PONANT has announced that its icebreaker - Le Commandant Charcot, is scheduled to complete a full circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent between January and March 2028.
The company has described the voyage as a world first in passenger maritime travel.
While the voyage is being promoted as unprecedented, maritime history offers a nuanced view. Le Commandant Charcot is a purpose-built, Polar Class 2 icebreaker designed explicitly for passenger service, distinguishing it from typical polar cruise vessels. These are often standard hulls strengthened for moderate ice navigation but not constructed to the specifications required of true icebreaking ships.
The vessel, unique in its class, combines the robust design of an icebreaker with the amenities of a luxury cruise ship. Traditional icebreakers are engineered for operational duties in polar regions—resupply missions, scientific exploration, and logistical support—rather than leisure travel.
Though this will be the first such voyage by a purpose-designed passenger icebreaker, it is not the first instance of a passenger ship circumnavigating Antarctica. In the 1996–1997 season, the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov, chartered by Quark Expeditions, completed a commercial circumnavigation carrying fare-paying passengers.
Built in Finland in 1981 as one of 4 sisterships for the USSR/Soviet Union, Kapitan Khlebnikov was originally intended for Arctic logistics and scientific missions. Following the dissolution of the USSR, the vessel was retrofitted to accommodate tourists in the polar regions.
Le Commandant Charcot is set to depart from Ushuaia, Argentina, in January 2028, proceeding westward toward Hobart, Tasmania—a transit of approximately 30 days. After a scheduled 2-day port call, the ship will resume its journey eastward along the Antarctic coastline, returning to Ushuaia in an additional 34 days. The voyage plan was devised by Captains Etienne Garcia and Patrick Marchesseau, both of whom are seasoned polar navigators with prior command experience aboard other PONANT vessels. They are expected to share command responsibilities during the expedition.
The itinerary includes navigational challenges consistent with high-latitude sailing, and it is expected to revisit several historic sites linked to early polar exploration. In line with the vessel's namesake, Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot, the voyage aims to reflect both historical homage and modern technical achievement.
Reservations for this journey are expected to open in December 2025. Pricing details have not yet been disclosed.