Ponant Le Commandant Charcot - Exterior, ©PONANT Credit. Julien Fabro

Massive icebergs with sharp peaks floating in Greenland's blue waters. Credit: Dorothee Hippel.

GALLERY

In the Ice of the Arctic, From Greenland To Svalbard on the Le Commandant Charcot

Close gallery

Mark Stratton

Arctic tern spreading its wings to take flight in East Greenland.

Duration

16 DAYS

Class of Ship

Large Expedition Ship & Icebreaker

Sustainability

Hybrid Electric, Science Centre, LNG Powered (liquified natural gas), Green Marine Certified, Ship to Shore Power

Berths

245

Ice Class

PC2 Rating

Duration

16 DAYS

Class of Ship

Large Expedition Ship & Icebreaker

Sustainability

Hybrid Electric, Science Centre, LNG Powered (liquified natural gas), Green Marine Certified, Ship to Shore Power

Berths

245

Ice Class

PC2 Rating

Sail in the Hinlopen Strait, infiltrated by ice and connecting Spitsbergen to Nordaustlandet.
With featured guest Cindy Miller Hopkins, American Photo Ambassador.
Explore the ice to the north-east of Greenland, inaccessible to traditional ships in this extreme season (late spring), as well as the remote lands of the Svalbard archipelago.

To sail to the lands beyond the Arctic Circle is to push the boundaries of exploration in the wake of those who made discovering the polar regions their life’s mission.

You will set a course for the north-east of Greenland, inaccessible to traditional ships in this late spring, before cruising to Svalbard and its untouched landscapes. Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, you will be amazed by the opportunities for guided exploration in these remote parts. You will progress through one of the hardest to reach areas in the Far North. On your journey, the Ammassalik, Blosseville and Ittoqqortoormiit regions reveal mythical places associated with the history of the discovery of the Arctic – places where the names Paul-Emile Victor, Jules de Blosseville and Jean-Baptiste Charcot still resound. To the north-east of Greenland, you will sail through the drifting ice floes of the North Pole and continue your exploration in the heart of immaculate scenery.

The sea ice reveals itself in all its formsMarvel at the subtle light changes on the ice. Your route then leads eastward, towards Svalbard. As you progress through this polar landscape, Nordaustlandet (North East Land) will display Europe’s largest ice cap and some of its most majestic fjords. You will cross the frozen expanses of the Hinlopen Strait, where the contours of the glaciers shape the horizon, and you will get up close to monumental basalt cliffs. In the Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve, classed as an Important Bird Area, the ice-cloaked arid spaces are also home to cetaceans and Svalbard reindeer. Whether from the exterior decks of your ship, during an outing in an inflatable dinghy or a kayak, or during a hike near blue-tinged icebergs, you will have multiples opportunities to get to know this wild and stunning world a little better.

In extreme conditions, at the end of spring when ice dots the barren landscapes, these remote parts reveal themselves to travellers. Despite the harsh climate and environment, the wildlife thrives here, offering the humble and patient observer the most wonderful of rewards. 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.