HIGHLIGHTS
- An exceptional cruise in the wake of the legendary
expedition of the Endurance, from the Weddell Sea to the Antarctic
Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, and on to the fabulous South
Georgia.
- Outings and shore visits in a zodiac inflatable or
hovercraft* with a reinforced team of naturalist guides.
- Conferences and information meetings on board with our
passionate experts, specialists in the fauna, flora and history of the
polar regions.
- Landscapes: drifting icebergs, ice floe, snow-capped
mountains, alpine landscapes, black-sand beaches and suspended glaciers.
- Wildlife: humpback whales, leopard, crabeater and Weddell
seals, king penguins, elephant and fur seals.
- Many activities: kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, polar
plunge without suit, polar swim with drysuit, participative science.
Discover all the activities in the ‘PONANT
Activities’ tab.
- For your comfort, your cruise package includes an overnight
in Santiago the day before embarkation, transfers and flights
Santiago/Ushuaia (for details, see the ‘Included in your
cruise’ tab).
*Subject to the regulations in force.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:Overnight
in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers
For
your serenity, PONANT has organised the following included programme
for you, which starts the day prior to embarkation.
The
day before embarkation – Santiago
Transfer
from airport to PONANT selected hotel.
In
order to organise your transfer, please inform your travel agent, 60
days before departure, your flight number as well as your arrival time
and day
Meet
and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late
morning.
Lunch
on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon.
Dinner.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Embarkation
Day – Santiago/Ushuaia
A
light morning breakfast will be served before leaving for the airport
for your Santiago/Ushuaia flight.
Transfer
to the airport.
Flight
Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class.
Seats
in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours
Meet
and greet at Ushuaia airport (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer
to Le Commandant-Charcot.
Embarkation.
–
Cruise on board your ship –
Rates are listed per person
|
Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
Mandatory Transfer Package Details:Overnight
in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers
For
your serenity, PONANT has organised the following included programme
for you, which starts the day prior to embarkation.
The
day before embarkation – Santiago
Transfer
from airport to PONANT selected hotel.
In
order to organise your transfer, please inform your travel agent, 60
days before departure, your flight number as well as your arrival time
and day
Meet
and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late
morning.
Lunch
on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon.
Dinner.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Embarkation
Day – Santiago/Ushuaia
A
light morning breakfast will be served before leaving for the airport
for your Santiago/Ushuaia flight.
Transfer
to the airport.
Flight
Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class.
Seats
in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
Approximate
flight duration: 3 hours
Meet
and greet at Ushuaia airport (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer
to Le Commandant-Charcot.
Embarkation.
–
Cruise on board your ship –
ITINERARY
Ushuaia
12 MARCH 2023 - USHUAIA
Embarkation 12/03/2023 from 16:00 to 17:00
Departure 12/03/2023 at 18:00
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered
the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed
“El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this
city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains
surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as
the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes
plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating
places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely
and the inaccessible…
Crossing the Drake Passage
13 MARCH 2023 14 MARCH 2023 - CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE
Arrival 13/03/2023
Departure 14/03/2023
Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with
your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition
Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be
observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you
need to know about the zodiac outings. Lectures about the history and
wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more
about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience.
From the ship’s bridge, you will experience exceptional
sailing moments before joining the naturalist-guides on your
ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape
petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.
The Weddell Sea exploration
15 MARCH 2023 16 MARCH 2023 - THE WEDDELL SEA EXPLORATION
Arrival 15/03/2023
Departure 16/03/2023
Impassable, extreme and captivating: this is the best way to describe
the Weddell Sea, much of which is covered by a layer of thick, densely
packed ice. It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon this sea.
Your exploration of this vast polar expanse, a real labyrinth
frequented by majestic tabular icebergs, will plunge you into the heart
of an extraordinary and enchanting silence. These ice giants come from
the calving of the legendary Larsen Ice Shelf which looms in the
southern part of this mythical sea. It was in this zone that the ship
Endurance, commanded by Ernest Shackleton, was crushed and swallowed by
the ice. “What the ice gets, the ice keeps” he
said. Not exactly, though, since the famous wreck was miraculously
found in 2022... While polar expeditions are no longer the same as they
were a century ago, the adventure continues. Humpback whales, orcas,
colonies of Adelie penguins, and giant petrels are all to be found
here, yet the lord of the kingdom is no other than the Weddell seal. On
these lands, only the throbbing of its cries breaks the surrounding
tranquillity. A record-breaker (it can remain underwater for more than
an hour), you will recognise it by its dark grey pelage and spotted
belly.
