Ponant, the French expedition cruise specialist, has opened bookings for cruises on Le Commandant-Charcot, a hybrid electric ship powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), will be the first to bring passengers to the Geographic North Pole at 90 ° north latitude, in unrivalled conditions of comfort.

The Geographic North Pole, the eastern coast of Greenland, The Northwest Passage, the Ross Sea, the Charcot and Peter I islands… Aboard Le Commandant-Charcot, guests will discover brand new itineraries usually inaccessible to classically-designed ship at this time of the year because of the ice floe. Innovative routing software makes it possible to slip through the natural created channels in the ice, while the ship’s powerful engines able it to free itself, where necessary from denser sea ice.

This formidable vessel of exploration will take passengers to the most southern and northern latitudes of the planet to live the adventure of their life in unrivalled comfort.

First luxury polar exploration vessel equipped with the latest innovations in environmental protection

Designed to be a new type of cruise ship, it incorporates all the latest innovations in environmental protection, making PONANT a model of excellence in responsible tourism. With its hybrid propulsion combining liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electric generators, the Commandant-Charcot has been designed to minimise its environmental impact. It hosts a scientific research laboratory equipped to study the ecosystems and biodiversity of this polar setting in perpetual change.

In fact, Le Commandant-Charcot is the first exploration vessel to surpass the ecological standards set out in international regulations.

Brand new itineraries in the footsteps of the great explorers

A polar exploration ship, with PC2 Polar Class certification, Le Commandant-Charcot will be able to reach the Geographic North Pole and remote parts of Antarctica such as the Ross Sea, or the Charcot and Peter I islands, among other exceptional destinations.

The “Geographic North Pole” cruise

Lying at a latitude of 90° North, the geographic pole is a mythical point covered by ice floe all year round, 700 km from any emerged land. Leaving from Spitsbergen, this cruise through sumptuous landscapes that are constantly changing according to the movements of the ice and the luminosity lends itself perfectly to the observation of fauna, which is particularly rich at this time of year. Le Commandant-Charcot will then start to move through the pack ice in the direction of the Holy Grail of all polar explorers: The North Pole.

 From Reykjavik to Longyearbyen

From 8 to 23 August 2021 - 16 days / 15 nights

From £20,133**

Discovering the Northeast Greenland National Park” cruise in partnership with National Geographic

Le Commandant-Charcot will sail along one of the least accessible regions in the Far North: the north-east coast of Greenland. In these extreme latitudes, nature is equally as extreme. The itinerary of this cruise offers guests a unique experience in the heart of the Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: here, there is no trace of human life, just Nordic landscapes as far as the eye can see and magically coloured glaciers. In the early summer, the ice floe breaks up, letting animals get closer to the coastlines: these are optimal conditions for observing the exceptional Arctic fauna.

From Reykjavik to Reykjavik

From 24 June to 6 July 2021, 13 days / 12 nights

From £13,897**

The “North-West Passage” cruise

A veritable labyrinth of channels covered by ice for much of the year, this maritime zone located beyond the Arctic Circle will offer passengers a unique sailing experience. From Iceland to Alaska, the ship will sail to the most emblematic, but most inaccessible sites where John Franklin, Robert McClure or Roald Amundsen led the great polar expeditions of the past. Guests will notably cross the Bellot Strait, a key point of the North-West Passage, and sail along Banks Island, famous for the wreck of HMS Investigator lying offshore, but also for its national park with its abundant fauna.

From Reykjavik to Nome

From 7 September to 1st October 2021, 25 days /24 nights

From £24,507**