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The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

In alliance with The Explorers Club

The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

  • Itinerary
    Ushuaia to Ushuaia
    Duration
    16 days
  • Dates
    Prices from
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Come aboard Le Commandant Charcot for an unforgettable voyage.

Through PONANT’s alliance with The Explorers Club, this voyage will feature Dr. Cassandra Brooks, a marine scientist and Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies at University of Colorado Boulder. She draws on a diversity of disciplines including marine science, environmental policy, and science communication, with the last 15 years of her career focused on Antarctica. Her work helped drive the adoption of the world’s largest marine protected area in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, one of the healthiest marine ecosystems left on Earth. Dr. Brooks continues her engaged scholarship and seeks to empower the next generations of environmental leaders.

Equipped with specialized laboratories onboard Le Commandant Charcot, Explorers Club Science Grantees will provide invaluable firsthand knowledge, delving into their ongoing research.

With the presence of Sue Flood, British Photo Ambassador and polar specialist and author of "Emperor - The Perfect Penguin”.

The theatre of the greatest expeditions, a refuge for the rarest wildlife and an endless ice desert, the Weddell Sea promises you intense emotions during a voyage of exploration aboard Le Commandant Charcot, an enveloping cocoon that is wide open onto the exterior polar setting. This place is home to emperor penguins, majestic birds endemic to the Antarctic, rarely observed and only in the most southern latitudes. The ultimate quest and the promise of all-new, unforgettable encounters.

From Drake Passage, as the wind blows and the waves crash against the stern of your ship, you will enter the southern seas, to the extreme and captivating Weddell Sea. Ice floe as far as the eye can see and gigantic tabular icebergs form the horizon of the colonies of Adelie penguins that populate this expanse. Contemplating these curious and quirky birds is a real privilege and the guarantee of an equally fascinating and touching show. Yet the ultimate challenge of this exploration is the search for and the encounter with their majesties, the emperor penguins. In this season, as the winter gradually makes way for the southern spring, you will perhaps witness a magical show - that of the largest penguins in the world waddling along the ice floe or the younger penguins learning to swim. It is rare to discover their elegance, so the encounter will be priceless.

During your exploration of the Weddell Sea, you will follow in the footsteps of the great polar epics like that of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Our passionate naturalists will also share the history of the gigantic tabular icebergs with you, including their birth in the heart of the immense Larsen Ice Shelf. The ice here boasts all possible shades and the white takes different forms in the surrounding reliefs. Let yourself be guided and set off on an adventure into the heart of incredible and unexpected nature. Your Captain and the expert naturalists humbly seize these opportunities to give you an experience that will remain unique.

It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon the Weddell Sea; welcome to an extraordinary universe with compelling appeal.

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation will be determined by the type of ice we come across; as the fast ice must be preserved, we will take this factor into account from day to day in our itineraries. The sailing schedule and any landings, activities and wildlife encounters are subject to weather and ice conditions. These experiences are unique and vary with each departure. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while respecting safety instructions and regulations imposed by the IAATO.

Overview

Your voyage

All-inclusive

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Destination

Destination

Antarctica

Ushuaia to Ushuaia

Duration

16 days, 14 nights on board

The Explorers Club, Expeditions

The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club

Cassandra Brooks

Cassandra Brooks, Sue Flood

Night in santiago + flight santiago/ushuaia + transfers + flight ushuaia/santiago

Hiking or snowshoeing

Hiking or snowshoeing, Polar plunge, Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot

Ref: UUIR45 - CC201225

Journey

Your daily itinerary

  • Spend Christmas and New Year’s Day aboard Le Commandant Charcot, exploring the nearly inaccessible Weddell Sea in search of emperor penguins
  • Unforgettable encounters with unique wildlife (whales, orcas, seals, penguins and other seabirds) in spectacular landscapes (ice floes, glaciers, icebergs).
  • Activities: outings and shore visits in a rubber dinghy with a team including naturalist guides; kayaking; polar hiking on foot or snowshoes; polar plunge without a wetsuit.
The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea null

Customize your journey:

Guests

Sharing your journey with

Cassandra Brooks Christina Riesselman

Cassandra Brooks

Sue Flood null

Sue Flood

Staterooms and suites

Elegance and refinement

*Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available.

