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LeCommandantCharcot - Guests

Inuit Spring At The Edge Of Scoresby Sund

Reykjavik Roundtrip

Welcome to the East coast of Greenland, a wild region that is one of the most isolated in the world. At the end of the long winter night, spring is accompanied by the midnight sun, while the coastal ice flow still protects the shores. Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, a reassuring cocoon capable of sailing through ice-covered waters, explore this coast, which is inaccessible to traditional ships during this precocious season. Here, the powerful yet fragile nature lays down the law. As is taught by Inuit wisdom, only the present moment matters. In the heart of this extreme and majestic universe, encounters with the landscapes and living things are experienced in the here and now.


 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Experience the exceptional: meet the Inuit people at the end of the winter, to share unique moments on the ice floe, discover their spring traditions and experience a dog sled outing.
  • Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, a polar exploration vessel opening to the exterior, take time with these unique moments of exploration and observation, in the silence and respect of fragile landscapes and encountered species.
  • The Blosseville Coast and its ice cap that comes straight from the North Pole.
  • Exploring the region of Ittoqqortoormiit, where the last hunters of the polar region live, at the entrance to Scoresby Sound, the world’s largest network of fjords.
  • Set off on the trail of the great explorers who attempted to navigate the eastern coast of Greenland, a region that long remained isolated due to being hard to reach and only accessible at this time of year thanks to Le Commandant Charcot.
  • Experience the dog sled, at the heart of Inuit culture, an activity designed with our hosts.
  • Crossing the Denmark Strait and the possibility of spotting blue whales and humpback whales.
  • The landscapes: striped mountains, fjords, glaciers, icebergs, polar ice cap, patches of ice floe drifting from the North Pole, hummocks.
  • The wildlife: blue and humpback whales, polar bears, seals, Arctic foxes, sea birds.
  • Many brand-new activities*: dog sledding, kayaking, hiking or snowshoeing, ice fishing, polar diving, participative science.

DATES / RATES

Rates are listed per person
Start DateEnd DateFrom EURFrom USD
Rates are listed per person
Start DateEnd DateFrom EURFrom USD

ITINERARY

Day 1: Reykjavík
Iceland’s capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the country. Perlan, the “Pearl of Reykjavík”, a museum located on ’Oskjuhlið hill, offers a panoramic view of the lush, green landscapes. A little further, one can easily spot the signpost showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church, and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two lively streets with charming small shops. For some relaxation just outside of the city, visitors have the opportunity to visit the Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.

Day 2: Sailing through the Denmark Strait
Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on 24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this rich ecosystem.

Day 3: Ammassalik Region
Still almost unknown just a century ago, the east coast of Greenland remains the most authentic and majestic region. Here, the alpine mountains merge intimately with the sea, while the fjords are adorned with high snow-capped peaks and drifting icebergs. Follow in the wake of Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s famous ship, the Pourquoi Pas?, which set off with its crew to discover Ammassalik, a small island of primitive and wild beauty where the Inuit people chose to live. The name of this island is a reference to the capelin, a small flamboyant silver coloured fish, whose presence in the thousands announces to inhabitants the return of spring. A surprising discovery in a spectacular setting.

Day 4: Exploring the Blosseville Coast
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise, an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pack ice - thin or thick, flat or pronounced - as far as the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the kingdom of the polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot, a silent ship open to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic wildlife, through a series of encounters.

Days 5-8: Exploration of Ittoqqortoormiit Region
On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region that is covered with snow and ice for nine months of the year, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of an isolated territory and exploring the beauty of its infinite polar whiteness. The high alpine mountains punctuate the sky and gradually reveal their dark rock edges beneath a coat of snow. Located at the entrance to the longest system of fjords in the world, sits the village of Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the northernmost inhabited places on the East coast. Its name means ‘great house’ in Greenlandic and it is home to the last hunters of the polar region, whose ancestral way of life you will encounter. As soon as the thickness of the ice floe allows it, the hunters set out on the trail of walruses, seals, narwhals, musk oxen and polar bears, travelling by traditional dog sleds. On these expanses of immaculate snow, the silence is broken only by the sounds of the dogs, the grating of a sled coming back from a run or of footsteps on the ice. You will discover Inuit traditions through privileged and festive moments on the ice floe and in the village.

Days 9-11: Exploring the Blosseville Coast
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise, an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pack ice - thin or thick, flat or pronounced - as far as the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the kingdom of the polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot, a silent ship open to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic wildlife, through a series of encounters.

Day 12: Sailing through the Denmark Strait
Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on 24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this rich ecosystem.

Day 13: Reykjavík - Disembarkation

(Click image to view Ship details)

WHAT'S INCLUDED

At PONANT, 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, Charles Heidsieck 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"),
  • access to all the common areas:
  • on board our sister ships and Ponant Explorers: fitness room, steam room, hair salon, swimming pool (sea water, heated), solarium, lounges, theater, boutique & leisure area.
  • on board of our three-masted Le Ponant: Solarium of 400 m², marina, lounge, Boutique & leisure area.
  • For all our cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic, we charter aircraft and transfers in order to facilitate the arrival and the departure of our passengers
  • Port taxes are included in your cruise fare.
  • The breakfasts, lunches and dinners served on board are included in the price of the cruise
  • Access to the steam room and the fitness room is free, except on Le Ponant which does not have them.
  • What champagne is included in the price of the cruise?
  • The rates displayed on our site are per person, on the basis of a double occupancy.

ADVENTURE OPTIONS
  • Dog sledding
  • Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot
  • Ice fishing
  • Polar plunge
  • Hiking or snowshoeing
  • Participative science 

 
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DISCLAIMER: Rates are per person, subject to availability and can change at any time