SPECIAL! SAVE UPTO 30% OFF*
+ NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT **
26 nights on board LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT with Transfer + flight Ushuaia/Santiago
Highlights
- The half-circumnavigation of the Antarctic, an unforgettable trip into the heart of the ice and a continent full of extremes.
- A stopover on Macquarie Island, an Australian sub-Antarctic island classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its incredible biodiversity.
- A dive into the history of the French and Australian conquests of the South Pole, with the approach to Adelie Land and the Dumont d’Urville scientific station and the exploration of Victoria Land.
- Set off in the footsteps of the famous Sir Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott on Ross Island, which still guards vestiges of the time they spent there.
- The crossing of five southern seas: Dumont d’Urville, Somov, Ross, Amundsen and Bellingshausen.
- The exploratory approach to some of the most least-known islands in the world: Charcot, Peter I and the Marie Byrd Land.
- Outings and shore visits in a zodiac dinghy or hovercraft* with a reinforced team of naturalist guides.
- Landscapes: ice shelves, surrealist glaciers, monumental icebergs, immersion in the heart of the ice floe.
- Wildlife: crabeater, leopard and Weddell seals; royal, king and Adelie penguins; humpback whales and orcas.
- Many activities: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, participative science.
Curiosity, surpassing oneself, being open to the world. Humans have always looked toward what some would call the ‘impossible elsewhere’. With Le Commandant Charcot, which is capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, we can dream even bigger and glimpse new horizons. This polar odyssey at the boundaries of the world follows the path of the first to discover Antarctica and sharpens our senses to let us see all the riches of a long journey marked by the nuances of the ice. In the incredible comfort of an exceptional ship, you will take the time to observe the world around you, the landscapes and the fauna whose radiant beauty makes them seem surreal. Set off on a half-circumnavigation of Antarctica from the New Zealand shores to Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world.
The first penguins will appear on the horizon as you approach the shores of Macquarie Island. This island’s biodiversity is so abundant that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: four species of penguin (king, royal, Gentoo and southern rockhopper) breed here.
The attraction exerted by the White Continent’s infinite territories and their mythical names will soon intensify further. Adelie Land, Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land. The first will plunge you into the heart of the French polar adventure where Paul-Émile Victor founded the Dumont d’Urville scientific station, in honour of the eponymous explorer. The second, claimed by the Australians, is forever linked to the name of the explorer Mawson, who defied the winds in Commonwealth Bay, which may exceed 240 km/h (150 mph). As for the third, it is one of the planet’s rare Terra nullius– a territory claimed by no State – whose remoteness and climate have certainly kept it well away from human conquests. Bordered by the Ross Sea to the west and the Amundsen Sea to the east, it will plunge you into a world where wild nature has raised its own cathedrals of ice. Set off on a half-circumnavigation of Antarctica from the New Zealand shores to Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world.
The first penguins will appear on the horizon as you approach the shores of Macquarie Island. This island’s biodiversity is so abundant that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: four species of penguin (king, royal, Gentoo and southern rockhopper) breed here.
The attraction exerted by the White Continent’s infinite territories and their mythical names will soon intensify further. Adelie Land, Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land. The first will plunge you into the heart of the French polar adventure where Paul-Émile Victor founded the Dumont d’Urville scientific station, in honour of the eponymous explorer. The second, claimed by the Australians, is forever linked to the name of the explorer Mawson, who defied the winds in Commonwealth Bay, which may exceed 240 km/h (150 mph). As for the third, it is one of the planet’s rare Terra nullius – a territory claimed by no State – whose remoteness and climate have kept it well away from human conquests. Bordered by the Ross Sea to the west and the Amundsen Sea to the east, Marie Byrd Land will plunge you into a world where nature has raised its own cathedrals of ice. Wonder and contemplation will mark this extraordinary exploration, a journey synonymous with a return to the essential.
Your great crossing beyond the Antarctic Circle will continue in the Bellingshausen Sea where the Charcot and Peter I Islands roll out their icy masses. Le Commandant Charcot will attempt to approach their shores, deemed impassable, before your arrival in the Tierra del Fuego.