Details

More information

What's Included

Important travel details

In your luggage

The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

Itinerary

Embarkation 20/12/25 from 16:00 to 17:00 Departure 20/12/25 at 18:30

20 Dec 25 - Ushuaia
20 Dec 25 - Ushuaia

Arrival 21/12/25 Departure 22/12/25

21 Dec 25 > 22 Dec 25 - Crossing the Drake Passage
21 Dec 25 > 22 Dec 25 - Crossing the Drake Passage

Arrival 23/12/25 Departure 24/12/25

23 Dec 25 > 24 Dec 25 - The Weddell Sea exploration
23 Dec 25 > 24 Dec 25 - The Weddell Sea exploration

Arrival 25/12/25 Departure 25/12/25

25 Dec 25 - Crossing the Antarctic Circle
25 Dec 25 - Crossing the Antarctic Circle

Arrival 25/12/25 Departure 25/12/25

25 Dec 25 - The Weddell Sea exploration
25 Dec 25 - The Weddell Sea exploration

Arrival 26/12/25 Departure 28/12/25

26 Dec 25 > 28 Dec 25 - Sailing toward Larsen Ice Shelf
26 Dec 25 > 28 Dec 25 - Sailing toward Larsen Ice Shelf

Arrival 29/12/25 Departure 30/12/25

29 Dec 25 > 30 Dec 25 - The Weddell Sea exploration
29 Dec 25 > 30 Dec 25 - The Weddell Sea exploration

Arrival 30/12/25 Departure 31/12/25

30 Dec 25 > 31 Dec 25 - North Antarctic Peninsula
30 Dec 25 > 31 Dec 25 - North Antarctic Peninsula

Arrival 01/01/26 Departure 02/01/26

1 Jan 26 > 2 Jan 26 - Crossing the Drake Passage
1 Jan 26 > 2 Jan 26 - Crossing the Drake Passage

Arrival 03/01/26 Disembarkation 03/01/26 at 8:00

3 Jan 26 - Ushuaia
3 Jan 26 - Ushuaia

The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

Included package

Night in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers + flight Ushuaia/Santiago

The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

Customize your journey

Exclusive overnight in santiago (1 night)

EXCLUSIVE OVERNIGHT IN SANTIAGO (1 NIGHT)
Details

Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.

Day 1 - Pier of disembarkation/Santiago

Meet and greet at the pier by PONANT by our local representative.
You will be transferred to Magnolia Hotel Santiago.
Lunch and afternoon at leisure.
Dinner at leisure.

Optional activity for dinner:

Wine cellar dinner
In a historic and intimate space, enjoy a gastronomic expericence combine with a fine selection of Chilean wines.

Limited seats, contact your travel agent for more information.

Day 2 - Santiago

Breakfast followed by check-out.
You will then be transferred to the airport in time for check-in for the PONANT selected flight or any other flight (provided that you have previously communicated your flight schedule to your travel agent).

Your hotel:

Hotel Magnolia Santiago is located just a few steps from the Lastarria district in downtown Santiago.

You'll discover a restored, listed building, elegantly decorated and offering maximum comfort. Rooms feature air conditioning and heating, king-size beds, private bathrooms, minibars, coffeemakers, flat-screen cable TVs and safes. You will enjoy a restaurant, terrace and bar, so you can enjoy delicious gourmet food at any time. There's also a library, 24-hour reception, concierge service, gym, in-room massage service and luggage storage. Chile's National Museum of Fine Arts is 400 metres away.

Upgraded rooms are also available depending on availability and on a supplement basis. Contact your travel professional for further detail.

Your programme includes:

·        1-night Deluxe accommodation at The Magnolia Hotel Santiago local norm (or similar), including breakfast. 

·        Transfers mentioned in the programme.

·        Services of a local English speaking local guide.

Your programme does not include:

·        Tips for the guide and the driver.

·        Personal expenses and other services not mentioned in the programme.

·        The lunch and dinneron your arrival day.

·        Optional dinner experience


Please note:

The official currency is the Chilean peso. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, city centre shops and boutiques, or you can change euros in the foreign exchange outlets, or take out Chilean pesos from cash-points and banks. US dollars are also accepted (make sure you have some small denomination notes with you).
It is imperative that the details of your departure flight are provided to your travel agent, no later than 30 days before the start date of your cruise, to secure the proper private transfer.

Contacts of your hotel:

The Magnolia Hotel

Huérfanos 539, 8320150 Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chili

+56 2 2664 4043

To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.
Travellers are advised to check all the information with the authorities concerned prior to the departure date. CDP advises Travellers to consult the country factsheets relating to the chosen destinations. CDP specifically draws Travellers' attention to the fact that the information provided may change up until the departure date, and they are advised to consult that information up until the time of departure. CDP invites Travellers to adjust their behavior to the visited country, to exercise vigilance and to avoid carrying valuable objects during their travel.


Total

380 €/person*

Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability.

Flights from/ to paris + flights + exclusive overnight in santiago 1n (post)

FLIGHTS FROM/ TO PARIS + FLIGHTS + EXCLUSIVE OVERNIGHT IN SANTIAGO 1N (POST)
Details

Total

3,230 €/person*

Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability.

The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

Other available dates

20/12/2503/01/26Sold out

14 nights aboard the ship Le Commandant Charcot

From

28,950 €

/person*

06/12/2520/12/25

14 nights aboard the ship LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT

PONANT Bonus 20%

From

23,790 €

/person*

Discover

03/01/2617/01/26

14 nights aboard the ship LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT

PONANT Bonus 10%

From

26,370 €

/person*

Discover