The fare
The Ponant sailings we would shortlist run from about $5,900 per person for 7 nights, depending on ship, suite, season and itinerary.
ResearchLines, ships and destinations, in detail
Ponant
Le Commandant Charcot
The only luxury icebreaker: the North Pole, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea.
Overview
Le Commandant Charcot entered service in 2021 and carries around 245 guests. It is a hybrid-electric polar icebreaker with Ponant's French service, Alain Ducasse menus and the ability to reach places no other luxury ship can.
Charcot is a different class of ship: a true icebreaker with a luxury interior, a science laboratory on board, a spa and two restaurants under Alain Ducasse. It goes to the geographic North Pole, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea.
It suits well-traveled couples and adult families who have done the usual polar trips and want the hardest-to-reach ice done in comfort.
At a glance
- Line
- Ponant
- Size
- Small ship, around 245 guests
- Entered service
- 2021 (approximate)
- Our pick
- A Prestige suite midship on Deck 6
Thinking about Le Commandant Charcot?
We will say whether Le Commandant Charcot is right for your party, which suite we would book and which sailing, or name the ship we would choose instead.
Best for
- Well-traveled couples who want the North Pole or the Ross Sea
- Adult families with a serious interest in the polar regions
- Travelers who value the science program
Not for
- Families with young children
- First-time cruisers
- Anyone who wants a warm-weather yacht
Price
What Le Commandant Charcot costs
The top of the market per night of anything we sell, as the destinations are. Planning figures on each sailing page.
What it costs
Planning figures for Ponant, the line Le Commandant Charcot sails for
Planning figures from the sailings on this page, not a quote.
What that includes
Dining and drinks; Wi-Fi; Expedition activities on expedition sailings; Children's club on selected summer sailings. Anything not on that list, we price alongside the fare so there is no surprise on board.
Around the ship
Flights, hotel nights before and after, private transfers and any excursions outside the fare sit on top. Your proposal sets out the cruise fare and additional costs so you can compare the full trip.
Have a budget in mind?
Tell us what you are looking for and the figure you have in mind. We will say what it buys on each line, and where the same money goes further.
On board
Suites, cabins, dining and evenings on Le Commandant Charcot
In our words, from the questions we are asked most. Suite names are the line's; which one we would book is ours.
- Suites
- Prestige staterooms with balconies, Deluxe and Prestige suites, Grand Prestige and Duplex suites, and the Owner's suite; all with butler service.
- Cabins we would book
- A Prestige suite midship on Deck 6 or 7 for stability; a Duplex suite for a long voyage.
- Dining
- Nuna and Sila, both under Alain Ducasse; all included with champagne and an open bar.
- Entertainment
- Expedition lectures, the science lab, polar plunges and the ice itself. Live music in the evening.
Want the right suite on Le Commandant Charcot?
Tell us who is traveling and we will name the deck and the suite numbers we would hold, and the ones we would avoid.
Children, grandparents, mobility
Le Commandant Charcot for the whole family
Three honest notes: what the ship does for children, what it does for grandparents, and what it asks of anyone with limited mobility.
- Children
- No club; not for children, and the destinations are not suitable for them.
- Grandparents
- A stable ship, hot-water-heated decks and an expedition team used to older guests; agility for Zodiacs and helicopter boarding still matters.
- Accessibility
- Some accessible staterooms; landings by Zodiac and, on some voyages, helicopter. The destination limits who can go ashore and we are candid about it.
Planning for the whole family?
Connecting suites, different activity levels, dining that works for everyone, and transfers that suit grandparents and toddlers alike. The best family suites go first, so start early.
Where it sails
Where Le Commandant Charcot goes
The regions this ship sails as far as we know; the itinerary confirms the ports and the season.
Antarctica
The trip of a lifetime, planned a year ahead and done in real comfort.
Iceland & the Arctic
Expedition comfort around Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard, without giving up the butler.
Sample itineraries
Sailings on Le Commandant Charcot
We have not written up a sample sailing on Le Commandant Charcot yet. Ponant publishes the current itineraries; tell us the season you have in mind and we will send the two or three we would consider, with planning figures.
Not sure where to go?
Give us the month, who is traveling and how far you will fly. A specialist will name the two or three regions and ships we would choose.
Deck plans and photographs
Deck plans and pictures of Le Commandant Charcot
On Ponant's official site; we send the marked-up plan with every proposal.
Ponant's Le Lapérouse leaving Tallinn, navy hull and white superstructurePhoto: Pjotr Mahhonin · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Ponant's Le Bougainville, a 184-guest expedition yacht, under wayPhoto: Ponant Cie · CC BY-SA 4.0
Our promise
We will say no.
We do not recommend a cruise because it is expensive, and we do not put people on the wrong ship. If Le Commandant Charcot is not right for your party, we will tell you and suggest the one that is, even if it costs less or is sold by someone else. We are an advisor, not a booking engine.
Speak to a specialistGood to know
Le Commandant Charcot FAQs
Is Le Commandant Charcot a good first expedition?
We would not start here. It is built for the hardest, longest polar voyages; a first trip to the Antarctic Peninsula is better on Silver Endeavor or Seabourn Venture, and we say so.
Same line
Other Ponant ships we have written up
Le Bougainville
A small French ship with an underwater lounge, at home in the Adriatic and the Aegean.
Le Lapérouse
The first Ponant Explorer: Le Bougainville's twin, often farther afield.
Compared
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Plan your Le Commandant Charcot cruise with Blackbury Travel.
Our pick: A Prestige suite midship on Deck 6. Tell us who is traveling and when, and we will say which sailing and which suite, or whether another ship would suit you better.