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The Geographic North Pole 17 Days | Le Commandant Charcot

17 Days
From USD 49,210

STYLE: Small Ship Luxury Expedition Cruise 

Trip Code: ACPONPG

DIFFICULTY RATING: 2 (Light Adventure)

Start: Paris, France

Finish: Reykjavík, Iceland

SHIP: Le Commandant Charcot

DestinationDestination

Spitsbergen, Geographic North Pole

DestinationDeparture Date

26/07/2024, 26/09/2024

MealsMeals

All Meals Onboard The Ship, Including In Room Dining, Beverages (Excluding Premium Labels) And In-Room Mini Bar (Excluding Champagne) 

TransportTransport

Charter Flight in Economy Class From Paris to Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Transfers to the ship  

TransportAccommodation

Cabin on board ship



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Included SightseeingIncluded Sightseeing

Arctic Ice Landings where possible, Zodiac Cruising, Onboard Expert Lectures & Briefings by the Experienced Expedition Team


NOTE: Itinerary is subject to change depending on weather & ice conditions 

OVERVIEW

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ON SELECTED DEPARTURES*

With special guests Cindy Miller Hopkins, American Photo Ambassador on the 26 September 2024 departure, navigate to 90 degrees North! 

Set sail for 90 degrees North and test the limits of navigation! You will search for the fabled Geographic North Pole during this extraordinary polar expedition. Move gently upward across the ice floe's shifting desert environment. You will continue your trip as you descend Greenland while traversing the Transpolar Drift's ice. The Ittoqqortoormiit region is home to breathtaking fjords, experiences with the Inuit culture, and a wealth of priceless unique gems. This area close to the auroral circle may provide you with a prime viewing location during a time that is optimal for viewing the Northern Lights. One more Arctic wonder.

You will travel to the North Pole aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the only cruise ship up to the task, since it is inaccessible to conventional ships. In the middle of a silent, completely frozen landscape, a leisurely and humble trip is waiting for you. From the safe haven of the ship, you will be able to take in the unending display of the light as it reflects on the opalescent landscapes as you travel through various states and types of ice. You will be one of the few people chosen to go on the trip, which is 700 kilometres (435 miles) long. You will be following in the footsteps of Frederick Cook, Robert Edwin Peary, or Roald Amundsen, who were among the many to struggle to attain this difficult aim. Your voyage will follow the ice floes around Greenland as you return from the Pole. You will arrive in the eastern shore region of Ittoqqortoormiit. The largest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sound, has its name-bearing settlement at its entrance. During exclusive conversations combined with happy and genuine moments, you will learn about the local traditions. Inuit hospitality is real; it is displayed in the cordial exchange of a smile or a warm look. Le Commandant Charcot will provide you with the best opportunities to see the Northern Lights, these brilliant curtains of colours swirling in the pitch-black night, if solar activity and the weather are favourable.

**Professional travel and wildlife photographer with 25 years of expertise and over 6,000 publications to her name. Photo ambassador. Numerous textbooks, travel guides, calendars, fine art prints, consumer goods, American and foreign periodicals, and newspapers include her photos on their pages. She has travelled to more than 150 countries and all seven continents as a result of her freelance, assignment, and workshop work. The lead photograph in a campaign to fully protect South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, taken by her in 2018 and claimed to be the only one of its kind in the world, has five different kinds of penguins in one frame. The programme includes workshops, which give you the chance to immortalise your vacation with the help of our photo ambassador's eye and advise (on the 26 Sep 2024 departure only).

 

*Single Supplement waived on selected departures & cabins. Offer is correct at the time of publishing and only available until sold out on selected voyages and strictly limited availability. Not available on Superior Staterooms and Owners Suite. Prices are subject to change until the time of booking and terms and conditions apply. Please contact us for more information and enquire for details of offers and availability.

Prices are correct at time of publishing (20 Feb 2024) but are subject to change at any time until the time of booking and terms and conditions apply. Please contact us for more information and enquire for details and availability.

ITINERARY

Fly Paris to Longyearbyen & Embark

A charter flight will take you from Paris to Longyearbyen, where you will then embark from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and departure at around 6:00 pm.

Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.

At Sea Along Spitsbergen

The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.

Navigating Through the Sea Ice - Day 3-7

Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

Geographic North Pole

Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard Le Commandant Charcot.

Navigating Through the Sea Ice - Day 9-10

Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot

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 and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.

Sailing Ice Floes Along Greenland

The north-east of Greenland is renowned for being home to one of the oldest and thickest layers of ice on the planet. Aboard your ship, you will have the unique opportunity of sailing to the heart of this icy wilderness, many thousands of years old, and will travel along one of the world's most isolated coasts, between drifting ice and blue icebergs.

Scoresby Sound

Covering an area of 13,700 km2 (5,290 mi2), Scoresby Sound is the largest and deepest fjord system in the world. Named after the explorer and whale hunter William Scoresby, who mapped the region in 1822, it opens onto the Greenland Sea to the north of the Blosseville Coast. This wild and desert region offers untouched panoramas of infinite beauty, with high snow-capped peaks rising tall alongside icebergs immersed in clear, blue-tinged waters. Rode Fjord and its cliffs coloured red by iron ore provide a fascinating setting you will not want to miss. Discovering these stunning places in the wake of great explorers like Captain Charcot, who was deeply attached to the land of the Inuit, inspires a profound reverence.

