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Push the limits of sailing with this exceptional new 16-day expedition cruise to the Geographic North Pole.
To reach this mythical point covered by ice floe all year round, 700 km away from any emerged land, you will board Le Commandant-Charcot, the first hybrid electric polar exploration vessel.
Setting sail from Spitzbergen, you will enjoy an unforgettable maritime experience at the heart of sumptuous landscapes that are constantly evolving according to changes in the ice and the light. This itinerary, which lends itself perfectly to the observation of the wildlife, particularly rich at this time of the year, will take you as far as the pack ice. Then you will slowly progress to the heart of this silent world, frozen by the extreme cold, in the direction of the Grail of all polar explorers: the North Pole!
As the ice floe is constantly drifting, driven together by currents and winds, you too must keep moving if you want to remain on our planet’s most northernmost point…
We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. The itinerary, landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO.
Ref : LL7045 - O240721
Be among the few people in the world who have reached the Geographic North Pole! Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables with the naturalists. Hiking opportunity. Landscapes: ice floes, icebergs,...
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Included in your cruise
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, double occupancy, is based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of cabin to which this price applies may no longer be available.
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For your serenity, PONANT selects flights and organises transfers from and to the airport. 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 and greet at the airport by our local English-speaking representative.
Transfer to the pier for embarkation.
- Cruise aboard your cruise ship -
Disembarkation Day - Longyearbyen/Paris
Disembarkation
Meet and greet at the port by our local English-speaking representative.
Transfer to the airport in time for check-in of flight Longyearbyen/Paris selected by PONANT.
Flight Longyearbyen/Paris selected by PONANT.
Approximate flight duration: 4 h 30
We highly recommend stay one night in Paris after this flight
This programme includes:
This programme does not include:
Please note:
Services provided
Choose your stateroom category
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
20% Ponant Bonus
20 m2
2
Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
20% Ponant Bonus
20 m2
2
Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
20% Ponant Bonus
20 m2
2
Privilege Stateroom Deck 6
20% Ponant Bonus
28 m2
3
Privilege Stateroom Deck 7
20% Ponant Bonus
28 m2
3
Privilege Stateroom Deck 8
20% Ponant Bonus
28 m2
3
Prestige Suite Deck 7
20% Ponant Bonus
40 m2
4
Prestige Suite Deck 8
20% Ponant Bonus
40 m2
4
Privilege Suite Deck 6
20% Ponant Bonus
48 m2
4
Privilege Suite Deck 8
20% Ponant Bonus
48 m2
4
Suite Duplex
20% Ponant Bonus
94 m2
4
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:
Do not hesitate to visit the online PONANT store which offers a selection of equipment and accessories adapted to our destinations, at the following address: https://boutique.ponant.com
Benefits of the PONANT store:
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:
Depending on the itinerary and the program of your cruise, 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
Hovercraft
Following the example of Le Commandant-Charcot, designed to sail to the edge of the poles, hovercraft, which work as well on land as they do on sea, will take you to the most hard-to-reach places. Their unique propulsion system will ensure that you can explore the ice floe in total safety, regardless of ice and weather conditions. They will drop you in the heart of the austral or boreal vastness, in the deafening silence specific to this extreme environment, and let you live out a dream of absolute escape.
Helium balloon
Thrill-seekers and fans of exceptional, romantic landscapes, lulled by suspended moments... A flight in a tethered hot air balloon, handled by professionals, will let you take to the skies to admire the infinite crystal-clear panoramas of the Arctic and the Antarctic from above. You will always remember, and with emotion, these summits touching the skies, this immaculate ice floe and these steep hillsides and serrated contours stretching out to the horizon. This will also be an opportunity to observe the ship at work in the vastness of its environment.*
*with limited places available
Kayaking - Le Commandant-Charcot
Glide 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 boat that has been 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 very most of your adventure on the White Continent or in the Far North.*
*with limited places available
Snowmobiles
Using comfortable, ultra-modern, electric snowmobiles, which are silent and meet the most stringent standards, you can access firm land from the ship in order to constantly discover new panoramas. This light and secure activity, accessible to all, will enable you to travel around safely, explore the polar expanses and become intoxicated by these grandiose landscapes, in the company of professional guides.
