Posts Tagged “Le Commandant Charcot”

Northeast Greenland’s Unexplored Sea Ice

Northeast Greenland’s Unexplored Sea Ice

Our trip to the North Pole aboard Le Commandant Charcot included a brief visit to Greenland. The country was as striking as we expected, and we wanted to see more. We also learned that sea ice is mesmerizing. Le Commandant Charcot is the world’s most powerful non-nuclear ice-breaker, capable of breaking ice 15ft (4.6 m) thick,…

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On Board Le Commandant Charcot

On Board Le Commandant Charcot

Ponant Cruise Lines strives to offer a premium service with formal dinners and an on-board dress-code. That’s just not our style, but the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being able to stand at the North Pole, convinced us we could put up with the rest, and we were excited to book a trip on Le Commandant Charcot….

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Greenland

Greenland

Greenland has long been high on our list of places to visit. We love high latitudes and wild, untamed places. Our initial plan for eventually returning to North America from Europe on Dirona was to travel the “Viking Route” from the Faroe Islands to Newfoundland via Iceland and Greenland. We didn’t have a firm timeframe…

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The North Pole

The North Pole

Despite dozens of attempts, the first undisputed expedition to reach the North Pole was Roald Amundsen’s team in 1926, flying over in the airship Norge.  Thirty years later, the submarine USS Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the pole, by travelling entirely under the ice. A year later the submarine USS Skate broke through…

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Le Commandant Charcot

Le Commandant Charcot

Le Commandat Charcot, owned by French cruise ship operator Ponant, is the most capable non-nuclear icebreaker in the world. While the term icebreaker typically connotes a military or research vessel, long on capability, but short on comfort, the Le Commandant Charcot has plenty of both. Launched in 2021, the 492 ft (150 m) LNG-powered ship…

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