With eight departures for the 2022 and 2023 Arctic summer season priced starting at $35,960 per person, Ponant's North Pole sailings will take adventurers to the farthest corners of the region, where floating pack ice, polar bear sightings, naturalist-led excursions and scientific collaboration are part of the experience.
Starting at Svalbard
The 16-day exploration begins at Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard, where the glaciers and mountains stretch as far as the eye can see. From there, travelers sail along the icy coast of Spitsbergen, the last stretch of land before the Arctic ice floe.
After four days of carving through the ice amid constantly changing landscapes, Le Commandant Charcot will reach the North Pole, a place few travelers have ever been.
Ice fishing and ice floating
Off-ship treks can involve Zodiacs, kayaks and snowshoes. There will be opportunities for ice fishing and for ice floating, with participants outfitted in a special suit to stay warm and dry.
Plus, travelers can get involved in citizen science experiments like setting up a research station on an ice floe and deploying an Argos transmitter, a satellite-based system that collects and disseminates environmental data.
Champagne and caviar
While the landscapes are frost-bitten and extreme, the accommodations aboard Le Commandant Charcot are luxurious. The ship is designed to feel more like a yacht, with 123 staterooms and suites, menus designed by the celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse, a wellness area in partnership with Biologique Recherche and luxe touches like Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Kristal caviar and Bordier butter.
Up to eight hours' sailing on battery power
But what really sets the ship apart are its environmental credentials.
Le Commandant Charcot is among the most environmentally-friendly vessels, powered by batteries and LNG. When in battery mode, the ship can sail for up to eight hours at a time without producing any emissions and with very low noise levels, so as to not disrupt aquatic life.
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