Le Commandant Charcot
Le Commandant Charcot: Explore the polar regions in style
Snapshot
Le Commandant Charcot debuted in November 2021 as the latest luxury polar expedition ship from Ponant. The ship travels to the North Pole, Antarctica and other polar climes with up to 245 guests and 215 crew members, offering one of the best passenger-to-crew ratios at sea.
Guests follow in the footsteps of the great polar explorers — though hardly in the same rough conditions. Passengers on Le Commandant Charcot are surrounded by refined stylings and luxury services.
The ship sports an indoor swimming pool, conservatory, panoramic restaurant, the Blue Lagoon outdoor restaurant, Main Lounge and Observation Lounge, all with a French flair.
To boot, it's powered by the first hybrid-electric polar exploration ship powered by LNG, minimizing the ship's impact on the environment.
Who sails on Le Commandant Charcot
The ship appeals to an international cohort of guests who enjoy high-end cruising on a small ship. Ponant offers bilingual (French and English) sailings that carry about 45 percent French speakers and the rest typically come from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Belgium, China and Japan.
Where Le Commandant Charcot sails
Le Commandant Charcot sails to some of the world's most remote regions: the Geographic North Pole, Northeast Greenland's National Park, circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway and Antarctica and the Larsen Ice Shelf.
Dining
An essential component of French culture, fine cuisine naturally is a centerpiece of a sailing on Le Commandant Charcot. Restaurants include:
- Restaurant Nuna (the earth): On deck 5, you'll find a 5,200-square-foot gourmet restaurant that can accommodate all passengers in a single service for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Restaurant Sila (the sky): For a more casual atmosphere, this venue on deck 9 (outside or inside) welcomes you for breakfast, buffet lunches and themed dinners.
- Inneq (the fire): At this open-air bar on deck 9, you can enjoy a varied and refined range of international sweet and savory dishes throughout the day as well as a fixed menu.
Public areas
Le Commandant Charcot features a wide array of spaces for entertainment, including a heated indoor swimming pool with a skylight, the Detox bar with sofas and armchairs, an outdoor heated lagoon, a giant firepit to help you enjoy the polar landscapes in comfort and the outdoor Blue Lagoon bar, open from 11 am to 6 pm. The outside promenade deck wraps around the ship and comes with heated benches and two Swarovski Optik telescopes.
Indoors, the Kita Theatre seats 270 persons and features cutting-edge audio and lighting technology and high-resolution LED screens. Guests can sip cocktails and mingle in the 3,369-square-foot main lounge on deck 5, or they can hear live music at the Observation Lounge or the tea room.
Wellness Lounge
The Wellness Lounge (called Nuan for wellness or happiness) on deck 9 features the following:
- 4,630 square feet dedicated to wellness
- Spa Biologique Recherche: three massage and beauty cubicles (including one double cubicle with sea view), a nail salon, two lounges with sea view to to wait or relax after a session
- A hair salon with Davines products
- A sauna (Ikuma - the burning heat)
- A snow room (Siku - the ice), a fun and invigorating snow bath you can try out after leaving the sauna
- Gym with sea view and Technogym machines (elliptical trainers, three treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machine) and a dedicated coach
- A heated indoor swimming pool (Imaq - sea water) with countercurrent swimming and a superb skylight thanks to its large glass roof
- A sunroom with large external-facing windows
Staterooms
On board guests can choose from 135 suites and staterooms ranging in size from 215 to 1,240 square feet. Each room has a private balcony or terrace. At the rear of decks 6 and 7 are four stunning 1,011-square-foot split-level suites equipped with private terraces and Jacuzzis. The 1,237-square-foot Owner's Suite (Suite de l’Armateur) on deck 8 features wide sliding glass doors with stunning panoramic views and opening out onto a large 1,937-square-foot private terrace.
Fun facts
- Each expedition ship in the Ponant fleet pays homage to a famous French explorer — in this case, it's named for Jean-Baptiste Charcot, who led the first French expedition to Antarctica.
- Le Commandant Charcot is the first hybrid-electric polar exploration ship powered by liquefied natural gas.
Your take
How about you? Are you planning to cruise on one of Ponant's new luxury expedition yachts? Let us know!
Interested in a cruise on this ship?
If you're interested in a cruise on Le Commandant Charcot, contact a Cruiseable travel advisor at 1-877-322-3773 or by email. You'll usually get a better deal than you can get by contacting the cruise line directly.
