Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
30% Ponant Bonus
20 m²
2
With featured guest Cindy Miller Hopkins, American Photo Ambassador.
In 1926, when Umberto Nobile crossed the Arctic via the North Pole, aboard the Norge airship that he designed himself, he became the first man in the world to undertake this crossing. It was an exploit that many would subsequently attempt to repeat. For, behind the idea of exploring our planet’s last latitudes, there lies the prospect of raising our spirit, of matching our thirst for the unknown with our deep desire to gain a greater understanding of the world in which we live.
Le Commandant Charcot, a ship of scientific opportunity, follows in the tradition of Nobile, a pioneer and a tireless architect of polar discovery, in order to discover some of the Arctic’s secrets during a dedicated research mission at the highest point of the north.
The ship, the latest addition to the company’s fleet, shaped for polar exploration, is preparing to sail, a never travelled, transpolar maritime route, that is inaccessible to traditional ships. From the legendary Bering Strait, a link between the East and the West, to the ice-covered land of Svalbard, Le Commandant Charcot will carve out a path through the ice floes, exploring the ice of the Beaufort Sea, and use open water leads to attempt to reach the elusive Magnetic and Geographic North Poles.
Like a pioneer, you will cross these ice-covered landscapes of the Arctic by sea. During your exploration, you will discover the research projects that are part of the scientific mission taking place on board. This is a unique opportunity to clarify your knowledge alongside a multi-disciplinary team of around twenty researchers on board, to understand their investigations and closely follow their work. Also accompanied by our expert naturalists, you will discover unique ecosystems while sharpening your perception of the polar world and comprehending the stakes of their transformation. Use this journey to grant yourself an initiatory immersion: the rare occasion to take part in an adventure that is making a contribution to scientific research.
Taking an all-new route means pledging to enter an unexplored world with respect, taking the time to observe and understand, as a conscious witness, the unfolding show. With your senses awakened, with the ice floe as your travel companion, you will move through an ever-changing environment, its hypnotic panoramas of raw beauty sculpted by sea winds and plays on light. In the heart of the drifting ice, you will savour the constantly renewed poetry of the elements.
Find out more about the world of Le Commandant Charcot here!
We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation, mainly in the fjords, 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 programme, outings, activities and observation of fauna cannot be guaranteed and are subject to weather and ice conditions. The experiences are unique and vary from day to day and for 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 AECO.
Ref : LN0745 - CC050925
Be among the first people in the world to undertake a transarctic crossing and set off in search of the Geographic North Pole, following in the wake of the pioneers of polar exploration, like Umberto...
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For more peace of mind, PONANT organizes your trip before or after the cruise. This package is included in the price of your cruise.
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*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.
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Cindy Miller Hopkins
PONANT Photo Ambassador and full-time professional travel and wildlife photographer with 25 years’ experience and over six thousand publications to her credit. Her images can be seen on the pages of thousands of textbooks, travel brochures, calendars, fine art prints, consumer products, U.S. and international magazines, and newspapers. Her freelance, assignment and workshop career has taken her to all seven continents and to over 150 countries. Her 2018 shot of 5-species of penguins in one frame is thought to be the only one like it in the world and is currently the lead image in a campaign to fully protect South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Along with her stock photography business, Cindy teaches digital photography classes, works as a professional photographer & guest lecturer on expedition ships and leads photo safaris around the world. She is past president of the NANPA (North American Photography Association) Foundation Board and is an active Foundation Board member for over 20 years. On average, Cindy is out of the country over 200 days a year. When not traveling, she lives at home with her husband in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Language spoken : English
Photo credit : Sue Flood
Subject to withdrawal in case of force majeure
Cindy Miller Hopkins
PONANT Photo Ambassador and full-time professional travel and wildlife photographer with 25 years’ experience and over six thousand publications to her credit. Her images can be seen on the pages of thousands of textbooks, travel brochures, calendars, fine art prints, consumer products, U.S. and international magazines, and newspapers. Her freelance, assignment and workshop career has taken her to all seven continents and to over 150 countries. Her 2018 shot of 5-species of penguins in one frame is thought to be the only one like it in the world and is currently the lead image in a campaign to fully protect South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Along with her stock photography business, Cindy teaches digital photography classes, works as a professional photographer & guest lecturer on expedition ships and leads photo safaris around the world. She is past president of the NANPA (North American Photography Association) Foundation Board and is an active Foundation Board member for over 20 years. On average, Cindy is out of the country over 200 days a year. When not traveling, she lives at home with her husband in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Language spoken : English
Photo credit : Sue Flood
Expedition programmes include activities such as zodiac outings and landings (sometimes with "wet landing"), moderate walks to more active hikes, all accompanied by your expedition team of naturalist guides.
