HIGHLIGHTS
- With
featured guest Ian Dawson, British Photo Ambassador.
- The
eye and the advice of our photo ambassador, a privileged opportunity to
immortalise your trip with, in the programme: workshops, conferences
and personalised advice to improve your photographic skills.
- An
absolutely unprecedented PONANT journey above the Arctic Circle, from
the northern coastlines of Norway in the dusk and in the fjords of
Spitsbergen at the beginning of the long polar night, featuring mineral
splendours and encounters with Nordic communities.
- Outings
and shore visits in a Zodiac® dinghy (only in Spitsbergen) with
a reinforced team of naturalist-guides.
- Aboard
Le Commandant Charcot, a warm and refined cocoon opening to the
exterior enjoy a unique experience in complete communion with the
surrounding scenery.
- Bid
farewell to the sun in the fjords of Spitsbergen, at the beginning of
the long polar night.
- Reach
the North Cape, an emblematic site and the northernmost point of Europe.
- Activities*
during the unique winter season: encounters and discovering Sami
culture and communities, visiting a fishing village, chasing the
Northern Lights, and more.
- The
possibility of admiring the unique colours of the Northern Lights
rippling across the sky.
- Varied
landscapes, coastal panoramas, tundra, dolomite cliffs, majestic fjords
and ancient glaciers.
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 |
Oct 18, 2024 | Oct 29, 2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 18,920 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 36,380 |
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | (Starting from) Prestige Stateroom-I | (Mid-range) Deluxe Suite-III | (High-end) Duplex Suite |
Oct 18, 2024 | Oct 29, 2024 | N/A | N/A | 36,380 |
ITINERARY
Day
1 : TROMSO
In
the north of the Arctic circle you’ll discover
Tromsø, a secluded town located in the county of Troms.
Norwegians call it the “Paris of the north”.
You’ll soon see why when you discover its extensive
neoclassical architectural heritage. A stunning example is the Arctic
cathedral, a major monument whose stylistic purity echoes the outline
of the mountains surrounding the town.
Day 2 : ALTA
Beyond
the Arctic Circle, Alta, in the far north of Norway, is the biggest
city in Finnmark county. Renowned for the beauty of its Northern
Lights, the town will reveal itself in the hollow of the eponymous
fjord, ”Altafjord”. Between the forest scenery and
immaculate landscapes, you will have the opportunity to experience
unique moments meeting the Sami people, reindeer herders with ancestral
traditions. Chasing the Northern Lights is also an activity on the
programme.
Day
3 : TROMSO
In
the north of the Arctic circle you’ll discover
Tromsø, a secluded town located in the county of Troms.
Norwegians call it the “Paris of the north”.
You’ll soon see why when you discover its extensive
neoclassical architectural heritage. A stunning example is the Arctic
cathedral, a major monument whose stylistic purity echoes the outline
of the mountains surrounding the town.
Day
4 : HAMMERFEST
Hammerfest,
located on the north-western coast of the island of Kvaloya, beyond the
70th parallel north, is often considered the northernmost town in the
world. Conserved in an immaculate natural setting, this charming
fishing port enjoys a rich history, as is evidenced by various vestiges
dating back to the Stone Age, Napoleonic wars or the Second World War.
During your port of call, you will have the opportunity to discover the
Struve Geodetic Arc, a chain of triangulations stretching across Europe
from Hammerfest to the Black Sea, and the first technical and
scientific object to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will also
have the opportunity to visit the Reconstruction Museum, meet the Sami
people, or visit the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, an
emblematic spot in Hammerfest.
Day
5 : SAILING ALONG BJORNOYA (BEAR ISLAND)
Halfway
between Norway and Spitsbergen, you will sail not far from the
coastlines of Bjørnøya, the southernmost island
of Svalbard. From your ship, observe this isolated piece of land
discovered in 1596 by the Dutch navigator Willem Barents, then looking
for the Northwest Passage. Following a tough fight between a polar bear
and the members of the expedition, he dubbed the place Bear Island.