ITINERARY BRIEF
2023 DEPARTURE
14 FEBRUARY 2023 – LYTTELTON
15 FEBRUARY 2023 to 16 FEBRUARY 2023 – AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
17 FEBRUARY 2023 – MACQUARIE ISLAND
18 FEBRUARY 2023 to 19 FEBRUARY 2023 – AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
20 FEBRUARY 2023 – ADÉLIE LAND
21 FEBRUARY 2023 22 FEBRUARY 2023 – VICTORIA LAND
23 FEBRUARY 2023 26 FEBRUARY 2023 – THE ROSS SEA
26 FEBRUARY 2023 – CROSSING THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE
27 FEBRUARY 2023 to 4 MARCH 2023 – MARIE BYRD LAND EXPLORATION
5 MARCH 2023 – AMUNDSEN SEA
6 MARCH 2023 – EXPEDITION TO PETER I ISLAND
7 MARCH 2023 – BELLINGSHAUSEN SEA
8 MARCH 2023 – EXPEDITION TO CHARCOT ISLAND
9 MARCH 2023 – MARGUERITE BAY
10 MARCH 2023 to 11 MARCH 2023 – CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE
12 MARCH 2023 – USHUAIA
2024 DEPARTURE
6 FEBRUARY 2024 – LYTTELTON
7 FEBRUARY 2024 to 8 FEBRUARY 2024 – AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
9 FEBRUARY 2024 – MACQUARIE ISLAND
10 FEBRUARY 2024 to 11 FEBRUARY 2024 – AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
12 FEBRUARY 2024 – ADÉLIE LAND
13 FEBRUARY 2024 14 FEBRUARY 2024 – VICTORIA LAND
15 FEBRUARY 2024 18 FEBRUARY 2024 – THE ROSS SEA
18 FEBRUARY 2024 – CROSSING THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE
19 FEBRUARY 2024 to 24 FEBRUARY 2024 – MARIE BYRD LAND EXPLORATION
25 FEBRUARY 2024 – AMUNDSEN SEA
26 FEBRUARY 2024 – EXPEDITION TO PETER I ISLAND
27 FEBRUARY 2024 – BELLINGSHAUSEN SEA
28 FEBRUARY 2024 – EXPEDITION TO CHARCOT ISLAND
29 FEBRUARY 2024 – MARGUERITE BAY
1 MARCH 2024 to 2 MARCH 2024 – CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE
3 MARCH 2024 – USHUAIA
SHIP DETAILS
Le Commandant Charcot
With Le Commandant Charcot, PONANT has imagined and envisaged the cruise voyage of tomorrow. The latest addition to the fleet will take you following in the footsteps of the great polar explorers in refined surroundings complete with the kind of luxury services never before offered in the farthest reaches of the southern and northern hemispheres.
The indoor swimming pool, the conservatory, the panoramic restaurant, the Blue Lagoon outdoor restaurant, the Main Lounge, the Observation Lounge, the lobby… Each of the common areas has been designed to both convey French-style discreet luxury and arouse wonder and amazement. The common thread running through all their designs is the desire to allow the light to penetrate and open everything up the extraordinary polar landscapes and scenery.
This very first hybrid-electric polar exploration ship powered by LNG has been designed with the greatest attention to detail in terms of safety and respect for the environment.
Included in your cruise
For your serenity, PONANT has selected a flight and provides the following transfers.
Disembarkation Day – Ushuaia/Santiago
Disembarkation.
Meet and greet at the port (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer to the airport in time for check-in of the flight Ushuaia/Santiago selected by PONANT in economy class.
Approximate flight duration: 3 hours
Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
It is highly recommended to have an international inbound flight the day after PONANT selected flight.
Your programme includes:
- Inbound flight Ushuaia/Santiago selected by PONANT, in economy class.
Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent. - Services of local guides in Ushuaia.
- Transfer as mentioned in the programme.
Your programme does not include:
- Tips for the local guide.
- Personal expenses.
- Other services not mentioned in the programme.
Please note:
- The local currency is the Chilean Peso. You will be able to make most of your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card, accepted in most hotels, shopping centres and boutiques. You will also be able to retrieve Pesos from the ATM’s.
- Summer season in Santiago: temperatures may be very hot, but often between 68 °F (20 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C).
- Summer season in Ushuaia: temperatures vary between 41 °F (5 °C) and 65 °F (15 °C)
- We recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
Programme is subject to change.
*T & Cs apply to all special offers. Contact us for full T&C’s
**The supplement for single usage of a double cabin is waived, according to availability and staterooms categories. Contacts us for full T&C’s