In 2025 an international cruise ship will sail the waters of the Saint Lawrence in the heart of winter when Le Commandant Charcot of the French expedition cruise line Ponant is scheduled to make four 12-night sailings between late January and early March, Cruise St Lawrence said in a statement.

This is the first time a cruise ship would operate in the river in the winter.

“Several Saint Lawrence member ports of call appear on the scheduled itinerary, including Îles–de–la–Madeleine, Gaspé, Sept-Îles, Saguenay and Québec. Embarkation and disembarkation operations will be shared between Québec and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon,” said the organisation that promotes the river for the cruise industry.

To enable passengers to immerse themselves fully in regional offerings in winter, the cruises may include longer stopovers of at least one overnight stay.

René Trépanier, Executive Director of Cruise the Saint Lawrence (CSL,  said: "For almost a decade, we have repeatedly promoted unparalleled winterscapes and winter season shore activities with expedition cruise operators. Our efforts appear, at long last, to have begun to pay off with the announcement of this exciting North American premiere.”