Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
30% Ponant Bonus
20 m²
2
The St. Lawrence River in the Heart of the Boreal Winter
Québec - Québec
Dates:
13/02/2027
to
27/02/2027
days
nights on board
In the heart of the northern winter, set sail aboard Le Commandant Charcot, a welcoming cocoon, to discover the St. Lawrence River and its unique and enchanting wide open spaces. From Quebec to Saint-Pierre Island, via Gaspé, Grindstone Cape, Saguenay and Sept-Îles, cruise on the mighty waters of this body of water and admire the changing landscapes where nature reigns supreme. The boreal forests and pristine valleys invite contemplation and exploration. You may even be lucky enough to spot an iconic caribou or moose in this magnificent setting, where the colourful dwellings of the temporary fishing villages built on the ice of the Saguenay Fjord defy the harshness of the winter landscape. Experience warm, unforgettable moments as you meet local communities renowned for their hospitality.
The itinerary is subject to change based on port approvals and to comply with applicable government regulations. Please also note that the sailing programme, shore visits and activities cannot be guaranteed, as they are subject to weather and ice conditions.
Ref : CC130227
Your itinerary
Explore the St. Lawrence in winter, to experience nature on a grand scale and meet Canadians, who are known for their great hospitality. This exclusive PONANT Explorations offer is only possible aboard Le...
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Your trip in detail
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LE BORÉAL
LE PAUL GAUGUIN
LE JACQUES CARTIER
22/02/2026 to the 06/03/2026
LE BORÉAL
14/05/2026 to the 24/05/2026
LE BELLOT
*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.
Discover all destinations
Services provided
- Glazed private balcony for all our staterooms and suites
- Terrace for the Duplex suites and the Owner's suite
- 24-hour room service
- Inclusive Wifi internet access (availability dependent on navigation and latitude)
- Individually-controlled air conditioning
- Dressing room with shelves and closet
- Dressing table and hairdryer
- Dyptique Paris top-of-the-line bath products
- Minibar
- Nespresso coffee maker and boiler
- Electronic safe
- Direct line telephone
- Bose Bluetooth speaker
- Flat screen TV, international channels (availability dependent on navigation) and videos on demand
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- 3 ADA staterooms
Select your stateroom category
Landings can be operated in tenders, in zodiac or on the quayside. Programmes include moderate walks to more active hikes, all accompanied by your team of naturalist guides.
Ports of call, visited sites, and landings will depend on weather conditions, position of ice, winds and the state of the sea. These can force a change of plans at any time. The Captain may at any time cancel or stop any activity, or even modify the itinerary. The final itinerary will be confirmed by the Captain, who will take into account the touristic quality of the sites and above all, the safety of the passengers. His decision will be based on advice from experts and authorities.
Travelling to polar/isolated regions is an exhilarating experience in remote areas: please remember that you are far from modern hospitals with full medical facilities, thus evacuation is extremely expensive. Without adequate medical coverage, all expenses will have to be immediately paid with your personal funds. We urge you to subscribe to full coverage insurance, choose your insurance company very carefully, be extremely vigilant and ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive, especially if you are insured by your credit card. PONANT offers an insurance contract with extensive guarantees, please contact us for more information.
Clothing tips:
- Waterproof hiking shoes with non-slip soles, which will keeping your feet dry for walks and visits on steep paths.
- Comfortable trousers: classic Winter trousers, warm cotton tracksuit, wool leggings
- Waterproof and windproof over-trousers – MANDATORY
- A warm hat, woollen ear muffs or fleece ear muffs, fleece or woollen neck warmer (avoid scarves that do not stay in place)- MANDATORY
- Wool or silk glove liners, water-resistant and supple gloves
- Thick warm socks (ideally woollen)
Accessories:
- Small waterproof backpack (to protect your camera from water).
- Binoculars (strongly recommended for wildlife viewing).
- Highly protective sunglasses.
- Walking poles (At your convenience).