Ports of call, visited sites, outings 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 and the Expedition Leader 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:
Accessories:
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:
For men:
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:
For men:
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:
WATERPROOF OUTER LAYER:
HEALTH CARE:
OUTFITS ON BOARD:
ACCESSORIES:
PONANT activities
Polar plunge
Let yourself be seduced by the unrivalled sensations of being surrounded by cold water. Weather and ice conditions willing, you will have opportunities to undertake a unique experience during a polar plunge wearing just your swimming costume, in the middle of the ice. You will be be filled with intense emotions and will fully appreciate the energy boost when warming up after the swim!*
*with limited places available
Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot
You will make the most of the sailing opportunities and weather and ice conditions to glide along on the clear waters or between the ice floes and get as close as possible to the immaculate nature of the poles. Supervised by licenced expert guides, you will try your hand in a kayak- a craft favoured by the Inuits for at least 4,000 years. The kayak was initially used for hunting and fishing; for you, it will be a means of making the most of your adventure on the White Continent or in the Far North.*
*with limited places available
Hiking or snowshoeing
During shore landings, depending on the ecological resilience of the biome, we will propose hikes at different levels, in the company of your experienced naturalist guides. From a simple stroll along the coast to walks lasting several hours to reach particular viewpoints or historical sites, you will make the most of the opportunities provided by the weather and ice conditions. When the itineraries allow, you’ll put on snowshoes* to set off like the explorers of old and discover areas that have barely known Man.
*with limited places available
*Subject to weather and ice conditions and to sailing opportunities
Embarkation 05/09/2025 from 16:00 to 17:00
Departure 05/09/2025 at 18:00
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
Arrival 06/09/2025
Departure 06/09/2025
The vast Isfjorden is one of the main fjords in Svalbard. These different branches reach the heart of the island of Spitsbergen. Located deep inside the Billejforden, the Nordenskiöld Glacier with its front of ice, nearly 5 km wide, is one of the most spectacular in the Svalbard Archipelago. You will perhaps have the opportunity to discover the ghost town of Pyramiden. Constructed at the foot of a mountain in the form of a pyramid, this former mining town, founded by Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century before being sold a few years later to the Soviet Union, and abandoned in 1998, has conserved all the buildings from its glory days, when it lived off coal mining.
Arrival 07/09/2025
Departure 07/09/2025
Nestling between millennial glaciers and carved mountains, and considered to be “the crown of Arctic Norway”, Spitsbergen is a place that never sees the night. Your ship will take you closer to this fascinating archipelago and, more particularly, the Hornsund fjord. Considered to be Svalbard’s southernmost fjord, it is especially reputed to be its most stunning: at the end of its vast bay, 8 great glaciers slowly make their way down to the sea before giving way to the many icebergs elegantly drifting along its cold and mysterious waters.
Arrival 08/09/2025
Departure 08/09/2025
The Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve is the second largest protected area in Norway. Established in 1973, this nature conservation area stretching over more than 21,000 km2 will offer you stunning panoramas including coastal landscapes, rocky islets, mountain plateaux, vast tundra plains, and ice floes. With a little luck, you will be able to observe a wide variety of seabirds, given the site is listed as an Important Bird Area, as well as cetaceans, Svalbard reindeer, or even Arctic foxes. Among other things, Edgeoya Island is renowned for providing shelter to a number of polar bears during the breeding season.
Arrival 09/09/2025
Departure 09/09/2025
Sailing in the Hinlopen Strait, in the heart of the Arctic Ocean, between the Norwegian islands of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet promises an unforgettable experience. This territory of the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve offers breathtaking panoramas, with magnificent basalt formations and the ice cap stretching as far as the eye can see, diving into the sea. The shore line cut by the fjords moving inland composes a magical landscape in which icebergs float here and there, the result of the calving of the surrounding glaciers. This place, today a popular spot to observe the seabirds nesting in the enormous cliffs, polar bears and walruses, was once intrinsically linked to the history of the whalers who frequented the region from the 17th century. Indeed, it was one of them, Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen, then director of a Dutch whaling company, who gave the strait its name. Later on, Russian trappers, European explorers, scientists and even mountaineers roamed this region, as hostile as it is sublime.
Arrival 10/09/2025
Departure 10/09/2025
The Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve has been protecting the northernmost and coldest part of the archipelago, Nordaustlandet (North East Land), since 1973. This vast polar desert covered by two ice caps is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Protected by the Gulf Stream, the fjords and cliffs in the west and north are home to large colonies of birds and walruses. The landscapes in the colder east and south are dominated by imposing glaciers that calve majestic icebergs in the vast Hinlopen Strait. Large colonies of thick-billed murres have taken up residence on the sheer cliffs*. You may even get the chance to see a bear or an Arctic fox roaming in the vicinity.
