UNEXPLORED EASTERN ANTARCTICA

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Le Commandant Charcot

Hailing as the world’s first hybrid luxury polar exploration vessel, the Le Commandant Charcot combines the top tier of luxury with sustainable development at the heart of the design. Equipped with 135 luxury staterooms featuring elegant and warm stone, wood and leather detailing’s to reflect the natural environment that the ship will be sailing in, the Le Commandant Charcot is setting a new level for opulence in the polar regions. Guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to places to relax and unwind on-board with an abundance of social areas to choose from ranging from two pools (indoor and outdoor), a beauty corner, theater, three different lounges, multiple reception areas and different restaurants to choose from.

Day 1 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Days 2 – 5 At Sea

Day 6 George V Land and Commonwealth Bay

Fall under the spell of the immaculate shores of George V Land, a remote region on the eastern coast of Antarctica. Between monumental ice shelves and infinite white expanses, tabular icebergs slowly drift, revealing their turquoise- and azure-tinged walls. Along the shores of this isolated region, the marine life will reveal itself in all its splendour: orcas, rorquals and humpback whales wander these enchanted waters, offering exceptional encounters in this preserved polar setting.

Welcome to the country of blizzards, these violent winds filled with snow flakes. Plunge into the history of the Australian polar expeditions and discover Commonwealth Bay, by slipping into the shoes of the legendary Douglas Mawson, who created his main base in 1911 in Cape Denison. Marking the border with Marie Byrd Land, the Transantarctic Mountains, extending the Andes, offer this Eden of ice some mountainous landscapes.

Day 7 Adelie Land

Days 8 – 9 At Sea

The convergence point for the field lines of the Earth’s magnetic field, the Magnetic South Pole attracts the magnetic needle of the compass. While the Geographic South Pole is the Earth’s southernmost fixed point, marking the intersection of the Globe’s rotation axis with the Earth’s surface, the Magnetic South Pole moves over time. In fact, it is linked to the Earth’s magnetic field which originates in the Earth’s outer core, which is made up of molten metal and is subject to convection movements. It was during the French Dumont d’Urville expedition to Antarctica, aboard the famous ships L’Astrolabe and La Zélée, that the hydrographer and engineer Vincendon-Dumoulin made the first calculation of the magnetic inclination that enabled him to localise this pole in 1838. Set off in search of the Magnetic South Pole, try to get closer to it and, if luck allows it, attempt to reach it!

Days 10 – 14 Wilkes Land and Shackleton Ice Shelf

Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, follow in the footsteps of the American explorer Charles Wilkes, during his USS Vincennes expedition undertaken between 1838 and 1842. A veritable mine of information for scientists, this isolated land promises a unique moment. Under an immaculate white coat, a secret world comes to life: from the icy mountains defying the sky to the vast glaciers, some of which stretch all the way to the Southern Ocean, and the icebergs drifting silently through frozen waters.

Admire the fantastic spectacle of the Shackleton Ice Shelf from the luxurious comfort of Le Commandant Charcot. You will perhaps have the chance to observe the many mammals, such as the whales, seals and penguins, which prosper in these icy waters.

Days 15 – 17 At Sea

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.

Days 18 – 24 Queen Maud Land

Dive into the heart of Queen Maud Land, a huge expanse where ice and sea merge endlessly. Impressive glaciers move towards the ocean, accompanied by turquoise- and azure-tinged tabular icebergs. In these waters, seals, orcas and penguin colonies roam freely, offering striking scenes of polar life. Explored by Roald Amundsen and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen, this region remains remote and intact, with each panorama bearing witness to the raw and preserved power of Antarctica.

Days 25 – 28 Antarctic Peninsula

Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. Find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas.

Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest zodiac outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula.  Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you. Sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.

In 1915, Endurance, the famous three-masted schooner that transported Ernest Shackleton and his 27-man crew to the Antarctic, became trapped in pack ice and sank into the depths of the Weddell Sea. For 107 years, these waters nicknamed by Shackleton as “the worst sea in the world” kept the wreck’s location secret. This symbol of polar adventure was rediscovered in 2022, lying over 3,000 metres (almost 10,000 feet) deep. Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, follow the pack ice in the heart of the floe and glide over the seabed on which this legend rests, to relive the great era of the explorers.

Days 29 – 30 At Sea

Day 31 Ushuaia, Argentina to Santiago, Chile