Ice fishing
What better place than the icy Arctic regions to practice ice fishing? Assisted by the naturalist guides, you will look for the perfect spot to cut your hole on the ice floe or on frozen lakes and try to catch fish using an ancestral method. This activity off the beaten path will equally delight fans of sports fishing and those who are curious for new discoveries.
Polar diving
Diving in polar waters means an exceptional chance to admire an unusual landscape and to meet marine animals in their natural environment. Whether along an iceberg, meeting a magical world with a thousand and one shades of blue, or along a drop-off in search of anemone, soft coral, giant isopods… Diving will provide you with the unique opportunity to penetrate a unique and little-known world.*
*Optional
Hiking
During each shore landing, depending on the ecological resilience of the biome encountered, 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. When the itineraries allow it, you’ll put on snowshoes to set off, like the explorers of old, to discover areas that have barely known Man. In the Arctic, some excursions will be organised with sled dogs, the faithful companions of the Inuit. Trained to detect areas of thin ice and warn of the presence of bears, they will guide you and ensure your safety.
Participative science
Le Commandant-Charcot is fitted with the most modern oceanographic equipment and all the facilities necessary to accompany a scientific team in its research. Guided by our naturalists and the team of scientists, you will thus have the opportunity to make a direct contribution to the global scientific effort. Helping scientists to set up a station on the ice floe, deploying an Argos marker buoy or taking water samples: thanks to simple protocols, you’ll be able to discover part of the scientific adventure in the polar regions and contribute to improving the knowledge of biodiversity, marine mammals or glaciology and better understand Climate/Ecosystem/Man interactions.
Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables
Aboard Le Commandant-Charcot, a fleet of 16 Zodiac® expedition dinghies will be used for outings and shore visits throughout the cruise. Getting closer to a glacier calving huge icebergs, setting foot on a sheet of ice floe, observing bears, seals, sea lions and penguins up close: so many unforgettable moments that very few people will ever have the chance of experiencing in these regions that are hostile to man and home to unique wildlife.
Dog sled
Try out a practice that dates back to 6,000 years before our era. Faithful companions to the Inuit who made their use widespread in around 1000 AD, sled dogs have also accompanied trappers in the American Far North and explorers on their most extraordinary expeditions. Led with a deft hand by their master and your local guide, they will take you across enchanting decors during a magical ride. This is the ideal way to discover the ice sheet; you will hear only the noise of the sled’s runners sliding across the ice, the paws of the dogs in the snow and the orders given by the Inuit. Let yourself be lulled by the magic of the moment.
July 24, 2021 Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
Embarkation 7/24/2021 from 16h00 to 17h00
Departure 7/24/2021 at 18h00
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.
July 25, 2021 At sea along Spitsbergen
Arrival 7/25/2021
Departure 7/25/2021
The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.
July 26, 2021 July 30, 2021 Sailing ice floes
Arrival 7/26/2021
Departure 7/30/2021
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.
July 31, 2021 Geographic North Pole
Arrival 7/31/2021
Departure 7/31/2021
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 the Commandant-Charcot.
August 1, 2021 August 5, 2021 Sailing ice floes
Arrival 8/1/2021
Departure 8/5/2021
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.
August 6, 2021 August 7, 2021 At sea along Spitsbergen
Arrival 8/6/2021
Departure 8/7/2021
The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.
August 8, 2021 Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
Arrival 8/8/2021 early morning
Disembarkation 8/8/2021 at 06h00
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.
Polar Expedition
Realise your dream of adventure in the polar regions ! From your ship’s deck, aboard a Zodiac® inflatable or from land, 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.