Ittoqqortoormiit Region

On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of isolated scenery and exploring the beauty of its landscapes. The high alpine mountains stand out in the sky, revealing dark rock edges. The region is home to the longest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sound. On the edge of the fjord, the eponymous village is considered one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. The colourful houses, so typical of Greenland, dot the landscape with small red, yellow and blue patches that stand out against the surrounding arid landscape. Immersing yourself in this region will allow you to discover the ancestral way of life of the last hunters of the polar region. This will be a veritable deep-dive into the lives of the Arctic’s inhabitants.

At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot

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 and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.

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.

Disembark in Reykjavik

Arrive early in Reykjavik and disembark around 7am. 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.

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WHY CHOOSE THIS CRUISE?

  • Undertake this voyage on board the Le Commondant, a new, state-of-the-art vessel purpose build for expedition cruising. The vessel combines grace and elegance to provide the first Hybrid Luxury Polar Exploration Vessel

  • Be one of the few people in the world to sail to the Geographic North Pole, a feat only achieved by 30 000 people in the world, an extraordinary small figure considering the effects of globalisation. 

  • The experience of being on the first luxury ice breaker provides a unique experience where indescribable landscapes merge with sleek elegance and luxury to provide a truly surreal experience.

  • Encounter unique wildlife including seals, whales, sea birds and the illusive polar bear. 

Le Commandant Charcot

Le Commandant Charcot

A sleek and elegant vessel with an intricate dose of luxury and revolutionary technology. 

Sailing under the French Flag, Le Commandant Charcot is the worlds only Luxury Icebreaker. A design with sustainable development at its core, Le Commandant is the first Hybrid luxury Polar Exploration Vessel to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Optimized with energy saving solutions, reduced energy consumption and advanced waste water treatment, this vessel truly combines luxury with a unique focus on the sustainability of the spellbinding and wonderful destinations it explores. 

This ship is one of the few in existence that can reach remote areas such as the North and South Poles and with it's ice breaking capabilities can go further than the rest, to really give a once in a lifetime experience.  

With just 123 cabins. including 68 suites with private terraces this ship remains true to the philosophy of providing every guest with the relaxed ambience of travelling on a private yacht. Even at the extreme temperatures of the poles, this vessel promises the upmost care for intimate comfort, discrete service, incredible gastronomy and extensive luxury amenities including spas, a hot and cold snow cabin and an immersive wellness center. The ship also has over 300 works of art and an onboard pianist. 

Enjoy an excellent expedition experience, with a team of 23 expert naturalist guides who will lead you into some of the most remote regions of the world. When onboard you will be able to indulge in a range of culinary delights from the main restaurant Nuna, or the outdoor restaurant Sila, which overlooks the heated pool onboard - the Blue Lagoon. With the choice of French and international cuisine. Your cruise will include fine wines, an in room included minibar and 24 hour room service, as well as a range of entertainment and expert lectures. The perfect mix of exploration and comfort. 

 

Ice Class: Length: 150m (492ft)
Breadth: 28m (91ft)Max
Draft: Cruising
Speed:
Electricity: Passenger
Capacity:
270

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Accommodation

We believe that appropriate accommodation should add to the authentic travel experience, as well as providing utmost enjoyment. For that reason our accommodation is scrutinised by our staff on the ground frequently, ensuring the properties adhere to our high standards. This key will help you understand the levels of accommodation available on this tour.

Standard

Comfortable properties with dependable facilities and service.

Superior

Comfortable properties with dependable facilities and service.

Deluxe

Luxurious properties with impeccable facilities and service.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Optional Activities vary for each itinerary. Limited spaces available. Contact your Destination Specialist for pricing & availability.

Kayaking

Experience the unforgettable thrill and serenity of kayaking in Antarctica as part of a small, expertly guided paddling group.

Learn More

Snowshoeing

Go even deeper into Antarctica’s interior and reach less visited places where many other visitors simply don’t go! 

Learn More

Pricing per person & date

The Geographic North Pole 17 Days | Le Commandant Charcot from USD 49,210
Departing Ending Duration
26 Jul 2024 11 Aug 2024 17
26 Sep 2024 12 Oct 2024 17

Important Information

  • INCLUSIONS 

    All accommodation on board Le Commandant
    Charter flight in Economy class from Paris to Longyearbyen on Day 1 
    Meet & greet at the airport by our local English-speaking representative.
    Transfer to the pier for embarkation.
    All meals whilst on board including snacks
    All scheduled landings and excursions
    Guiding and lectures by English-speaking expedition leader and team
    Expedition jacket provided (yours to keep) 
    A pair of expedition boots for use during your voyage 
    Open Bar (excluding premium brands)
    Room Service & Mini Bar (excluding Champagne) 
    All port taxes

     

    EXCLUSIONS 

    Airfares not mentioned above
    transfers not mentioned in itinerary
    Visa fees (if applicable)
    Travel Insurance
    Personal expenses such as laundry, on-board communication (telephone calls, faxes)
    Gratuities for the crew (recommend US$15 per person per day)
    Optional Activities whilst on-board

  • 2 (Light Adventure)
  • Available upon request, contact us for more details. Subject to availability

  • Charter flights from Paris to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen on Day 1 is included in cruise cost. Highly recommend to arrive in Paris one day prior to commencement of itinerary. 

     

    Prices are based on per person, twin share* (unless otherwise stated for triple/quad cabins) 

    Prices are correct at time of publishing but are subject to change at any time. 

    Itinerary is subject to change depending on weather and ice conditions

  • Departure date,  fuel surcharges, cabin category, currency fluctuations, seasonality and availability.