Ocean cruises

With the participation of Chef Alastair McLeod, who will host three culinary demonstrations throughout the cruise and will also create three signature dishes, featured à la carte on different occasions during the voyage.

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 17-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 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, to reach Greenland and the Scoresby Sound 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.

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.

In collaboration with The Explorers Club, this unique voyage will feature Dr. Alison Ormsby, an interdisciplinary environmental scientist who specializes in forest conservation, park management, environmental education, biocultural conservation through sacred natural sites, and global sustainability.

In New Guinea, the traces of the modern world end at the edge of impenetrable rainforests, mysterious volcanic fjords and pristine coral reefs. These last wild frontiers are home to countless communities with ancestral and secret traditions. In Papua New Guinea, on the shores of Alotau, Tufi, Madang and Kopar, at the mouth of the Sepik River, meet them amidst traditional ceremonies and fascinating landscapes. In Indonesian territory, unspoilt nature reveals its treasures: whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay, the karst islands of Triton Bay and the immaculate beaches of the Kai Islands are all invitations to explore.

The wildlife encounters are possible experiences and cannot be guaranteed.

Culinary delights on this voyage range from Italy’s fresh pasta and traditional pizza to the black risotto of Croatia, while historic sites include the remarkably preserved ruins of Pompeii outside Sorrento and the UNESCO-protected ramparts of coral-roofed Dubrovnik. The secluded beaches and coves around Hvar are perfect for a private boat excursion, and the national parks outside of Zadar add natural wonders to this journey’s adventures.

 

View Sample Shore Experiences in the Mediterranean.