An online conference open to travel agencies
At an online conference open to customers and travel agencies, attended by over 800 people, Ponant highlighted its Arctic and Antarctic polar cruises aboard the Commandant Charcot.
Listening to Ponant speakers Julien Martins Da Costa, Cruise Director, José Sarica, Director of Expedition Experiences, and Commander Stanislas Devorsine, who spoke at an online conference about their relationship with Commandant Charcot, it’s easy to believe that a cruise aboard her in the Arctic or Antarctic could be the trip of a lifetime.
Designed to reach the geographic North Pole with a ship powered by liquefied natural gas and equipped with a water recovery system, Commandant Charcot also embarks a team of scientists with 102 m2 of space reserved for research.
An experience accessible to all
If you’ve got stairs and can climb up and down them every day, you’re good for expeditions, » says José Sarica.
« The team is even keen to embark people with reduced mobility, who can take advantage of the zodiacs, » says the captain on behalf of the crew.
Added to this are the « highest standards of comfort », with Alain Ducasse’s gourmet restaurant Nuna, a wellness area with a 32-degree pool… Ponant also offers a « concierge » service, for example, to take care of your pets at home.
Let’s take a look at a few itineraries to distinguish the Arctic from the Antarctic. José Sarica recommends starting with the Arctic, where « you can’t get close to the animals, which flee from man because they are hunted », but where you can live in close contact with local communities.
We’ll be all the more impressed to discover Antarctica, where the fauna easily approaches man, who is not a predator. « It’s so powerful that you can be disappointed in the Arctic afterwards.
« Antarctica is a sanctuary, the Arctic is mankind ».
In a nutshell: « Antarctica is a sanctuary, the Arctic is people.
The Arctic, then, with « The St. Lawrence River in the heart of boreal winter » (January 17, 2025 to January 25, 2025), departing from Quebec City and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
« Quebec City is sublime, but as soon as you enter Saguenay Bay, the second stop, if you leave Quebec City for Saint-Pierre, you’ll see all these fishing huts, which are in fact ephemeral villages built for three months, where you can fish for redfish, bring it up and enjoy it with a local gin on the ice floe », explains José Sarica.
The real advantage of this itinerary: « We’re not going to stay 4 or 8 hours in the same place. We’ll try to spend one night, or two nights, or three nights.
Gilles Vigneault, the Quebec chansonnier once said, « Mon pays, ce n’est pas un pays, c’est l’hiver » (My country isn’t a country, it’s winter), which abounds in riches. In Saguenay, passengers can play the role of a musher, guiding dog sleds through the boreal forest.
What’s more, as the expedition leader points out, at this time of year, « we’ll be alone in the world and, as a result, we’re well received everywhere. »
In Sept-Îles, after a 30-minute snowmobile ride, Ponant organizes a meeting with the Innu, who recount their life as hunters while dining on traditional dishes. The night is then spent in a tent, accompanied, if we’re lucky, by the northern lights.
There’s also the opportunity to discover the Magdalen Islands, which passengers can explore on fat bikes with large tires for riding on snow.
You may even be able to observe the world’s largest gathering of seals in Greenland. You can also take a cruise to Reykjavik and benefit from a 50% discount. From the Icelandic capital, the boat heads back to Disko Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Setting course for Antarctica
Changing hemispheres. Set course for Antarctica, « In the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot » (January 2 to January 17, 2026) the French explorer.
« When we head south, we often find good weather conditions, better than in the northern part of the peninsula, » explains Commander Stanislas Devorsine.
Throughout the voyage, a team of enthusiasts retraces the exploits of the first adventurers, adding their in-depth knowledge of the wildlife and landscapes.
« We go during the austral summer. The further south you go, the more you enter an anticyclone. This year, we saw Ross’s Seals, » enthuses the captain, who highlights activities such as kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, polar diving and zodiac excursions on the « Between two continents, unexplored lands of Antarctica » itinerary (departure January 16, 2026, 31 days – 29 nights).
With the help of mountain guides, even the most experienced passengers can enjoy long hikes, « some of which can be quite strenuous ». This cruise can also be linked together, allowing passengers to experience a circumnavigation of the southern continent from Hobart, Australia, to Cape Town, South Africa, a first for the Charcot (28 days, starting February 17).
You’ll need to spend at least 20,000 euros for such an experience. Once again, the trip of a lifetime.
Source: TourMag
