HIGHLIGHTS
- Experience
the exceptional: meet the Inuit people at the end of the winter, to
share unique moments on the ice floe, discover their spring traditions
and experience a dog sled outing.
- Aboard
Le Commandant Charcot, a polar exploration vessel opening to the
exterior, take time with these unique moments of exploration and
observation, in the silence and respect of fragile landscapes and
encountered species.
- The
Blosseville Coast and its ice cap that comes straight from the North
Pole.
- Exploring
the region of Ittoqqortoormiit, where the last hunters of the polar
region live, at the entrance to Scoresby Sound, the world’s
largest network of fjords.
- Set
off on the trail of the great explorers who attempted to navigate the
eastern coast of Greenland, a region that long remained isolated due to
being hard to reach and only accessible at this time of year thanks to
Le Commandant Charcot.
- Experience
the dog sled, at the heart of Inuit culture, an activity designed with
our hosts.
- Crossing
the Denmark Strait and the possibility of spotting blue whales and
humpback whales.
- The
landscapes: striped mountains, fjords, glaciers, icebergs, polar ice
cap, patches of ice floe drifting from the North Pole, hummocks.
- The
wildlife: blue and humpback whales, polar bears, seals, Arctic foxes,
sea birds.
- Many
brand-new activities*: dog sledding, kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing,
ice fishing, polar diving, participative science.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
ITINERARY
Day
1: Reykjavík
Iceland’s
capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the
country. Perlan, the “Pearl of
Reykjavík”, a museum located on
’Oskjuhlið hill, offers a panoramic view of the lush,
green landscapes. A little further, one can easily spot the signpost
showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church,
and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the
Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two
lively streets with charming small shops. For some relaxation just
outside of the city, visitors have the opportunity to visit the
Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.
Day
2: Sailing through the Denmark Strait
Lying
between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the
first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the
Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were
the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on
24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along
the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs
along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during
the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s
largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in
temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer
waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this
rich ecosystem.
Day
3: Ammassalik Region
Still
almost unknown just a century ago, the east coast of Greenland remains
the most authentic and majestic region. Here, the alpine mountains
merge intimately with the sea, while the fjords are adorned with high
snow-capped peaks and drifting icebergs. Follow in the wake of Captain
Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s famous ship, the Pourquoi Pas?, which
set off with its crew to discover Ammassalik, a small island of
primitive and wild beauty where the Inuit people chose to live. The
name of this island is a reference to the capelin, a small flamboyant
silver coloured fish, whose presence in the thousands announces to
inhabitants the return of spring. A surprising discovery in a
spectacular setting.
Day
4: Exploring the Blosseville Coast
Aboard
your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a
French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this
isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise,
an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears
his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice,
icebergs and pack ice - thin or thick, flat or pronounced - as far as
the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which
very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into
the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in
light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the
kingdom of the polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot, a silent ship open
to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic
wildlife, through a series of encounters.
Days
5-8: Exploration of Ittoqqortoormiit Region
On
the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region that is
covered with snow and ice for nine months of the year, you will have
the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of an isolated
territory and exploring the beauty of its infinite polar whiteness. The
high alpine mountains punctuate the sky and gradually reveal their dark
rock edges beneath a coat of snow. Located at the entrance to the
longest system of fjords in the world, sits the village of
Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the northernmost inhabited places on the East
coast. Its name means ‘great house’ in Greenlandic
and it is home to the last hunters of the polar region, whose ancestral
way of life you will encounter. As soon as the thickness of the ice
floe allows it, the hunters set out on the trail of walruses, seals,
narwhals, musk oxen and polar bears, travelling by traditional dog
sleds. On these expanses of immaculate snow, the silence is broken only
by the sounds of the dogs, the grating of a sled coming back from a run
or of footsteps on the ice. You will discover Inuit traditions through
privileged and festive moments on the ice floe and in the village.
Days
9-11: Exploring the Blosseville Coast
Aboard
your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a
French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this
isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise,
an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears
his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice,
icebergs and pack ice - thin or thick, flat or pronounced - as far as
the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which
very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into
the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in
light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the
kingdom of the polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot, a silent ship open
to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic
wildlife, through a series of encounters.
Day
12: Sailing through the Denmark Strait
Lying
between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the
first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the
Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were
the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on
24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along
the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs
along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during
the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s
largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in
temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer
waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this
rich ecosystem.
Day
13: Reykjavík - Disembarkation
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
At
PONANT, the "all-inclusive" includes:
- accommodation
in stateroom,
- the
full meal plan,
- the
Open Bar: beginning with boarding, and during the duration of the
cruise, a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine,
beer, Charles Heidsieck champagne, spirits, coffee, tea) is served on
request and at any time of the day. Certain premium alcoholic beverages
on the menu are not included in the Open Bar,
- free
Wi-Fi internet access 24 hours a day*,
- activities
offered during expedition cruises (see section "Expedition cruises"),
- access
to all the common areas:
- on
board our sister ships and Ponant Explorers: fitness room, steam room,
hair salon, swimming pool (sea water, heated), solarium, lounges,
theater, boutique & leisure area.
- on
board of our three-masted Le Ponant: Solarium of 400 m²,
marina, lounge, Boutique & leisure area.
- For
all our cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic, we charter aircraft and
transfers in order to facilitate the arrival and the departure of our
passengers
- Port
taxes are included in your cruise fare.
- The
breakfasts, lunches and dinners served on board are included in the
price of the cruise
- Access
to the steam room and the fitness room is free, except on Le Ponant
which does not have them.
- What
champagne is included in the price of the cruise?
- The
rates displayed on our site are per person, on the basis of a double
occupancy.
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Dog
sledding
- Kayaking
- Le Commandant Charcot
- Ice
fishing
- Polar
plunge
- Hiking
or snowshoeing
- Participative
science