Ideal clothes for life on board:
During the days spent on board, you are advised to wear comfortable clothes or casual outfits. The entire ship is air-conditioned, so a light sweater, a light jacket or a shawl may be necessary. When moving about in the public areas of the ship and the decks, light but comfortable shoes are recommended.
Informal evening:
In the evening, you are advised to wear smart-casual attire, especially when dining in our restaurants where wearing shorts and tee-shirts is not allowed.
For women:
- Simple dress
- Skirt or trousers
- Blouse
- Polo
For men:
- Pleated trousers or chinos
- Sports jacket
- Shirt
- Polo
Officer’s evening:
For all cruises longer than 8 nights, an Officer’s Evening with a white dress code may be organized. Therefore, we encourage you to bring a stylish white outfit for the occasion (otherwise black and white).
Gala evening:
During the cruise, two gala evenings will be organised on board. Thus, we recommend that you bring one or two formal outfits.
For women:
- Cocktail attire
- Evening dress (if you wish to)
For men:
- Dark suit
- Tie recommended, possibly bow tie (if you wish to)
SHOP:
A small shop is available on board offering a wide range of outfits, jewellery, leather goods and many accessories.
A laundry service (washing/ironing) is available on board, but unfortunately there are no dry cleaning services. For safety reasons, your cabin is not equipped with an iron.
INSULATED BASE LAYER:
- Polar or technical jacket
- Silk or wool glove liners
- Wool leggings
- Warm hiking socks
WATERPROOF OUTER LAYER:
- Waterproof over-trousers - Mandatory
- Windbreaker – Mandatory
- A warm woollen hat covering your ears
- Polar or woollen neck warmer
- Waterproof technical gloves
- Hiking shoes
HEALTH CARE:
- Sunscreen
- Lip protection balm
- Mosquito repellent, anti-itch balm and mosquito head net (Greenland)
- Medications and prescriptions
OUTFITS ON BOARD:
- Casual outfits for the day
- Smarter outfits for dinners
- Elegant outfits for Gala evenings
- White or black and white outfit
ACCESSORIES:
- Highly protective sunglasses
- Binoculars
- Walking poles
- Small waterproof backpack
- Swimsuit (for the spa on board)
- Gym wear (fitness)
- Battery charger and memory cards for your camera
- Mobile phone charger
PONANT activities
Highlights
- Explore the St. Lawrence in winter, to experience nature on a grand scale and meet Canadians, who are known for their great hospitality. This exclusive PONANT Explorations offer is only possible aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
- Take advantage of a programme of included excursions* and optional fee-based activities** carefully designed by our destination experts and led by local guides.
- The eye and the sound advice of our photo ambassador, a privileged opportunity to immortalise your journey with, on the programme: workshops, lectures and customised advice to improve your photographic skills.
- Visit traditional temporary fishing villages set up on the ice of the Saguenay Fjord; meet locals and experience the hospitality and friendliness of the Quebecer and the First Nations (Innu and Micmac) communities.
- If you are particularly lucky, you may get to admire the unique colours of the Northern Lights rippling across the sky.
- Landscapes: vast expanses of wilderness, Saguenay Fjord, pristine boreal forests, sea ice, snow-covered valleys.
*Advance bookings open approximately two months prior to departure on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability. More information available soon.
**Weather-dependent activities. These must be booked in advance of the cruise. More information available soon.
Ports of Call & Excursions
13 February 2027 - Québec
Embarkation 13/02/2027 from 16:00 to 17:00
Departure 13/02/2027 at 18:00
The capital of "La Belle Province" sits at the confluence of the St Charles River and the Gulf of St Lawrence in south-east Canada. Founded in the 17th century, the city still has an encircling wall, a historic civil engineering work and the only one of its kind remaining in North America. You will love the postcard-perfect stone houses of Old Quebec, the historic district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shopping is a pleasure in pedestrian streets such as Petit-Champlain Street, or you can relax over a spruce beer, seasoned with pine buds. Dufferin Boardwalk, an esplanade near the emblematic Château Frontenac, is the perfect place for views of the river and old city.
