Ponant’s Le Commandant-Charcot open for advanced polar exploration bookings

The PC2 Polar Class vessel will depart from Spitsbergen and make calls to the Arctic, the eastern coast of Greenland, Northwest Passage, Ross Sea, the Charcot and Peter Islands.

The season will run from August 8 to 23 next year with 16-day and 15-night itineraries.

Prices start from £20,133.

Travel to the furthest reaches

Le Commandant-Charcot will sail the north-east coast of Greenland, one of the least accessible regions in the Far North. The itinerary includes the Northeast Greenland National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with panoramic Nordic landscapes and coloured glaciers. Early summer crossings will allow guests to observe the breakup of the ice floe, with optimal conditions for observing the Arctic fauna.

13-day and 12-night round-trip itineraries from Reykjavik will run from June 24 to July 6 2021.

Prices start from £13,897.

The North-West Passage Cruise

North-West Passage Itineraries will run from Iceland to Alaska, crossing the Bellot Strait and will sail along Banks Island, where the wreck of HMS Investigator lies offshore.

Itineraries from Reykjavik to Nome will run from September 7 - October 1 2021, with 25-day and 24-night options. Prices start from £24,507.

Sales open on Thursday 13 June 2019 for summer 2021 Arctic cruises only. Winter 2021-2022 cruises in Antarctica will go on sale on 5 December 2019 (in the meantime, the destination is available for pre-booking).

New passage routes

New itineraries have been made accessible through routing software that allows the ship to pass through natural channels in the ice, while the ship’s engines are able to power through denser sea ice.

The ship has been designed to minimise environmental impact and includes hybrid propulsion that uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electric generators. An onboard scientific research laboratory allows crew to study the ecosystems and biodiversity of the polar regions.

To mark World Oceans Day, Ponant recently announced its Ponant Foundation, an initiative set up to promote sustainable tourism.