Launched two years ago and named after the French polar explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot, the 150-metre Le Commandant Charcot is no ordinary exploration and expedition vessel. Shy of 32,000 tonnes and able to carry 245 guests and 235 crew, this impressive nine-deck-high cruise ship is an ice-breaker. In fact, it’s the only one in the world.
Ponant’s PC2 Ice-Breaker
Owned and operated by Ponant Cruises, renowned for their small cruise ship fleet of exploration and expedition ships, Charcot is rated PC2 (Polar Class 2), enabling her to travel to parts of the globe that most commercial ships can only dream of. And yet, there is nothing rough and tough about her facilities, accommodation and onboard service, which are all genuinely 5-star.
Building the Ultimate Arctic Explorer
Her designers were mandated to build a ship to take the curious, the nature lover and the thrill-seeking traveller to the North Pole. She needed to break through a ridge of floating sea ice up to 15 meters high, sail through 2.5-meter-thick ice at a constant speed, and operate in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius.
To make this possible, the hull has been built to a thickness of 6 centimetres, which is fully 6-times thicker than a typical Caribbean cruise vessel, and she has a 34-megawatt power plant, which is seven times the power of her Ponant fleet mates. She was also built with redundancies in operating systems, emergency equipment, food storage, and fuel storage that allowed her to survive prolonged periods away from resupply and, in extreme circumstances, rescue.
5-Star Luxury Accommodation
All accommodation comes with luxuriously appointed private bathrooms and private balconies. She even has four 94 sq/m duplex suites with private Jacuzzis. Suites range from 40 to 115 square metres, while comfortable balcony bedrooms are also available.
Charcot’s Diverse Itineraries
This winter, she will operate in the Southern Oceans, affording fortunate guests intimate experiences across the Antarctic Region and polar reaches of Latin America. From the soaring fjords of Chile to Argentina’s Patagonian Coast, to the South Shetlands, The Falklands and the Antarctic Peninsula, to North Island, New Zealand and of course, Charcot Island. This summer, she can be found anywhere from the West Coast or Arctic Canada, in and around Greenland, Iceland and the northernmost points of Norway, plus Longyearbyen and Svalbard, offering unique insights into the culture and ecosystems we so preciously guard. Her crew are always supplemented by expert naturalists and experienced Polar guides wherever she sails. Most of her sailings are ten to 16 days; however, she also operates several deeply immersive 20-28 night sailings for the lucky few.
Epiphany 2025: From Helsinki to Saint Pierre et Miquelin
At the end of the summer, rather than reposition to Antarctica, she will commence a first-ever series of North European winter cruises – all nine to 13 days duration, exploring the North Cape, Longyearbyen and Svalbard and Iceland as well as embarking on a series of northern Baltic Christmas Market itineraries. Epiphany 2025 sees her reposition from Helsinki to Saint Pierre et Miquelin and the St Lawrence River delta. She can offer these stunning new winter itineraries only because she is an icebreaker.
