HIGHLIGHTS
- A voyage infused with the spirit of discovery, accompanied by special guests from The Explorers Club to share onboard lectures, exploration stories, and scientific research.
- Discover the landscapes (Svalbard nature reserves, pack ice and compression ridges, etc.) and the wildlife (opportunities to glimpse or observe polar bears, cetaceans, seabirds, etc.).
- Activities: opportunities for outings and shore visits in a rubber dinghy; kayaking; hiking or snowshoeing; polar plunging; lectures by scientists on board, etc.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
| Start Date | End Date | Prestige Stateroom |
|---|
| Sep 05, 2025 | Sep 25, 2025 | 62,390 |
Flight Paris/Longyearbyen + Transfers + Flight Nome/Seattle 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.
Rates are listed per person in USD. Promotional offers are not reflected in the rates below.
|
| Start Date | End Date | Prestige Stateroom |
|---|
| Sep 05, 2025 | Sep 25, 2025 | 62,390 |
Flight Paris/Longyearbyen + Transfers + Flight Nome/Seattle 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.
ITINERARY
Day
1 : Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
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.
Day
2 : Isfjorden
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.
Day
3 : Hornsund
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.
Day
4 : Soraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve
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.
Day
5 : Sailing in the Hinlopen Strait
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.
Day
6 : Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve
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
Day
7-9 : Navigating through the sea ice
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.
Day
10 : Magnetic North Pole
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!
Day
11 : Exploring sea ice in Beaufort Sea
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.
Day
12 : Geographic North Pole
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.
Day
13-20 : Exploring sea ice in Beaufort Sea
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.
Day
21 : Nome, Alaska
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.
Le Commandant Charcot (Luxury Expedition, 270-guests)
Le Commandant-Charcot welcomes you to an intimate and refined atmosphere. Equipped with just 135 staterooms including 31 suites with balconies and outside views, the ship offers outstanding gastronomy in its two restaurants, relaxation in the indoor pool surrounded by its winter garden, relaxation in the well-being area with sauna and Snow Room... Like on a private yacht, each of our guests is unique.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Full board from arrival to departure day
- High-end gastronomy in all restaurants
- All beverages in restaurants, bars, and minibars. All
drinks are included² (a selection of champagnes, wines and
spirits, beers, cocktails, water, soft drinks, hot beverages)
- 24-hour room service
- Butler service for certain suites³
- Unlimited internet access onboard
- Evening events, shows, and other entertainment
- Access to the fitness area and hammam or sauna, depending
on the ship
- All port and security charges
²
Excluding premium
à la carte beverages.
³
Butler service is
available for the following suites:
Owner’s
Suite, Duplex Suites, Privilege Suites, and Prestige Suites;
Adventure
Options:
- Hiking or snowshoeing
- Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot
- Polar plunge
