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Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot undergoing outfitting at Vard Søviknes

Le Commandant Charcot is being outfitted at Vard Søviknes in Norway after arriving from Vard Tulcea in Romania, where the superstructure was built.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

May 4, 2020

1 Min Read
CRUISE Le Commandant Charcot
Le Commandant Charcot, foreground, is shown during its rendezvous in the Gibraltar Strait with L'Austral, Le Boréal and Le Lyrial in AprilPHOTO: PONANT

Hybrid electric/LNG-powered

This hybrid electric polar exploration vessel, to be fueled by LNG, is due for delivery to Ponant in April 2021.

Le Commandant Charcot was towed from Eastern Europe to Norway in a monthlong voyage. On the way, it rendezvoused in the Gibraltar Strait with Ponant's L'Austral, Le Boréal and Le Lyrial as they headed to Marseille for layup during the current suspension of cruise operations.

Ability to sail in extreme polar regions

Designed as a PC2 polar-class ship, Le Commandant Charcot will be able to sail in extreme polar regions with minimal environmental impact.

Available for scientific research

Ponant also intends to make Le Commandant Charcot available to the scientific community. It will be fitted with laboratories, equipment and dedicated staterooms for researchers to offer a platform for polar observation, research and analysis.

Destinations will include the true geographic North Pole and areas in Antarctica where fewer people have traveled than to the moon.

Read more about:

PonantVardLNGAntarctica

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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