Le Commandant Charcot

Le Commandant Charcot, the World's Only Luxury Icebreaker opens the gateways to the highest latitudes of the Arctic and the Antarctic. Embark for a faraway odyssey combining exploration with science, and become experts in these regions that for centuries have stirred the imaginations of the greatest adventurers. See this captivating and wondrous part of the world for yourself.

An on-hand expedition team by your side

Le Commandant Charcot expedition team, composed of 19 to 23 experts, constitutes one of the best guest-to-staff ratios found on any voyage of this kind. Biologists, naturalists, engineers, glaciologists, and geologists, these experts in the polar regions will be on hand to ensure the safety of all your activities and experiences and to share their passion for the poles. They will be by your side throughout your voyage of discovery, providing key insights to help you get the most out of the encounters with fauna, flora and local populations that await you, and helping you better understand the stakes and challenges involved in preserving this natural and cultural heritage.

Expedition leaders

Alongside the captain, the expedition leader is the main person responsible for managing and coordinating the exploration aspect of the cruise. They supervise the team of naturalist guides, ensure the safety of the organised activities offered, and tailor and adapt the experiences, thus ensuring the full richness of these fascinating ecosystems is revealed in all its glory.

Naturalist guides

A team of 23 naturalist guides trained in supervising activities in polar environments will be by your side every day to interpret and explain everything about these largely unexplored ecosystems, both onboard the ship and during onshore activities. Meet some of the members of the team.

Scientific coordinator

On board, the scientific coordinator manages the spaces designed and set up specifically for hosting scientists and their equipment. In parallel with this, they also organise laboratory tours and conferences with the purpose of raising awareness about the stakes and challenges involved in protecting the polar world, thus providing special moments of communication and interaction with researchers.

• Two dedicated expedition boarding and disembarking rooms to port and starboard.
• A conference room (Ilua - to be inside, to understand) : 30 seats

The Expedition Desk is located on Deck 5.

Your stateroom Officer will be able to take care of your laundry**. The washing and ironing of your clothes will take between 24 and 48 hours. Only ironing** can be delivered on the same day. As dry-cleaning is not possible on the ship, please only give us clothes that can be washed in water.

** These services are not free of charge and are billed directly to your stateroom account.

A number of electrical outlets are provided for our cruise guests to use in our common areas.

The 220 volt 50 hertz alternating current is distributed by sockets meeting European standards. Onboard power is 200 volt AC (European standard) and 110 volt AC (North American standard). For safety reasons, hair irons and clothes irons cannot be used in staterooms. Please note that on Le Ponant, 110 volt AC is only available in stateroom bathrooms.

Electrical outlets are available to our passengers in the common areas.

Children under one year of age shall not be authorised to embark on the ships.

On classic cruises, children are accepted from the age of one, with a maximum of 5 children between 1 and 6 years old on board.

On "expedition" cruises children are accepted from 6 years old (except cruises aboard Le Commandant Charcot) and must be fully independent during all the outside activities organised and during disembarkation in rubber boats, be sufficiently tall to sit on the inflatable sides of the boats, and old enough to understand, and immediately respond to the orders given by the persons in charge. As a result, children's participation in any activity in an inflatable boat shall be subject to the agreement of the Captain and of the Expedition Head, depending on the sea conditions, and the difficulty of disembarking at each location visited. The ships do not carry Parka’s in children’s sizes. Parents must arrange to bring a suitable Parka for children. In all cases, children and young people under the age of 18 are at all times on board or on land under the full and total responsibility of their parents or carers.

For all "expedition" cruises on board Le Commandant Charcot, children are accepted from 8 years old only.

Children aged 4 years or more can be welcomed in the Kid's Club when the service is offered on board (consult the list of cruises concerned).

The crew are bilingual in French and English. All signage and announcements made are in French and English. On certain cruises, crew members also speak other languages.

A satellite telephone system is at your disposal for contacting anyone, anywhere in the world. The cost of the call is added to the stateroom account (€6/minute). Calls that you receive can be transferred directly to your stateroom or to any other communal area on the ship. To receive or send faxes, please see Reception.

We recommend wearing elegant, casual clothes at your discretion, and for the gala evenings, a cocktail dress for ladies and a shirt and tie for gentlemen, and a white or black-and-white outfit for the Officers' evening. Shorts/Bermudas are not permitted in the evening in the gastronomic restaurants.

On an expedition cruise, be sure to bring practical clothes as well as comfortable shoes suitable for travelling in Zodiacs and disembarking on beaches or mud flats. On tropical expeditions be sure to bring a hat, sunglasses and long sleeved/legged clothing. For polar cruises, you will be given a polar parka in your size and suitable boots will be available for use when ashore.

Each of us can contribute to building a better world. Travelling aboard Le Commandant Charcot means committing to leaving a minimal footprint, in line with the values we defend and share in this code of ethics. In polar regions, the expedition team will provide you with guidance for ensuring compliance with the IAATO and AECO regulations, the organisations that govern these regions. 

BEFORE THE TRIP

• Take an interest in the destination and find out about its inhabitants – their customs and practices – its wildlife, culture and history, setting aside all prejudices and preconceived ideas
• Only pack the essentials
• Ensure compliance with the prohibition on the import of forbidden products

DURING THE TRIP

Leave no lasting signs of your visit

• Do not leave litter on site
• Do not move anything or remove anything from the places visited (sand, stones, bones, plants, etc.)
• Do not carve on rocks, ruins or buildings
• Avoid trampling on the vegetation

Do not disturb the wildlife

• Keep conversation low and move slowly
• Comply with the minimum distance guidelines
• Leave all food on board the ship
• Give right of way to the animals when they’re on the move and accessing water

Show respect to the communities

• Behave in an open manner
• Adapt to the local customs
• Certain populations, in the tropical regions, wear little clothing: avoid inappropriate staring
• Ask before taking photographs
• Do not walk in the gardens, cemeteries, remains or other archaeological sites, and do not look into the windows of dwellings unless invited to do so
• Contribute to the local economy by purchasing craft souvenirs (unless they contain feathers, fossils, bones, plants and stones: ask the naturalist guides for advice) 

Comply with the security guidelines

• Listen carefully to the instructions issued 

  by the crew and the expedition team
• Stay on the signposted footpaths
• Follow the group
• Do not interact with guides responsible for bear watching
• Dress appropriately for the climatic and landscape conditions
• Know and respect your physical limits

AFTER THE TRIP

• Share your experience with others
• Raise the awareness of your friends and family and encourage them to get involved
• Continue to keep up to date on the regions visited 

At PONANT EXPLORATIONS, the "all-inclusive" includes:

• accommodation in stateroom,
• the full meal plan,
• the Open Bar: beginning with boarding, and during the duration of the cruise, a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, champagne, spirits, coffee, tea) is served on request and at any time of the day. Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar,
• free Wi-Fi internet access 24 hours a day*,
• activities offered during expedition cruises (see section "Expedition cruises")

So that everyone's tastes are catered to, special menus are available on request for guests with specific dietary requirements (low-fat, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc).