HIGHLIGHTS
- With
featured guest Mike Louagie, Photo Ambassador.
- An
exploration into the almost inaccessible Weddell Sea, in search of
majestic emperor penguins, amidst immaculate and dreamlike landscapes.
- Outings
and shore visits in a zodiac inflatable with a reinforced team of
naturalist guides.
- Conferences
and information meetings on board with our passionate experts,
specialists in the fauna, flora and history of the polar regions.
- Landscapes:
immense glaciers, table top icebergs, immersion in the heart of the ice
floes.
- Wildlife:
the possibility to observe emperor, Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo
penguins; Weddell, leopard and crabeater seals; humpback, Minke whales
and orcas.
- Many
activities: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, polar plunge without suit.
Discover all the activities in the ‘Ponant
Activities’ tab.
- For
your comfort, your cruise package includes an overnight in Santiago the
day before embarkation, transfers and flights Santiago/Ushuaia (for
details, see the ‘Included in your cruise’ tab).
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 |
|---|
| Oct 30, 2025 | Nov 12, 2025 | N/A | 29,820 | 30,330 | 31,090 | 32,360 | 33,380 | 42,040 | 43,300 | N/A | 47,130 | 63,680 | 92,820 |
| Nov 11, 2025 | Nov 24, 2025 | 30,850 | 31,400 | 31,950 | 32,750 | 34,110 | 35,190 | 44,390 | 45,730 | 47,090 | 49,800 | 67,380 | 92,820 |
| Nov 23, 2025 | Dec 06, 2025 | 29,300 | 29,820 | 30,330 | 31,090 | 32,360 | 33,380 | 42,040 | N/A | 44,580 | 47,130 | 63,680 | 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 |
|---|
| Oct 30, 2025 | Nov 12, 2025 | N/A | 42,040 | 92,820 |
| Nov 11, 2025 | Nov 24, 2025 | 30,850 | 44,390 | 92,820 |
| Nov 23, 2025 | Dec 06, 2025 | 29,300 | 42,040 | N/A |
ITINERARY
Day
2 : USHUAIA
Capital
of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the
gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed
“El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this
city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains
surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as
the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes
plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating
places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely
and the inaccessible…
Day
3-4 : CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE
Use
your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your
ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader
will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed
during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to
know about the zodiac outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife
of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about
this magical region, where every cruise is a unique
experience. You will experience exceptional sailing moments
on board and join the naturalist-guides on your ship’s
exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other
seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.
Day
5 : NORTH ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Throughout
your time in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will find
yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue
and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. You will sail through
the Antarctic Sound, named after Swedish explorer Otto
Nordenskjöld’s ship, which was trapped by the ice
during an important scientific expedition in 1902. The gateway to the
Weddell Sea, this sound is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and
plates of sea ice drifting northward from the coastal areas of this
vast sea. It is home to Adelie penguins and a great many leopard seals.
Day
6-11 : THE WEDDELL SEA EXPLORATION
Impassable,
extreme and captivating: this is the best way to describe the Weddell
Sea, much of which is covered by a layer of thick, densely packed ice.
It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon this sea. Polar
exploration finds its full meaning here. Heading towards the South is a
real quest, with the promise of highly-charged encounters with the
continent’s endemic fauna. This is the kingdom of the emperor
penguin, the largest penguin in the world, renowned for its elegance.
Unlike other penguins that live on the rocks, the emperor nests on the
ice floe which it needs for its reproductive cycle. It is therefore on
the ice floe that you will be able to observe it walking around with
its characteristic gait. In this southern sea, where the ice changes
and is transformed constantly, there is never any monotony. The new
reliefs and new colours ensure never-ending wonderment. You will sail
into the heart of the immaculate ice floe, which is dislocated or
densely packed, into an alley of icebergs. Among them are immense
blocks of ice, tabular icebergs, that drift and illuminate the ocean
with their cerulean blue haloes. Aboard, on shore, on the ice, you will
be as close as possible to the colonies of Adelie penguins, Weddell
seals, Mink whales, orcas, snow petrels.… With a little
luck, you will get a glimpse of a rare Ross seal with its silver pelage
or of emperor penguins, waddling along the edge of the ice floe. A
sight that is as fascinating as it is emotional.
Day
12-13 : CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE
If
there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists,
researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake
Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties
winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the
shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned
navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White
Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising
up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake
Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to
the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels,
playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.
Day
14 : USHUAIA
Capital
of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the
gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed
“El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this
city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains
surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as
the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes
plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating
places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely
and the inaccessible…
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
- A program of onboard enrichment provided by three
Smithsonian Journeys Experts.
- 1-night accommodation at the Hotel Madero (or similar) the
night before embarkation.
- Early check-in available from late morning.
- Hospitality desk at the hotel.
- Round-trip flight Buenos Aires/Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
selected by PONANT, in economy class.
- Excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park by coach,
including entrance fees.
- Services of English speaking guides during the excursion.
- Meals as mentioned in the program.
- Transfers as mentioned in the program.
- Gratuities for ship crew and for guides and drivers on
excursions.
Excluded
from this voyage:
- Other meals and services not mentioned in the program.
- Personal expenses (such as laundry, telephone, etc.)
