Cruise Description

Le Commandant Charcot opens the way to new horizons and invites you aboard to explore the north-east of Greenland, an untouched, remote region surrounded by sea ice carried along the Transpolar Drift. At the end of spring, in the comfort of this marvel of technology, be guided and amazed at the opportunities for exploration in one of the hardest to reach areas of the Far North.

In these first days of summer, a time of year that is particularly precocious and hostile in the Arctic, ice and snow are still omnipresent. Along the Blosseville Coast, discovered by the eponymous lieutenant in 1833 during a journey that led to his disappearance, the pack ice crystallises, forming sharp peaks. You will explore this inhospitable land and attempt to venture closer to its untouched shores. Off in the distance, the dark rock formations of the alpine peaks rise from the opaline desert.

En route, you will discover the Ittoqqortoormiit region at the entrance to Scoresby Sound, the world’s largest network of fjords. The isolated villages, with their colourful traditional houses, stand out against the surrounding whiteness. Imagine vast expanses of virgin-white snow where the silence is broken only by the sounds of dogs and the grating of sled runners against the ice. An outing alongside the last hunters of the polar region will have you overwhelmed by various sensations aboard this ancient means of transport. Among the first outside visitors of the season, you will be warmly welcomed by the community. During privileged exchanges mixed with joyful and authentic moments, you will learn about the village customs on the ice floe. Inuit hospitality is no myth, it is given in the warmth of a look or an exchanged smile.

Farther on and higher up, the solid and powerful sea ice commands the visitors who venture out to it. To the north-east of Greenland, you will sail with humility amid the drift ice and continue your exploration among the icebergs revealing their blue-tinged underside below the surface of the dark waters.

Aboard your ship, a kayak or a zodiac, or during a polar hike, you will have diverse opportunities to explore these hypnotic, infinitely varied panoramas, including sumptuous glaciers, huge fjords, and icebergs trapped by the ice. Le Commandant Charcot also offers exceptional conditions for observing the Arctic wildlife. You may get the chance to glimpse a blue whale at the entrance to a fjord, or the stirring silhouette of a large bear in search of food.

For seekers of polar treasures, the beauty of the world evokes a childlike awe. In the hostile environment, you will find wonder in a ray of light or in the flight of a bird gliding along the edge of an ice monument. With frozen treasures as far as the eye can see, exploring the far reaches of the world feels like a waking dream.

Find out more about the world of Le Commandant Charcot here!

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 fast ice must be preserved, 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.