Le Commandant Charcot

The 2021-built MS Le Commandant Charcot (initially named "Ponant Icebreaker") is a newbuild constructed at two VARD-Fincantieri shipyards: Tulcea, Romania (hull and superstructure) and Alesund, Norway (outfitting). She was scheduled for delivery in April 2021 and inaugurated in late July. At the following link, you can explore CruiseMapper’s fleet of world's largest icebreaking ships.

The vessel (IMO 9846249) is France-flagged (MMSI 578001700) and registered in Mata-Utu/Wallis and Futuna. Seasonally, Le Commandant Charcot is chartered by A&K Travel (Abercrombie & Kent USA) for polar expedition cruises.

History - Construction and Ownership

Compagnie du Ponant (CDP) is a French cruise company founded in April 1988 by former French Merchant Navy officers. The company specializes in premium adventure cruises, primarily for French-speaking markets, with all-inclusive packages. Most of the fleet is deployed in Antarctica from December through March.

The ship’s building cost was EUR 274 million (USD 324 million). In December 2017, Ponant contracted VARD (a Norwegian subsidiary of Fincantieri, Italy) to build the world’s first icebreaking cruise ship.

The Ponant fleet combines modern amenities, premium service by highly trained staff, 5-star hotel comforts, and exotic itineraries visiting destinations worldwide, including the Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, South America, and Australia.

Le Commandant Charcot has a GT of 31,757 tons, LOA length 150 m (490 ft), 9 decks, 135 staterooms (all with balconies), maximum passenger capacity of 270, served by 190 crew. She carries 16 Zodiacs (RIBs / large-capacity rigid inflatable boats), is equipped with scientific laboratories for polar research, has a fore-located helipad (deck 6), and carries 2 helicopters for private flight tours.

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

The Le Commandant Charcot decks (9 total, 5 passenger-accessible, 3 with cabins) include 3 dining venues (Grill Restaurant, Gastronomic Restaurant/Main Dining Room, Lido Restaurant/Buffet), a wellness complex (Fitness Room, Indoor Pool, Snow Room, 3 Massage Rooms, Sauna, Nail Salon, Beauty Studio/Hairdresser), and a Winter Garden (spa lounge with indoor pool).

The ship also features a wraparound Promenade (deck 5), aft Sundeck (deck 9, with swimming pool, outdoor seating, and bar), and fore Helideck (deck 6, used as a helipad and outdoor observation deck).

On deck 5 are the Gastronomic Restaurant (Main Dining Room, 484 m²/5210 ft², 284 seats, indoor-outdoor seating), Theatre (276 seats, used for lectures, entertainment, and conferences), Main Lounge (302 m²/3250 ft², with Afternoon Tea service, bar, and live music), Cigar Bar (28 m²/300 ft², indoor smoking-allowed venue), Lobby Lounge (177 m²/1900 ft², with Reception, Tour Desk, Cruise Director’s Office, Hospitality Manager), Boutique Shop, and Image & Photo Desk. The Infirmary (Medical Centre) is on deck 4.

Decks 6 and 7 house passenger cabins. Two elevators connect all decks. Deck 8 has the Navigation Bridge (Wheelhouse) and additional cabins, including the Owner’s Suite (aft, with terrace Jacuzzi). Four tenders are mounted on deck 6 for embarkation/disembarkation at ports without docking facilities.

Deck 9 houses the Grill Restaurant (320 m²/3445 ft², 62 outdoor seats), Lido Restaurant (150 indoor seats), Library, Fitness Room (Technogym equipment), PONANT Yacht Spa (wellness complex), Winter Garden (spa lounge with pool), aft Sundeck (bar, outdoor seating, infinity pool), and forward Panoramic Bar Lounge (400 m²/4300 ft², 88 indoor seats, 270-degree wraparound windows).

The Grill Restaurant (Lido Deck) is casual, serving buffet breakfast and lunch, plus themed dinners. The Gastronomic Restaurant is the Main Dining Room (with wine cellar), serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with French gourmet and international cuisine.

Decks and Cabins

Le Commandant Charcot staterooms (123 total) are all outside-facing with step-out balconies. Of these, 68 are suites with private patio balconies. Staterooms are divided into six categories: Owner’s Suite (deck 8 aft), Duplex Suites (decks 6-7 aft), Privilege Suites (decks 6 and 8), Prestige Suites (decks 7-8), Privilege Staterooms (decks 6-7-8), and Prestige Staterooms (decks 6-7-8).

The ship has 9 decks, including 5 passenger-accessible and 3 with cabins.

