PONANT sails a fleet of 12 French-flagged ships, from six 184-guest Explorer-class yachts and four 264-guest Boréal-class ships to its flagship, Le Commandant Charcot. Charcot stands apart. She is the only passenger ship with a Polar Class 2 hull, able to break multi-year ice, and the first hybrid-electric polar ship powered by liquefied natural gas, and on September 6, 2021, she reached the Geographic North Pole. On board, 245 guests are looked after by 215 crew, with around 20 nature guides, interiors by Jean-Philippe Nuel and Jean-Michel Wilmotte, a heated open-air pool, a snow cabin and Le Nuna, the only Alain Ducasse restaurant at sea. Across the rest of the fleet, Le Nautilus serves menus by Ducasse Conseil, a partner since 2015. PONANT Science gives researchers more than 100 square metres of laboratory space, and more than 100 scientists have sailed since 2021. In Greenland, guests can spend a night camping on the ice with Inuit guides, kayak from the pack ice or go dogsledding. In 2019 PONANT moved from heavy fuel oil to low-sulphur marine gas oil, the first line to do so.
- Nearest airport
- Ushuaia, Malvinas Argentinas International (USH), 2.5 Miles / 4 Kilometres, for Antarctica; Svalbard, Longyearbyen (LYR), 3.1 Miles / 5 Kilometres, for the North Pole
- On board
- 12 French-flagged ships; Le Commandant Charcot carries 245 guests in 123 staterooms and suites
Insider tip Le Commandant Charcot reaches Antarctica in early November and Greenland as early as May, weeks ahead of other ships.
Why I choose it The most capable polar ship afloat, with Alain Ducasse at the table.
