that are smaller fragments of an iceberg. They are either
white or, more remarkably, blue-green. Birds fly in your wake and
bearded seals observe you from afar, stretched out on granite rocks.
Combined with the surrounding ice, these rocks form a magical landscape
that immerses you in the polar realm.
Day 4 :
QAQORTOQ
Follow
the Davis Strait currents and Qaqortoq, the largest town in southern
Greenland, reveals itself in a rocky setting covered in immaculate
white in winter and enchanting green in summer. From the moment your
ship enters the fjord edging the town, off in the distance you will be
able to glimpse the delightful, brightly-coloured houses built upon the
hillsides surrounding this charming fishing port, the most southerly in
Greenland. You will have the opportunity to wander around the streets
of the town centre which have distinct Danish influences and are home
to numerous historical buildings and landmarks, such as the
country’s famous and oldest fountain, topped with whales. Not
far from there, you will also have the chance to discover the
town’s open-air fish market, where fishermen come to sell the
day’s catch.
Day
5 : IKKA FJORD
As
you sail through the majestic Ikka Fjord in south-west Greenland, you
will discover over 10,000 years of underwater geology, for mysterious
columns up to 20 metres high, formed several millennia ago, rise up
from the seabed. Their material, ikaite, gives the fjord its name.
Truly magical! You glide over calm, clear waters amidst breathtaking
mountains in the endlessly wild, huge area of Greenland.
Day
6 : NUUK
When
Erik Le Rouge, the exiled Norse chief, landed on the coast of Nuuk, he
found a fertile and welcoming land dotted with fjords. He settled there
with a group of his former countrymen, and the Norse remained the
principal inhabitants until, over a period of 500 years, their
population declined and gave way to the Inuit. Nuuk is situated at the
mouth of one of the largest networks of fjords in the world, where the
waters never freeze. The town spreads gently out towards the Davis
Strait and enjoys an historic center that is particularly rich in
national heritage. The vivid reds, blues, greens and yellows of the
houses are a lively contrast to the somber waters of Greenland and
serve to lift the spirits of the locals during the Winter months.
Day
7 : AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
8 : DISKO BAY
To
the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless
icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as
they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel
of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the
region’s many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna
and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile
nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.
Day
9 : AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
10 : POND INLET, NUNAVUT
On
Baffin Island, located in northern Canada at the mouth of the famous
NorthWest Passage, there is a small Inuit settlement at the very bounds
of infinity. To get there, cross the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line
that separates man from lands of mystery and wonder. It’s not
so much the way of life that sets Pond Inlet’s inhabitants
apart, so much as the setting. Snow-capped mountains, fjords and
glaciers combine in a dazzling natural environment that fills space and
expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is one of them.
Day
11 : AT SEA
During
your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities
on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay
in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself
be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This journey
without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the
conferences or shows proposed on board, depending on the activities
offered, or to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT
photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea,
they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire
the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe
marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest
and entertainment.
Day
12 : PORT LEOPOLD, NUNAVUT
The
Canadian Arctic Circle is home to one of the planet’s best
preserved natural sanctuaries: Somerset Island. This immaculate
northern desert is renowned for its phenomenal landscapes, its midnight
sun and its huge tundra, where musk oxen roam. Covering 24,786 square
kilometres (15,400 square miles), it is the Arctic
archipelago’s ninth-largest island. Vegetation is rare except
in some hollows and lowlands, where Peary caribou are common.
Day
13 : BEECHEY ISLAND, NUNAVUT
Beechey
Island, at the eastern end of Resolute Bay, will call to mind some of
the most important moments of Franklin’s expedition. Sir John
set off in 1845 in search of the mythical Northwest Passage and was
forced to take shelter in Erebus Harbour for two long years, while he
waited for the ice floes to recede and allow him a way through. It is a
spectacular location; seeing the three wooden grave markers, bleached
by the sun (indicating the burial places of at least three of Captain
Franklin’s men) and visiting the memorial that has been
erected in memory of Franklin and his men can only reinforce the hushed
sense of reverence. If the surrounding wilderness impresses us, the
ochre and yellows of the rocky desert soften the landscape.
Day
13 : DEVON ISLAND, NUNAVUT
Located
in Baffin Bay, Devon Island is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
Anchored on the Arctic Cordillera, its rocky surface, similar to that
of Mars, is of great interest to scientists. Robert Bylot and William
Baffin were the first Europeans to sight Devon Island in 1616 but it
would be mapped two centuries later by the British sailor William E.
