From pole to pole: new documentary filmed aboard PONANT's icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot

From the North Pole to the South Pole

Built for the deepest reaches of the polar regions, Le Commandant Charcot offers unrivalled performance in ice thanks to its reinforced hull and PC2 ice class (second highest polar class), enabling it to explore the most remote regions. 

From voyages to the North Pole, which are currently part of a new National Geographic documentary series, to a complete circumnavigation of Antarctica in 2028, this icebreaker is a truly revolutionary and innovative expedition ship. The 60-day Antarctic circumnavigation is now available for booking.

New documentary series filmed aboard Le Commandant Charcot
National Geographic's current documentary series "From Pole to Pole" accompanies Will Smith on his journey across all seven continents – from Antarctica to the jungles of the Amazon and the deserts of Africa to the icebergs of the Arctic and the North Pole. In the episode released in early February and broadcast on Disney+, the North Pole was reached aboard the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot. Viewers are treated to exciting insights and an interview with Captain Étienne Garcia.

Once again, PONANT has a world premiere on the agenda: in 2028, the luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot will circumnavigate Antarctica for the first time. Between January and March, it will set sail from Ushuaia on a complete circumnavigation of the white continent. This is a truly historic moment for the French cruise line. Le Commandant Charcot will be the first ship of its class to complete a full circumnavigation of Antarctica, with a coastline of almost 23,000 km. This extraordinary journey consists of two parts and is now available for booking. Both sections can also be booked individually.

For this world premiere, Le Commandant Charcot will set sail westward from Ushuaia, Argentina, in January 2028.

The luxury icebreaker was specially designed for this type of expedition in the deepest polar regions and has polar class PC2 – the second highest ice class in the world – and can navigate through meter-thick ice thanks to its reinforced hull. Within 30 days, Le Commandant Charcot will sail from Argentina along the west coast of Antarctica through the Ross Sea to Hobart in Tasmania. After a three-day stop, the icebreaker will return from Hobart along the east coast of Antarctica in 31 days to its port of departure in Ushuaia in mid-February.

This extraordinary adventure promises a complete immersion in one of the last untouched areas on Earth. Unique experiences and highlights include:

Sailing in the Ross Sea along the world's largest ice barrier and marine protected area, also known as the "last ocean." Discovering some of the world's most inaccessible coastlines: Adélie Land, Marie Byrd Land, Charcot Island, and more.
Marveling at Mount Erebus on Ross Island, the southernmost active volcano on Earth. Follow in the footsteps of legendary polar explorers and visit their former huts: Sir Ernest Shackleton, Sir Robert Falcon Scott, Commander Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Sir Douglas Mawson, and Roald Amundsen.
Travel to the area where the wreck of the Endurance lies.