HIGHLIGHTS
- Crossing the Northwest Passage to discover the most remote
places and most emblematic waterways of this legendary maritime zone,
accessible only thanks to Le Commandant Charcot.
- Outings and shore visits in a Zodiac® dinghy or
hovercraft with an reinforced team of naturalist-guides.
- Visit of a traditional Inuit village at the entrance to the
Fury and Hecla Strait.
- Discovery of the Aulavik National Park, renowned for the
largest concentration of musk oxen in the world.
- Landscapes: vast expanses of ice floe, myriads of
“jagged” islands, blue-toned glaciers, mountain
chains, expanses of tundra, vertiginous walls.
- Fauna: Arctic foxes, sea birds, narwhals, belugas, walruses
and the possibility of seeing polar bears.
- Our experts are fine-tuning your programme of activities,
find out more very soon.
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | Stateroom D6 | Stateroom D7 | Stateroom D8 | Deluxe Suite D6 | Deluxe Suite D7 | Deluxe Suite D8 | Suite D7 | Suite D8 | Grand Suite D6 | Privilege Suite D8 | Suite Duplex | Owner's Suite |
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
Start Date | End Date | (Starting from) Stateroom D6 | (Mid-range) Suite D7 | (High-end) Owner's Suite |
ITINERARY
11 SEPTEMBER 2023 -
REYKJAVÍK
Embarkation 11/09/2023 from 19:30 to 20:30
Departure 11/09/2023 at 21:30
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.
12 SEPTEMBER 2023 - AT
SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Arrival 12/09/2023
Departure 12/09/2023
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.
13 SEPTEMBER
2023 14 SEPTEMBER 2023 - SOUTHERN COAST OF GREENLAND
Arrival 13/09/2023
Departure 14/09/2023
Set sail in the traces of the Norwegian explorer Erik Le Rouge by
travelling along the south coast of Greenland. Your ship will head deep
into the longest network of fjords in the region, the Prins Christian
Sund. This sumptuous natural canal, surrounded by craggy mountains and
impressive glaciers will offer you stunning landscapes.
15 SEPTEMBER
2023 16 SEPTEMBER 2023 - AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT
Arrival 15/09/2023
Departure 16/09/2023
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.
17 SEPTEMBER
2023 19 SEPTEMBER 2023 - HUDSON STRAIT
Arrival 17/09/2023
Departure 19/09/2023
Linking Hudson Bay, the second largest bay in the world, to the
Atlantic Ocean, the Hudson Strait was identified for the first time by
the Venetian explorer Sebastian Cabot in 1517. However, it
wasn’t until 1660 that the English sailor Henry Hudson
explored this maritime passage as far as the bay. Offering privileged
access to the centre of Canada, in the 18th Century the Hudson Strait
became a commercial route, notably used for fur trading. Some 800 km in
length and congested with ice for most of the year, it will offer you a
truly unique sailing experience.
20 SEPTEMBER
2023 21 SEPTEMBER 2023 - FOXE BASIN
Arrival 20/09/2023
Departure 21/09/2023
Named after the 17th-century explorer Luke Fox, who was the first to
reach it, Foxe Basin marks the entry of the mythical Northwest Passage,
much coveted since the 15th century and first crossed from one side to
the other by Roald Amundsen in 1906. Blocked by ice for much of the
year, Foxe Basin is home to the last emerged lands to be discovered in
North America, in 1948, during aerial surveys: the Prince Charles, Air
Force and Foley Islands. In summer, bowhead whales take up residence
here to give birth.
22 SEPTEMBER 2023 - FURY
AND HECLA STRAIT
Arrival 22/09/2023
Departure 22/09/2023
At the heart of the Arctic Ocean, set sail in the footsteps of the
British explorer W.E. Parris who in 1822, during his desperate quest to
find the North West Passage, discovered the Fury and Hecla Strait. The
expedition that he led with two Royal Navy vessels, HMS Fury and HMS
Hecla, in the hope of crossing the mythical maritime passageway, ended
in failure. Trapped in the ice, the two ships were blocked to the north
of Foxe Basin, but this allowed them to identify the strait separating
the Melville peninsula and Baffin Island. Covered by ice floe for the
majority of the year, this narrow stretch of sea is very difficult to
access. When you enter the passage, you will have the privilege of
visiting the Inuit village of Igloolik.
23 SEPTEMBER
2023 28 SEPTEMBER 2023 - ICE CROSSING OF THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE
Arrival 23/09/2023
Departure 28/09/2023
At the far north of the American continent, in the most northerly part
of the Arctic archipelago, the Northwest Passage is the shortest
waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Its crossing has
been coveted since the 15th century and Roald Amundsen was the first to
do so in 1906. Blocked by thick ice floe for most of the year, to date
only a lucky few have managed to sail from one side to the other. The
crossing of this little-mapped and little-explored region is a
challenge worthy of Le Commandant Charcot, which was designed to sail
in extreme environments. Sheltered in its refined and protective
setting, you will make the most of this exploration of the ice with the
inimitable appeal of the first time: just like the first explorers, you
will sail in its channels sculpted by glacial erosion and discover
spectacular landscapes, made up of craggy terrain and monumental
fjords. You will be able to measure the privilege of undertaking such
an exploration in the light of the experience’s rarity.
29 SEPTEMBER
2023 30 SEPTEMBER 2023 - BANKS ISLAND
Arrival 29/09/2023
Departure 30/09/2023
Located in the north of Canadian archipelago of the Northwest
Territories, Banks Island, also known as Banks Land offers landscapes
that are as sumptuous as they are spectacular. The island, covering
some 70,000 km², offers a landscape of hills and valleys as
well as sheer cliffs and canyons, a result of the glacial erosion. To
the north of the island, the Aulavik National Park is home to a very
rich wildlife mainly consisting of Arctic wolves, muskox, caribou,
Arctic foxes, lemmings and many varieties of birds.
1 OCTOBER 2023
4 OCTOBER 2023 - SAILING ICE FLOES IN BEAUFORT SEA
Arrival 01/10/2023
Departure 04/10/2023
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 to you its sumptuous icy
landscapes. Will a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some
Beluga, the region being renowned for hosting many colonies of these
white whales.
5 OCTOBER 2023 - NOME,
ALASKA
Arrival 05/10/2023 early morning
Disembarkation 05/10/2023 at 07:00
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.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Disembarkation Day -
Nome/Seattle
- Disembarkation.
- Meet and greet at the port by our local English-speaking
representative.
- Transfer to the airport in time for check-in of flight
Nome/Seattle selected by PONANT.
- Flight Nome/Seattle selected by PONANT.
- Approximate flight duration: 5 h 00.
- We highly recommend you stay one night in Seattle after
this flight
This programme includes:
- Flight Nome/Seattle selected by PONANT in economy class.
- The transfer mentioned in the programme.
- English-speaking assistance.
- This programme does not include:
- Personal expenses.
- Any other service not mentioned in the programme.
Please note:
- The flight included in the programme is as of today,
operated in economy class.
- Due to limited local transportation resources, waiting
might be generated.
- For passengers in transit in Seattle, we recommend staying
one night in Seattle after this flight.
- Programme and flight schedule are subject to change without
prior notice.