14 February 2027 - Exploring River Saint Lawrence
Arrival 14/02/2027
Departure 14/02/2027
Linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region inland, the Saint Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated in 1959, more than 250 years after the initial construction aiming to avoid the rapids obstructing navigation in these parts. This large engineering project, which required four years of huge work, offers a unique sailing experience.
15 February 2027 16 February 2027 - Gaspé
Arrival 15/02/2027
Departure 16/02/2027
In the glacial darkness of the Canadian winter, Gaspé stands proud like a preserved and authentic jewel at the edge of the dark waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Nature seems to be holding its breath. The captivating Mount Jacques-Cartier, the highest point of the Chic-Choc Mountains range and the South, is dressed with an immaculate coat of snow, while the frozen rivers slowly wind their way, fixing time in their icy embrace. During a snowshoe walk, fall in love with the captivating landscapes of the L’Anse-au-Griffon Valley, right in the heart of the Forillon National Park. Then, in Percé, opposite the famous eponymous Rock, dive into the natural beauty of the “magic forest”, where thousands of conifers decked out in an immaculate white cloak are like silent guardians watching over this isolated piece of land. You may also fall in love with this charming town, where the exciting history and the conviviality of the locals come together in a delightful blend.
17 February 2027 - Sailing Saint Lawrence Gulf
Arrival 17/02/2027
Departure 17/02/2027
In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the waters are still partially frozen but the ice break-up has begun. The broken-up ice makes for a fascinating spectacle, forming shapes that seem to be dancing across the waves. You will sail in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, following in the footsteps of Jacques Cartier, who reached it during his first voyage in 1534. From the bridge, if luck is on your side, you will contemplate the seals and belugas that populate the region during this season. In the distance, the boreal forests, their peaks whitened by the last snow, offer you the idealised image of this piece of Canada. A moment of indescribable magic.
18 February 2027 - Saint Pierre Island, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Arrival 18/02/2027
Departure 18/02/2027
Off the Canadian coast, discover Saint Pierre Island, one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago, the only French territory in North America. Endowed with a natural harbour, the island, whose name is a reference to the patron saint of fishermen, developed around the fishing industry and still has many traces of its past today. Whale hunting, cod fishing, alcohol smuggling during the Prohibition: all of these memories are still very much alive in the capital, Saint-Pierre.
19 February 2027 20 February 2027 - Cap-aux-Meules, Magdalen Islands
Arrival 19/02/2027
Departure 20/02/2027
Scattered through the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the Magdalen Islands offer a variety of extraordinary landscapes, between captivating drifting ice floe, tall red sandstone cliffs, sandy beaches covered with an immaculate coat and snow-covered valleys. Here, winter really is a special season, a time of contrasts and mysteries. The icy winds intertwine with the softness of the salty air, and the colourful houses, dressed in their finest attire, stand bravely in this enchanting scenery. In these distant lands, you will be plunged into Acadian culture, you will discover ancestral traditions here and will have the chance to explore the unique landscapes on hikes or snowshoe walks along the icy shores.
21 February 2027 - At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Arrival 21/02/2027
Departure 21/02/2027
Spend exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
22 February 2027 - Sept-Îles
Arrival 22/02/2027
Departure 22/02/2027
On the edge of the Canadian landscape, between the icy waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Sept-Îles invites you on a unique journey. Surrounded by a captivating sea of ice and an immaculate boreal forest, the seven islands, eternal guardians of the coastline, seem to murmur timeless stories. In particular, you will have the privilege of meeting the Innu people, the indigenous civilisation of the Côte-Nord, during a unique moment when you will learn more about their ancestral customs and traditions. The area is famous for its winter festivities; like its emblematic Hivernants (hunters and trappers who would spend the winter), fall under the charm of its unique environment. During Nordic hikes on skis or snowshoes, you will be enchanted by its captivated landscapes.
