15 nights onboard Le Commandant Charcot

Disko Bay: Meeting the Inuit & Discovering the Unknown

Through PONANT’s alliance with The Explorers Club, this voyage will feature explorer, storm chaser & TV presenter George Kourounis. George has spent 25 years documenting extreme forces of nature and natural phenomena around the globe including tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, floods, and the effects of climate change. He is frequently seen showcasing nature’s fury on television programs worldwide; best known for having hosted the TV series “Angry Planet” he also co-hosted “Storm Hunters” for The Weather Network and is a regular on-camera contributor for “Strange Evidence” & “What on Earth?” on Science Channel. He’s appeared in programs for National Geographic, Discovery, Smithsonian Channel, Netflix, and most of the major TV networks. Equipped with specialized laboratories onboard Le Commandant Charcot, Explorers Club Science Grantees will provide invaluable firsthand knowledge, delving into their ongoing research.

With featured guest Ian Dawson, British Photo Ambassador.

It is spring in Greenland. The snow is everywhere and covers a landscape whose apparent monotony reveals unexpected reliefs. For the very first time for a ship, Le Commandant Charcot will humbly progress towards Baffin Bay and ice-covered villages, inaccessible to traditional ships during this early period. During a 16-day journey of exploration, you will sail to the magnificent icy Disko Bay, home to the largest icebergs in the northern hemisphere. From unforgettable experiences to warm encounters, in the cosy atmosphere of an exceptional ship, take the time to enjoy moments of intense emotion and unsuspected discoveries.

Shaped for polar exploration, Le Commandant Charcot will make its way amongst fragments of drifting and broken-up ice floe, before approaching Inuit villages encircled by ice. During this spring season, following the long winter night, sailing the western Greenlandic coast holds the promise of moments of wonder, of fantastic surprises, provided by the uncertainty, which, always, gives the orders here. As we are taught by Inuit wisdom, only the present moment matters. As you progress towards Baffin Bay, the ice will unveil its countless nuances and give you a new vision of this place at the end of the world. In Disko Bay, the show becomes dreamlike, the icebergs that floated during the summer are now stuck in the frozen sea and make up cathedrals of ice that will leave you speechless.

During this immersion in the Greenlandic spring, you will discover the local communities of the west whose villages are still encircled by the bordering ice floe. The harshness of winter gradually makes way for the spring and the activities that go with it. Thanks to its special connection with the inhabitants of this fascinating island, PONANT offers you an unforgettable experience. For two days, in Ilulissat and Qeqertarsuaq, you will enjoy a total immersion. Following the pace of the Inuit community, you will experience moments of sharing based around their spring traditions. Polar hikes, ice fishing and dog sledding will punctuate your days but the real treasure lies elsewhere. The Inuits’ way of life and philosophy will imbue you with age-old wisdom.

Find out more about the world of Le Commandant Charcot here!

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation, mainly in the fjords, will be determined by the type of ice we come across; as the fast ice must be preserved, we will take this into account from day to day in our itineraries. The sailing programme, outings, activities and observation of fauna cannot be guaranteed and are subject to weather and ice conditions. The experiences are unique and vary from day to day and for each departure. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while respecting safety instructions and regulations imposed by the AECO. 

Leaving from: Reykjavík
Cruise ship: Le Commandant Charcot
Visiting: Reykjavík Nanortalik Narsaq Baffin Bay, Nunavut
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Ponant

When searching for a luxury yacht expedition cruise, there’s one name above all else that you need to know – Ponant Cruises. Founded in 1988 by former French Merchant Navy officers, Ponant combines succulent luxury with authentic adventures on all seven continents.

From classic Mediterranean itineraries and Caribbean sailings, to bucket-list expeditions around Greenland and Antarctica, Ponant cruises proudly counteract the banality of mainstream voyages with a unique take on the concept of small-ship cruising. It’s the absolute trip of a lifetime.

245
Passengers
215
Crew
2021
Launched
31757t
Tonnage
150m
Length
28m
Width
15kts
Speed
4
Decks
EUR
Currency
Cruise Itinerary
Day 1
Reykjavík, Iceland
Days 3 - 4
River travel
Day 5
Nanortalik, Greenland
Day 6
Narsaq, Greenland
Day 7
Baffin Bay, Nunavut, Canada
Days 8 - 9
Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Greenland
Days 10 - 11
Disko Bay, Greenland
Days 12 - 13
Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn), Greenland
Days 14 - 14
Baffin Bay, Nunavut, Canada
Day 16
Nuuk (Godthaab), Greenland
Ship Details
Ponant
Le Commandant Charcot

BEYOND EXPLORATION

Embark on board Le Commandant Charcotthe only passenger ship in the world to have visited both the Geographic North Pole, and the most southerly point on the planet, the edge of the Antarctic.

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