PONANT’s commitment to responsible tourism in the polar regions over the past 30 years goes a step further with the introduction in the Antarctic of its new hybrid electric polar exploration vessel propelled by liquefied natural gas.
For winter 2021-2022, its inaugural season in the White Continent, Le Commandant Charcot is offering a unique sailing experience as it marks a new chapter in the history of responsible tourism.
But it comes at a price. The cost of cruising the Ross Sea for 24 days in February 2022 costs from almost £22,000 per person.
Guests on board Le Commandant Charcot can expect luxurious surrounds, whether taking a glass of wine, above, or retiring for the night, below
Designed to be a new kind of cruise ship, it incorporates all the latest innovations in environmental protection with its hybrid propulsion system combining LNG and electric engines to minimise environmental impact.
A scientific research laboratory on board is equipped to study the ecosystems and biodiversity of this ever-changing polar environment.
And for the first time, guests aboard Le Commandant Charcot will be able to discover the remote Ross Sea, Bellingshausen Sea and Peter I Island.
In addition to the many hikes and Zodiac excursions already offered by PONANT, cruises aboard Le Commandant Charcot will offer a range of new activities.
Outings in hovercraft or kayaks and tethered hot-air balloon rides will make it possible to admire the boundless crystalline panoramas of the Antarctic from the sea, the sky or from land. Guests may also be offered the chance to go diving in polar waters.
“The emperor penguins of the Bellingshausen Sea” cruise
This cruise will take guests beyond Peter I Island and Charcot Island into the heart of the Bellingshausen Sea in the Southern Ocean which is covered in ice for most of the year, making it difficult to reach and practically unexplored. Gigantic colonies of rarely observed emperor penguins live here.
19 days/18 nights, departing on 1 November, 2021, from £18,614.
“The Ross Sea” cruise
Sailing the Ross Sea is a chance to discover one of the most extreme parts of the Antarctic where the ice is more impressive and the scenery more spectacular. Partially occupied by the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, this immense bay located several hundred kilometres from the South Pole is one of the last intact wild regions on the planet. Guests will encounter prodigious wildlife, as well as surreal landscapes.
25 days/24 nights, departing on 16 February, 2022, from £21,737.
“The Weddell Sea & Larsen Ice Shelf” cruise
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. In the north-west of the Weddell Sea stands the colossal ice barrier called the Larsen Ice Shelf, that extends out to the open sea. This cruise gets as close as possible to the fauna of the veritable wildlife sanctuary.
12 days/11 nights, 5 departures available: 3 and 28 December, 2021, 22 January, 14 and 25 March, 2022, from £11,098.