23 February 2027 - At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
Arrival 23/02/2027
Departure 23/02/2027
Spend exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
24 February 2027 - Sailing Saguenay River
Arrival 24/02/2027
Departure 24/02/2027
Sailing on the Saguenay River is your guarantee of majestic sights in the heart of Quebec. This river, which originates in the Laurentian Highlands of Lac Saint-Jean and reaches the famous Saint-Laurent River, offers unforgettable landscapes to those who cross it. The river’s trajectory moves between cliffs that rise up over 500 metres tall (1,640 feet). Sculpted during the last ice age, the lower part of the Saguenay forms a fjord whose spectacular beauty will surprise you.
25 February 2027 26 February 2027 - La Baie (Saguenay)
Arrival 25/02/2027
Departure 26/02/2027
During the long winter months, in the majestic Saguenay Valley, the borough of La Baie is cloaked in an aura of mystery. Here, the striking contrasts of its pristine lands, where nature displays its full splendour, invite you to experience a unique moment alongside the Saguenayens, a people amongst the most welcoming and hospitable in the world. During a snowshoe walk or a dog sled outing, as a passenger or a musher, take the time to observe immaculate nature bordered by a thick ice floe, where Le Commandant Charcot will remain for several days, and you will be able to disembark. Each winter, hundreds of colourful huts set up on these frozen waters to practice traditional ice fishing. You will be initiated into these ancestral techniques and have the pleasure of tasting freshly caught rockfish.
26 February 2027 - Exploring River Saint Lawrence
Arrival 26/02/2027
Departure 26/02/2027
Linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region inland, the Saint Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated in 1959, more than 250 years after the initial construction aiming to avoid the rapids obstructing navigation in these parts. This large engineering project, which required four years of huge work, offers a unique sailing experience.
27 February 2027 - Québec
Arrival 27/02/2027 early morning
Disembarkation 27/02/2027 at 08:00
The capital of "La Belle Province" sits at the confluence of the St Charles River and the Gulf of St Lawrence in south-east Canada. Founded in the 17th century, the city still has an encircling wall, a historic civil engineering work and the only one of its kind remaining in North America. You will love the postcard-perfect stone houses of Old Quebec, the historic district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shopping is a pleasure in pedestrian streets such as Petit-Champlain Street, or you can relax over a spruce beer, seasoned with pine buds. Dufferin Boardwalk, an esplanade near the emblematic Château Frontenac, is the perfect place for views of the river and old city.
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.
Decks
Your Free Ocean Voyage
For all bookings of our cruise The St. Lawrence River in the heart of the boreal winter - Quebec - Quebec (departure on 13.02.2027), the sea voyage Bergen - Quebec (departure on 03.02.2027) is offered. You'll enjoy a unique 10-night voyage aboard the Commandant Charcot between Europe and America!
Any cruise purchased in combination with a free Sea Voyage becomes non-refundable and non-exchangeable. The combined offer of a sea voyage with a cruise is not retroactively applicable to bookings made prior to the launch of the offer. The sea voyage combined with a cruise is free of charge, with the exception of port taxes, which remain the passenger's responsibility. This offer applies subject to availability, and exclusively to a cabin of a category equivalent to that of the cabin booked.
Discoveries
Embark on a journey where every destination is approached with fresh wonder and refined curiosity. Included excursions (one per day, per guest) and carefully curated optional experiences alternate with outings led by your team of expert naturalist guides. A bespoke approach to exploration, ensuring every stopover is as enriching as it is unforgettable.
- Activities: One included excursion per day and per guest. Optional paid excursions are also available depending on the port of call. Activities guided by our team of naturalists (depending on the destination) are included and organised directly on board.
- Landings (depending on the destination): By dock, tender boat, local boats, or Zodiac.
- Your experts on board: The team of naturalist guides.
- Children: Children from 6 years of age are welcome on board (from 8 years old on Le Commandant Charcot).
The full program of all excursions, both included and optional, is available eight months prior to departure. Reservations open approximately two months before departure.