Ponant
Le Commandant Charcot
About this vessel
Le Commandant Charcot is the first hybrid electric polar exploration vessel powered by liquefied natural gas, exploring the most inaccessible shores.
It blends French design and refinement with icebound adventure and a scientific odyssey.
Polarverse guide to Le Commandant CharcotGuide
Specifications
Year Built
2021
New ShipGuest Capacity
245
Crew
215
Ice Class
PC2
IAATO Classification
Category 2
Operator
Ponant
Signature Vessel
Elite standing on one or more instruments, with no weak dimension.
Polar Luxury Index
How luxuriously Le Commandant Charcot lives — suites, crew-to-guest service, dining, wellness, and design, independent of fare.
Field Experience Score
How efficiently Le Commandant Charcot converts time at sea into exploration — staging, landing rotations, and guide density.
Drake Comfort Coefficient
How comfortably Le Commandant Charcot handles open-ocean swells — displacement mass, transit speed, stabilization, and hull shape.
Onboard
Life on board.
A curated look at the dining, lounges and outdoor spaces that shape daily life aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
Dining
1 spaceGastronomy
An essential component of French culture, gastronomy naturally holds a special place on board.
Bars & Lounges
1 spaceLounges and Bars
Elegance, intimacy and openness to the polar environment — share your passion for exploration while relaxing in the ship's lounges.
Spa & Wellness
1 spaceWell-being
On board Le Commandant Charcot, exploration is synonymous with Nordic ritual and communion with the polar environment.
Entertainment
1 spaceTheatre
Attend conferences given by guest speakers and teams of naturalists, as well as shows, concerts and performances by professional dancers and musicians.
Other
1 spaceBoutique
La Boutique ILLU offers an exclusive tax-free shopping experience with ready-to-wear and technical polar gear (Swarovski Optik, Garmin, Vuarnet, Columbia, Arctic Edge), classic products and unique souvenirs.
Curious if this vessel suits you?
Our polar specialists can help you match the right vessel to your expedition goals — from capacity and cabin preference to seasonality and route style.
Cabins
Cabin categories.
Lower Deck Balcony Stateroom
20 m²
Upper Decks Balcony Stateroom
20 m²
Deluxe Suite
28 m²
Prestige Suite
40 m²
Grand Suite
42 m²
Privilege Suite
48 m²
Duplex Suite
94 m²
Owner's Suite
115 m²
What's included
Inclusions
✓ Included · ◐ Complimentary use · + Additional fee
Ship Facilities
Spa Facilities
Included · Spa and fitness room freely accessible on equipped ships; snow cabin on Le Commandant Charcot.
Suite & Room Amenities
In-Room Dining
Included
Onboard Services
Wi-Fi
Included · Free 24/7 Wi-Fi; connection may be slow or interrupted in remote areas.
Gratuities
Included
Food & Beverage
Dining
Included · Full board from dinner on day one to breakfast on the last day.
Beverages
Included · Open Bar throughout: mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, champagne, spirits, coffee and tea. Some premium spirits listed on the menu are excluded.
Expedition Gear
Parka / Expedition Jacket
Included
Polar Boots
Included
Ship Facilities
Spa Treatments
Additional fee · Body, facial and hair care treatments at additional cost.
Destination experiences
Activities
✓ Included · ◐ Complimentary use · + Additional fee
6 activities
Citizen Science
Contribute to live research — seabird surveys, phytoplankton sampling, cloud observations and whale identification feeding global datasets.
Shore Landings & Hikes
Step ashore onto remote beaches and tundra, walking among penguin rookeries, historic huts and dramatic geological formations with expert guides.
Polar Plunge
The legendary polar plunge — a bracing, supervised leap into polar waters, followed by a hot drink and a certificate to mark the moment.
Sea Kayaking
Paddle silently among icebergs and along sheltered coastlines at water level — the most intimate way to encounter the polar environment.
Zodiac Cruising
Glide through brash ice and sculpted bergs in a stable inflatable Zodiac, exploring coves, glacier faces and wildlife haul-outs unreachable by ship.
Lectures & Presentations
Daily talks from naturalists, historians and scientists on polar ecology, exploration history, glaciology and the wildlife you'll encounter.
Not available on Ponant
Air
Helicopter Excursions
Not available
Water
Submersible Exploration
Not available
Keep exploring