The Geographic North Pole & Scoresby Sound
17 Days - Le Commandant Charcot
Push the boundaries of navigation and set sail for 90 degrees North! During this exceptional polar exploration, you will go in search of the mythical Geographic North Pole. Head slowly up through the desert landscapes of the constantly changing ice floe. Your odyssey will continue as you travel down along Greenland, amidst the ice of the Transpolar Drift. Between majestic fjords and encounters with the Inuit culture, the region of Ittoqqortoormiit is rich in rare treasures holding inestimable value.
from AUD $65090pp
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Home » 17 Day Le Commandant Charcot: The Geographic North Pole & Scoresby Sound
Itinerary Highlights
- Be among the few people in the world to go in search of the Geographic North Pole and explore Ittoqqortoormiit region and the Scoresby Sound!
- Enjoy the unique experience of sailing through the heart of the ice floe and discover the endless variety of forms and states of the ice.
- The landscapes: patches of ice floe drifting from the North Pole, hummocks, striped mountains, fjords, glaciers, icebergs. In Spitsbergen, jagged mountains, steep-sided valleys, sheer cliffs.
- The wildlife: blue and humpback whales, polar bears, narvals, seals, muskoxen, Arctic foxes, orcas, Northern fulmars, ivory gulls.
Itinerary in Brief
- Day 1: Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
- Day 2: At Sea along Spitsbergen
- Day 3-7: Navigating through the Sea Ice
- Day 8: Geographic North Pole
- Day 9-10: Navigating through the Sea Ice
- Day 11: At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot
- Day 12: Sailing Ice Floes along Greenland
- Day 13: Scoresby Sound
- Day 14: Ittoqqortoormiit Region
- Day 15: At Sea Aboard Le Commandant Charcot
- Day 16: Sailing through the Denmark Strait
- Day 17: Reykjavik
Day 1: Embarkation day - Paris/Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
After arriving in Paris, you board your flight to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. The flight might take around 4-5 hours to reach the remote town. At 6 pm, you transfer to the pier to board the vessel that will take you on your Arctic expedition.
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.
Day 2: 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.
Day 3-7: Navigating through the Sea Ice
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.
Day 8: 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.
Day 9-10: Navigating through the Sea Ice
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.
Day 11: 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.
Day 12: 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.
Day 13: 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.
Day 14: 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.
Day 15: 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.
Day 16: 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.
Day 17: Reykjavik
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.
Dates | Cabin | From | Special Offer |
---|---|---|---|
26 Jul 2024 - 11 Aug 2024 | AUD $65090pp | ||
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6 | AUD $65090pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Stateroom Deck 7 | AUD $66340pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Stateroom Deck 8 | AUD $67610pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 6 | AUD $69510pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 7 | AUD $72640pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 8 | AUD $75150pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Suite Deck 7 | AUD $96530pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Suite Deck 8 | AUD $99660pp | Contact us | |
Grand Prestige Suite Deck 6 | AUD $102810pp | Contact us | |
Privilege Suite Deck 8 | AUD $109090pp | Contact us | |
Duplex Suite Deck 6 | AUD $149960pp | Contact us | |
26 Sep 2024 - 12 Oct 2024 | AUD $65090pp | ||
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6 | AUD $65090pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Stateroom Deck 7 | AUD $66340pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Stateroom Deck 8 | AUD $67610pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 6 | AUD $69510pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 7 | AUD $72640pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 8 | AUD $75150pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Suite Deck 7 | AUD $96530pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Suite Deck 8 | AUD $99660pp | Contact us | |
Grand Prestige Suite Deck 6 | AUD $102810pp | Contact us | |
Privilege Suite Deck 8 | AUD $109090pp | Contact us | |
Duplex Suite Deck 6 | AUD $149960pp | Contact us |
**Prices are per person based on twin / shared accommodation.
**Single supplements may apply
Cabin Details
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
20 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
20 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
20 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Deluxe Suite Deck 6
28 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Deluxe Suite Deck 7
28 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Deluxe Suite Deck 8
28 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Suite Deck 7
40 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with 2 showers and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Suite Deck 8
40 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with 2 showers and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Privilege Suite Deck 8
48 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler service, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European sockets, WiFi internet access
Grand Prestige Suite Deck 6
42 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler service, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European sockets, WiFi internet access
Duplex Suite Deck 6
48 metres-squared, private balcony, jacuzzi, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European sockets, WiFi internet access
Owner's Suite
114 metres-squared, private balcony with jacuzzi, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler service, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod docks, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Le Commandant Charcot Deckplan
Specifications
- Length: 150m
- Width: 28m
- Draught: 10
- Ice Class: PC2
- Propulsion: LNG and Hybrid Electric
- Shipyard: VARD
- Classification: Bureau Veritas
- Flag: French
- Crew Members: 190
- Passengers: 270
- Guest capacity Antarctica: 200 pax
- Onboard Expedition Zodiac: 16
- Staterooms and Suites: 135 (including 31 suites)
- Panoramic Restaurant: 1
- Grill Restaurant: 1
- Swimming Pools: 2 (indoor pool and winter garden, outdoor pool)
- Spa, Sauna, Fitness Room: 1
Whats included?
- Economy class flight Paris/Longyearbyen
- Transfer mentioned in the programme.
- English-speaking assistance.
What’s not included?
- Personal expenses.
- Any other service not mentioned in the programme.