Polar Odyssey between North East Greenland & Spitsbergen

Description

PONANT invites you to experience the exceptional by discovering the east coast of Greenland and following the ice to the majestic lands of Spitsbergen during a brand-new 13-day cruise. In the footsteps of the great explorers and Norwegian trappers, plunge into the history of these remote territories, during a period of extreme conditions – the end of spring – when the ice still envelops the wild and deserted landscape.

Thanks to Le Commandant Charcot, the first hybrid electric polar exploration ship, you will brave the elements, in a season that is inaccessible to the majority of ships, to reach Greenland and the Scoresby Sund region. In the heart of this hostile yet sublime world of ice, you will navigate in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, who was deeply connected to the Inuit land, where vestiges of his passage remain. The sumptuous decor is made up of snow-topped peaks and majestic fjords, icebergs of poetic shapes, and ice as far as the eye can see.

You will then set sail towards the Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: here, the trappers’ cabins are lost in the immensity of the magically coloured alpine landscapes and the impressive glaciers. You will go where few have had the chance, to the sites of the Arctic tales written by Jorn Riel. This immense territory, which represents almost 45% of the total area of Greenland, is home to the King Oscar Fjord and Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, where the bare ochre cliffs disappear into the boreal sea. Polar bears and musk oxen live in these distant lands and you may be lucky enough to spot them on the horizon.

Follow the ice and cross the Greenland Sea to reach the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park much further north. Former whalers, once settled on the sites that are now home to the graves of many sailors, have made way for various species of cetaceans and walruses, which have recolonised their lands.

Before disembarking in Longyearbyen, you will discover the glaciers of Kongsfjorden, right near Ny-Alesund, international research base and former mining city, which was the departure point for many expeditions to the North Pole.

Trip Name

Polar Odyssey between North East Greenland & Spitsbergen

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Polar Luxury Expedition Passenger Capacity: 135 cabins Built: 2018/2019 Be the first aboard Le Commandant-Charcot, the world's luxury polar exploration vessel, and enjoy a unique sailing experience in the Arctic or Antarctic! With its hybrid propulsion combining liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electric generators, Le Commandant-Charcot has been designed to minimise the environmental impact of travel to the furthest latitudes. The decoration of the ship, imagined by two internationally renowned design and architecture firms - the studio of Jean-Philippe Nuel and Wilmotte & Associés - is designed to be in harmony with the environment. The approach is contemporary with the desire to create a warm and elegant setting; stone, wood and leather recall the natural environment in which the ship is sailing. Equipped with just 135 staterooms including 31 suites with balconies and outside views, Le Commandant-Charcot welcomes you in an intimate and refined atmosphere. Outstanding gastronomy in the two restaurants, relaxation in the indoor pool surrounded by its winter garden, relaxation in the well-being area with sauna and Snow Room... Like on a private yacht, each of our guests is unique. PUBLIC AREAS Le Commandant-Charcot has many common areas that are designed and equipped to meet all of your needs while preserving the intimacy of each passenger. A 177 m² reception area includes: A reception/concierge desk, An expeditions desk, The ship’s administrative services, The sales office, manned by our Hospitality & Travel Manager officer, Our boutique which sells clothing, jewellery, beauty products, postcards and various accessories, The image & photo desk. The different lounges: A 302 m² main lounge including a 28 m² cigar lounge, a tea corner and a bar, with live music on selected evenings, A 400 m² panoramic bar and lounge, An open-air Bar. The recreation spaces Fitness & Beauty Corner: Fitness room: Elliptic, running machines, bicycles... Beauty Corner: Hairdresser, Massage rooms, Sauna, Snow Room, Nail Shop. Pool area: Indoor Pool and winter garden - Outdoor Pool Theatre: Capacity: 270-276 - Main show room for conferences and live entertainment on selected evenings - State-of-the-art audio and video technology. Leisure area: Public areas - Library - Medical centre. 16 Zodiac®.

Itinerary

Day 1 - 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 - Day 2 AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT

Spend exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.

Day 3 - Days 3 - 5 SCORESBY SUND

Covering an area of 13,700 km2 (5,290 mi2), Scoresby Sound is the largest and deepest fjord system in the world. Named after the explorer and whale hunter William Scoresby, who mapped the region in 1822, it opens onto the Greenland Sea to the north of the Blosseville Coast. This wild and desert region offers untouched panoramas of infinite beauty, with high snow-capped peaks rising tall alongside icebergs immersed in clear, blue-tinged waters. Rode Fjord and its cliffs coloured red by iron ore provide a fascinating setting you will not want to miss. Discovering these stunning places in the wake of great explorers like Captain Charcot, who was deeply attached to the land of the Inuit, inspires a profound reverence.