*depending on nesting and migration period
Arrival 11/09/2025
Departure 13/09/2025
Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.
Arrival 14/09/2025
Departure 14/09/2025
The convergence point for the field lines of the Earth's magnetic field, the Magnetic North Pole attracts the magnetic needle of the compass. While the Geographic North Pole is the Earth’s northernmost fixed point, marking the intersection of the Globe's rotation axis with the Earth’s surface, the Magnetic North Pole moves over time. In fact, it is linked to the Earth's magnetic field which originates in the Earth's outer core, which is made up of molten metal and is subject to convection movements. Localised for the first time in 1831, in the Canadian Arctic, it has since moved towards Siberia and thus become closer to the Geographic North Pole. Set off in search of the Magnetic North Pole, try to get closer to it and, if luck allows it, attempt to reach it!
Arrival 15/09/2025
Departure 15/09/2025
Bordering the north coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Beaufort Sea was feared for centuries because of its extreme climatic conditions. Covered for most of the year with a thick layer of ice, and unexplored until 1914, this part of the Arctic Ocean, named in honour of the British Admiral Francis Beaufort, will reveal its magnificent icy landscapes to you. With a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some polar bears, since the region is renowned for sheltering the Lord of the Arctic.
Arrival 16/09/2025
Departure 16/09/2025
Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
Arrival 17/09/2025
Departure 24/09/2025
Bordering the north coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Beaufort Sea was feared for centuries because of its extreme climatic conditions. Covered for most of the year with a thick layer of ice, and unexplored until 1914, this part of the Arctic Ocean, named in honour of the British Admiral Francis Beaufort, will reveal its magnificent icy landscapes to you. With a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some polar bears, since the region is renowned for sheltering the Lord of the Arctic.
Arrival 25/09/2025
Disembarkation 25/09/2025 at 08:00
Located along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska, Nome offers the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of magnificent wilderness. As you weave in and out of the brightly coloured houses, you will discover the pioneering legacy that still marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing... People here live from their manual labour. The surrounding plains provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna.
For your serenity, PONANT selects a flight and organises the transfer between the airport and the port (and vice-versa). This package is included in your cruise fare.
Embarkation day - Paris/Longyearbyen
Flight Paris/Longyearbyen selected by PONANT.
Approximate flight duration: 4 h 30.
We highly recommend you arrive in Paris the day before this flight.
We suggest you to be at the check-in counter 2 hours before departure.
Meet & greet at the airport by our local English-speaking representative.
Transfer to the pier for embarkation.
- Cruise aboard your cruise ship -
This programme includes:
This programme does not include:
Please note:
Disembarkation Day - Nome/Seattle
Disembarkation.
Meet and greet at the port by our local English-speaking representative.
Transfer to the airport in time for check-in of flight Nome/Seattle selected by PONANT.
Flight Nome/Seattle selected by PONANT.
Approximate flight duration: 5 h 00.
We highly recommend you stay one night in Seattle after this flight.
This programme includes:
This programme does not include:
Please note:
Polar Expedition
Realise your dream of adventure in the polar regions ! Discover the icy vastness and the fauna of Antarctica (humpback whales, seals, penguins and more) or the Arctic's fjords, glaciers and icebergs in shifting colours, not to mention the polar bears, the variety of wildlife and the special moments shared with the locals. Our team of naturalist guides share their knowledge with you during varied lectures about the fauna, the flora, the history of great explorations, geology and climatology. Thanks to its conscientiousness and to the responsible approach that is its hallmark, PONANT has been a leader and expert in cruises to these destinations for more than 20 years.
The Travel Concierge service
Our Travel Concierge service is designed to make your trip an unforgettable one by offering services precisely tailored to your individual needs. These include private transfers, access to airport waiting lounges, home services during your absence and personalised stopovers.
Our Travel Concierge team is ready to help with the smallest details of your trip, so you can leave home care-free and enjoy the voyage with complete peace of mind.
Discover all the concierge services by clicking here.
Looking forward to accompanying you,
PONANT Travel Concierge Team
Photo ambassadors
Sharpen your eye and capture the ephemeral! Head out to sea and develop your visual senses alongside our photo ambassadors. The on-board photo ambassadors are committed and renowned professionals who will share their passion and expertise during workshops offered on board or on shore, photography-based discussions and conferences. A recurring theme of PONANT cruises is the sharing of knowledge and culture: this serves to support and highlight our openness to the world. With the help of the photo ambassadors, you will truly participate in your exploration. Take the time to feel and to observe the world around you and keep a lasting imprint of the fleeting moments and intense emotions experienced during this cruise.