Parry, who named it after the eponymous English region. Around 1920,
the Hudson's Bay Company set up a fur-trading outpost there, until the
departure of the Inuits in 1936. A new attempt to populate it was made
at the beginning of the 1950s. Only a few buildings in ruins, vestiges
of that time, remain today.
Day 14-16 : EXPLORING
SEA ICE OF NORTHWEST PASSAGE
At
the far north of the American continent, in the most northerly part of
the Arctic archipelago, the Northwest Passage is the shortest waterway
between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Its crossing has been
coveted since the 15th century and Roald Amundsen was the first to do
so in 1906. Blocked by thick ice floe for most of the year, to date
only a lucky few have managed to sail from one side to the other. The
crossing of this little-mapped and little-explored region is a
challenge worthy of Le Commandant Charcot, which was designed to sail
in extreme environments. Sheltered in its refined and protective
setting, you will make the most of this exploration of the ice with the
inimitable appeal of the first time: just like the first explorers, you
will sail in its channels sculpted by glacial erosion and discover
spectacular landscapes, made up of craggy terrain and monumental
fjords. You will be able to measure the privilege of undertaking such
an exploration in the light of the experience’s rarity.
Day 17 : MERCY
BAY, BANKS ISLAND
Day
18 : SACHS HARBOUR
On
the edge of Beaufort Sea, in Canada’s Northwest Territories,
Sachs Harbour is the only settlement on Banks Island. In 1914, the
Canadian Arctic Expedition dropped the anchor of the schooner Mary
Sachs at the then-uninhabited sand bar. Its Thule archaeological
remains are evidence of a human presence dating back 500 years. Its
traditional name Ikahuak -where you go across - indicates seasonal
visits, probably for setting fox traps. In around 1929, families of
Inuvialuit trappers settled on this territory inhabited by musk oxen,
caribou and polar bears. Banks Island was officially recognised in
1946, Sachs Harbour flourished, particularly with the creation of the
Aulavik National Park.
Day
19-20 : - EXPLORING SEA ICE OF NORTHWEST PASSAGE
At
the far north of the American continent, in the most northerly part of
the Arctic archipelago, the Northwest Passage is the shortest waterway
between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Its crossing has been
coveted since the 15th century and Roald Amundsen was the first to do
so in 1906. Blocked by thick ice floe for most of the year, to date
only a lucky few have managed to sail from one side to the other. The
crossing of this little-mapped and little-explored region is a
challenge worthy of Le Commandant Charcot, which was designed to sail
in extreme environments. Sheltered in its refined and protective
setting, you will make the most of this exploration of the ice with the
inimitable appeal of the first time: just like the first explorers, you
will sail in its channels sculpted by glacial erosion and discover
spectacular landscapes, made up of craggy terrain and monumental
fjords. You will be able to measure the privilege of undertaking such
an exploration in the light of the experience’s rarity.
Day 21-23 : EXPLORING SEA ICE IN BEAUFORT SEA
Bordering
the north coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Beaufort Sea was feared for
centuries because of its extreme climatic conditions. Covered for most
of the year with a thick layer of ice, and unexplored until 1914, this
part of the Arctic Ocean, named in honour of the British Admiral
Francis Beaufort, will reveal its magnificent icy landscapes to you.
With a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some polar bears,
since the region is renowned for sheltering the Lord of the Arctic.
Day
24 : AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Spend
exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the
world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first
PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of
the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render
inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with
oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of
experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for
discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles.
Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us
discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to
reveal to us.
Day
25 : NOME, ALASKA
Located
along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska, Nome offers
the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of
magnificent wilderness. As you weave in and out of the brightly
coloured houses, you will discover the pioneering legacy that still
marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing...
People here live from their manual labour. The surrounding plains
provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna.
Le Commandant Charcot (Luxury Expedition, 270-guests)
Le Commandant-Charcot welcomes you to an intimate and refined atmosphere. Equipped with just 135 staterooms including 31 suites with balconies and outside views, the ship offers outstanding gastronomy in its two restaurants, relaxation in the indoor pool surrounded by its winter garden, relaxation in the well-being area with sauna and Snow Room... Like on a private yacht, each of our guests is unique.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Flight Longyearbyen/Paris selected by PONANT in economy
class.
- Transfer as mentioned in the programme.
- English-speaking assistance.
Excluded
from this voyage:
- Personal expenses.
- Any other service not mentioned in the programme.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Adventure
Options :
- kayaking
- hiking
or snowshoeing
- polar
plunge