Day 4 - Day 6 EXPLORATION OF NORTHEAST GREENLAND NATIONAL PARK & KING OSCAR FJORD

With a craggy coastline formed by gigantic fjords, magnificent alpine mountains looming over them, the shores of north-east Greenland offer breathtaking landscapes and are home to the largest national park in the world. Covering an area of around one million square kilometres, almost half the island, the North-East Greenland National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is a particularly isolated region. Cut off for many months of the year by the ice floe, it is renowned for its pristine nature and rich wildlife.The King Oscar Fjord marks the northern border of Scoresby Sound to the east of Greenland. The sea heads into its main fjord, formed by a maze of valleys, which makes an impression with its majestic and gigantic size. Few have set eyes on this dreamlike yet hostile landscape, where bare and jagged mountains disappear into waters dotted with icebergs, crowned with their characteristic turquoise blue. Here you will be able to admire the strange beauty of Berzelius Bjerg, a mountain made up of strata of coloured rock formed by former marine sediments. During his expedition in 1899, the geologist and explorer A.G. Nathorst named the fjord after Oscar II, the king of Sweden and Norway.

Day 5 - Day 7 FRANZ-JOSEPH FJORD

Explored during the Second German North Polar Expedition between 1869 and 1870 by Carl Koldewey, the Kejser Franz Joseph Fjord bears the name of the eponymous Austrian emperor. Located in the Northeast Greenland National Park, this major geological formation is characterised by its size. Everything here is larger than life. Attestupan, the world’s highest coastal cliff, edges the fjord with ochre walls, contrasting with the deep blue of the sea and the cerulean-hued white of the floating icebergs. As you sail, perhaps you’ll spot the reddish Teufelsschloss – the Devil’s castle in German – that looks over the waters of the fjord from 1,303 metres (4,275 feet) up.

Day 6 - Days 8 - 9 EXPLORATION OF NORTHEAST GREENLAND NATIONAL PARK

Day 7 - Day 10 AT SEA ABOARD LE COMMANDANT CHARCOT

Day 8 - Day 11 NORDVEST-SPITSBERGEN NATIONAL PARK

Like the other protected areas of Svalbard, the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park was established in the early 1970s to protect this exceptional environment against the growing interest of the mining industry. Nunataks, glaciers, islands and large bays, arctic tundra scattered with moss and lichen in shades of silver and gold... This region will fascinate you with its landscapes and with the numerous vestiges that bear witness to the history of the men ─ whale hunters and those involved in the first expeditions to the North Pole ─ who found themselves on these shores from the start of the 17th century. In this pristine environment, you will be able to observe arctic sterns or seals on the rocks that emerge at low tide.

Day 9 - Day 12 KONGSFJORDEN (KING BAY), SPITSBERGEN

Very close to the former mining town of Ny-Ålesund, set off to discover Kings Bay. Your ship will sail in one of the most beautiful fjords in Svalbard: Kongsfjorden (the fjord of the King), a gateway to grandiose landscapes. Here, the snow-capped mountains are reflected in the water where superb icebergs try to outdo each other in their beauty, a delight for photographers. Seals, reindeer, barnacle geese and black guillemots frequent these places that have a unique atmosphere. Once you arrive at the end of the fjord, admire the Kongsbreen (glacier of the King) and its three characteristic rocky points, which take their names from three Scandinavian countries: Svea (Sweden), Dana (Denmark) and Nora (Norway).

Day 10 - Day 13 LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN

Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.

Day 11 - Please Note:

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation, mainly in the fjords, will be determined by the type of ice we come across; as the coastal ice cannot be broken, we will take this factor into account from day to day in our itineraries. The sailing programme, outings, activities and observation of fauna cannot be guaranteed and are subject to weather and ice conditions. The experiences are unique and vary from day to day and for each departure. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while respecting safety instructions and regulations imposed by the AECO.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

An all-new cruise between the territories of Greenland and the island of Spitsbergen, to discover the history of the great explorers and Norwegian trappers, in landscapes that are as majestic as they are unexplored.
Outings and shore visits in a Zodiac® dinghy or hovercraft with an reinforced team of naturalist-guides.
Hiking opportunity.
An encounter with the Inuit people to share their springtime traditions while the ice is still ubiquitous.
Scoresby Sund, the world’s largest fjord system, and land of exploration for Captain Charcot; there is still a stela in remembrance of him, as well as his old dwelling.
The Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the magical moment when nature awakens.
Sail in Spitsbergen’s fjords and towards the ice floe.
Landscapes: mountains striped with multi-coloured strata, fjords, jagged mountains, ice floes, glaciers, icebergs, wild tundra, sheer cliffs, polar ice cap.
Wildlife: polar bears, narwhals, seals, musk oxen, Arctic foxes and hares, walruses, orcas, Svalbard reindeer, sea birds.
Our experts are fine-tuning your programme of activities, find out more very soon.