Cabin sizes by category:

• Owner’s Suite: 1240 ft² (115 m²) plus 2000 ft² (185 m²) terrace with Jacuzzi.
• Duplex Suites (2-level apartments): 1010 ft² (94 m²) plus 280 ft² (26 m²) terrace with Jacuzzi.
• Privilege Suites: 515 ft² (48 m²) plus 135 ft² (15 m²) balcony.
• Prestige Suites: 430 ft² (40 m²) plus 105 ft² (10 m²) balcony.
• Privilege Staterooms: 300 ft² (28 m²) plus 55 ft² (5 m²) balcony.
• Prestige Staterooms: 215 ft² (20 m²) plus 55 ft² (5 m²) balcony.

The Owner’s, Duplex, and Privilege Suites include Balneo bathtubs and butler service. The Owner’s and Duplex Suites also feature a separate dining room (6-seat table, dry bar), dressing room (walk-in closet), two TVs, a master bathroom (WC, shower, double vanity), and a guest bathroom. Prestige Suites are made of two interconnecting Prestige Staterooms, with two bathrooms and two dressing rooms.

All cabins include standard amenities: King bed (convertible to twins), phone, smart HDTV (satellite, Internet, on-demand movies, ship info channel), iPod dock, writing desk, minibar, lounge area (sofabed/daybed, coffee table, armchair), mirrored wardrobe, electronic safe, lifejackets, 24-hour room service, individually controlled air conditioning, en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, vanity, premium French bath products, bathrobes, hairdryer), power outlets, and Wi-Fi. Sockets are US (110V, 2 flat pins) and European (220V, 2 round pins).

The ship has 3 wheelchair-accessible (ADA) cabins (Prestige Staterooms), larger in size and located midship near the elevators (decks 6 and 8).

Itineraries

Bookings for Le Commandant Charcot opened on June 13, 2019. Antarctica 2021-2022 cruises opened for sale on December 5, 2019. Itineraries include voyages to the North Pole, Greenland’s eastern coast, the Northwest Passage (Canadian Arctic), the Ross Sea, Charcot Island, and Peter I Island (Norway Antarctica).

The 15-day Inaugural Cruise (from Le Havre, France to Reykjavik, Iceland) visited Greenland, Iceland, and Jan Mayen Island, including scenic cruising through Scoresby Sund, the world’s largest fjord system. The Maiden Voyage departed July 24, 2021, priced from USD 18,150 pp (double occupancy).

The 11-day themed voyage "At the Genesis of the French Polar Expeditions" offered scenic cruising along Greenland’s eastern coastline, from Ammassalik Fjord (Sermersooq, SE Greenland) to Blosseville Coast (King Christian IX Land, East Greenland).

In August 2021, the ship cruised to the North Pole from Spitsbergen Island, Norway. The 16-day itinerary was priced from USD 29,100 pp.

On November 30, 2021, from Ushuaia began the 15-day "Total Solar Eclipse 2021" voyage (via Drake Passage), offering passengers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the total eclipse (December 4) while sailing in the Weddell Sea. Prices started at USD 17,790 pp (EUR 14,970 pp), inclusive of roundtrip flights between Santiago de Chile and Ushuaia.

In November 2022, Ponant announced Charcot’s 2024 Arctic program (5 itineraries, 8 voyages):

• 10-night "Inuit Spring of Ammassalik" roundtrip from Reykjavik (3 sailings, Apr 16–May 6, 2024), from AUD 24,240 pp.
• 12-night "Inuit Spring at the Edge of Scoresby Sund" roundtrip from Reykjavik (May 16–28, 2024), from AUD 18,230 pp.
• 14-night "Northeast Greenland’s Unexplored Sea Ice" roundtrip from Reykjavik (2 sailings, May 28–Jun 11, 2024), from AUD 33,940 pp.
• 16-night "In the Ice of the Arctic, from Greenland to Svalbard" Reykjavik–Longyearbyen (Jun 25–Jul 11, 2024), from AUD 40,770 pp.
• 15-night "The Geographic North Pole – Objective: 90° North!" roundtrip from Longyearbyen (Jul 11–26, 2024), from AUD 52,930 pp.

The 2024 program also featured the exclusive A&K-chartered voyage "North Pole Expedition Cruise: The Ultimate Frontier," roundtrip from Longyearbyen (Jul 12–29, 18 days).

The 2025 program included four 13-day voyages (Jan–Feb), cruising Canada’s St Lawrence River. Two voyages (Jan 17 and Feb 10) sailed from St Pierre Island (Pierre & Miquelon, France) to Quebec City, visiting Sydney (NS), the Magdalen Islands, Gaspé, Sept-Îles, Saguenay River, and Baie-Comeau. The other two voyages were reverse routes.