Regularly covered by a thick layer of fog,
Bjørnøya shelters ameteorological
station built in 1923, which is still in operation. Declared a nature
reserve in 2002, the island is above all home to an enormous colony of
sea birds during summer.
Day
6 : HORNSUND
Considered
Spitsbergen’s southernmost fjord, Hornsund is famous as one
of the first places to have been visited in the region. In 1610, the
British explorer Jonas Poole named it thus, after one of the members of
his crew brought him a reindeer antler. Shortly afterwards, the first
whalers settled in the region and contributed to shaping its history.
As you move deeper into this fjord, whose total length is 30 kilometres
(19 miles), you will find yourselves immersed in the beauty of the
surrounding mountains, in the mystery emerging from these small
drifting icebergs, and in the glory of this gigantic glacier standing
proudly before you.
Day
7 : LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen
is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on
Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial
capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below
40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply
breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye
can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re
in completely unexplored territory.
Day
8 : BELLSUND, SPITSBERGEN
You
will head towards the Bellsund fjord, to follow the traces of the first
explorers, arriving from the Norwegian coasts, or those of the many
trappers in search of game and trophies. Surprisingly rich in wildlife,
the branches of the fjord separate to form two distinct valleys. Give
free rein to your imagination in the heart of this majestic natural
environment, where time seems to stand still.
Day
9 : SAILING ALONG BJORNOYA (BEAR ISLAND)
Halfway
between Norway and Spitsbergen, you will sail not far from the
coastlines of Bjørnøya, the southernmost island
of Svalbard. From your ship, observe this isolated piece of land
discovered in 1596 by the Dutch navigator Willem Barents, then looking
for the Northwest Passage. Following a tough fight between a polar bear
and the members of the expedition, he dubbed the place Bear Island.
Regularly covered by a thick layer of fog,
Bjørnøya shelters ameteorological
station built in 1923, which is still in operation. Declared a nature
reserve in 2002, the island is above all home to an enormous colony of
sea birds during summer.
Day
10 : HONNINGSVAG
If
you feel like you have arrived at the end of the world in
Honningsvåg, it is because this is the case. Halfway between
Oslo and the North Pole, it competes with Hammerfest for the status of
“the northernmost town in Continental Europe”.
Colourful houses light up this charming and typically Norwegian fishing
port nestled in the hollows of the region’s mountainous
terrain. Travellers come to stay in the village to go to the North
Cape. At the end of the road, you will see the globe that indicates
that you are at the very end of Europe. At this point, only the
Svalbard archipelago separates you from the North Pole. There is sea as
far as the eye can see. The Northern Lights, the view of the immense
cliff plunging into the sea, the thousands of puffins, gannets and
cormorants that spin around you: everything here is grandiose.
Day
11 : REINOYA ISLAND
The
small Reinoya Island, measuring scarcely 3.35 km2 (1.3 square miles),
will welcome you for an unforgettable moment in the very heart of the
Porsangerfjorden. Although this nature reserve is not very big, it
boasts many treasures. Here, wild nature can be discovered in the
greatest tranquillity. Contemplate the island’s geology,
rendered so particular by the whiteness of the dolomite, and the
thousand-year-old traces of the last ice age during a hike or a Zodiac
outing.
Day 11-12 : LAKSELV
Discover
Lakselv, whose name means “Salmon River”, lying at
the end of the immense Porsangerfjorden. As its name indicates, this
small village is renowned for the salmon fishing in the waters of its
river, which are brimming with this fish and others. The village is
ideally located, offering privileged access to the surrounding
magnificent nature. In particular, it retains traces of the last ice
age in Trollholmsund, where dolomites with dreamlike silhouettes can be
seen. Do not miss this extraordinary sight!
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 Paris/Tromso and Lakselv/Paris selected by PONANT in
economy class.
- Transfers mentioned in the programme.
- English-speaking assistance.
Excluded
from this voyage :
- Personal expenses.
- Any other service not mentioned in the programme.