North Antarctic Peninsula
17 MARCH 2023 - NORTH ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Arrival 17/03/2023
Departure 17/03/2023
Throughout your time in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will
find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of
blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. You will sail
through the Antarctic Sound, named after Swedish explorer Otto
Nordenskjöld’s ship, which was trapped by the ice
during an important scientific expedition in 1902. The gateway to the
Weddell Sea, this sound is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and
plates of sea ice drifting northward from the coastal areas of this
vast sea. It is home to Adelie penguins and a great many leopard seals.
South Shetland Islands
18 MARCH 2023 - SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS
Arrival 18/03/2023
Departure 18/03/2023
On the edge of the Antarctic Peninsula, 120 km (70 miles) from the
White Continent, the South Shetland Islands offer surreal and
mysterious scenery. On these volcanic islands of dark rock, the
landscapes alternate between long, jagged and snow-covered coast and
large, gently sloping bays. These lunar and wild lands are home to
important scientific research stations and a large number of animal
species: chinstrap penguins, crabeater seals or Weddell seals,
Antarctic terns, giant petrels and elephant seals have taken up
residence here.
South Orkney Islands
19 MARCH 2023 - SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS
Arrival 19/03/2023
Departure 19/03/2023
More than 85% glaciated, these remote mountainous islands are hidden in
the Southern Ocean, some 600 km from the tip of the Antarctic
Peninsula. The archipelago is composed of four main islands: Coronation
Island, Signy Island, Powell Island and Laurie Island. Discovered in
1821 by seal hunters, they were also explored in 1823 by the British
navigator James Weddell, who gave them their current name. Despite the
ravages caused by whale and seal hunting, today a sizeable leopard seal
population can be found there, along with chinstrap penguins and snow
petrels. Laurie Island is home to an old scientific station that is
still in operation.
At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
20 MARCH 2023 21 MARCH 2023 - AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT
CHARCOT
Arrival 20/03/2023
Departure 21/03/2023
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.
South Georgia
22 MARCH 2023 24 MARCH 2023 - SOUTH GEORGIA
Arrival 22/03/2023
Departure 24/03/2023
Aboard your ship, discover South Georgia, a region formed by an
underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the Antarctic
Peninsula. All the wildlife of the Far South can be found there: king
and Gentoo penguins, elephant seals, fur seals… You might
get the chance to discover the majestic glaciers of Gold Harbour and
the vast plains of Fortuna Bay. If you are fortunate enough to land at
Salisbury Plain, you can expect a wonderful spectacle: more than
300,000 king penguins, which you will recognise by the bright orange
mark on their head and neck, have taken up residence there.
At sea aboard Le Commandant Charcot
25 MARCH 2023 28 MARCH 2023 - AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT
CHARCOT
Arrival 25/03/2023
Departure 28/03/2023
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.
Montevideo
29 MARCH 2023 - MONTEVIDEO
Arrival 29/03/2023
Disembarkation 29/03/2023 at 07:00
Perched on the far southern tip of Uruguay, Montevideo is a white city,
and one of the loveliest capital cities of South America. Come and
admire the beautiful historical remains dating from Spanish rule;
you’ll find the most interesting within the Cuidad Vieja,
formerly fortified, its old town dates from the 18th century. The best
preserved are the cathedral and the former governmental palace of the
Cabildo, both listed historical monuments. In the crook of a vast blue
bay, the city is also blessed with beautiful beaches.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Transfer
from airport upon flight arrival.
- 1-night
accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before embarkation.
- Your
hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
- Early
check-in available from late morning.
- Hospitality
desk at the hotel in Santiago.
- Flight
Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT, in economy class.
- Seats
in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
- Meals
as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
- Transfers
as mentioned in the programme.
Your programme does not
include:
- Tips
for the local guide.
- Personal
expenses.
- Other
meals and services not mentioned in the programme.
Please
note:
- The
local currency is the Chilean Peso. You will be able to make most of
your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card,
accepted in most hotels, shopping centres and boutiques. You will also
be able to retrieve Pesos from the ATM’s.
- Summer
season in Santiago: temperatures may be very hot, but often between 68
°F (20 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C).
- Summer
season in Ushuaia: temperatures vary between 41 °F (5
°C) and 65 °F (15 °C)
- We
recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
- If
case PONANT has not received your full flight details, services start
at the hotel in time for check-in.
ADVENTURE OPTIONS - Participative Science
- Hovercraft
- Helium Balloon
- Kayaking
- Snowmobiles
- Polar Diving
- Hiking
- Outings And Shore Visits In Zodiac Inflatables