Ocean cruises

Quite simply, Antarctica defies the imagination. Pristine and strikingly beautiful, this awe-inspiring region of untouched icescapes, mountains rising from the sea, and incredible, diverse wildlife will literally take your breath away.Wake up to spectacular scenery and spend your days marvelling at the many wonders along the Antarctic Peninsula. The constantly changing weather, scenery and colours provide opportunities for professional and amateur photographers alike. Go kayaking in Antarctica under the guidance of our experienced Discovery Team, dive deep into the pristine waters in our submarine – Scenic Neptune^, or take to the skies in our custom designed helicopters^. Throughout the voyage, our Discovery Team is on hand to provide insights into the geology, wildlife and history of this spectacular area in the form of on board lecture presentations and guided shore excursions.

From Barbados to Aruba, Evrima goes island hopping along the southern shores of the Caribbean. Martinique boasts the world’s only rums with the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée designation, and Grenada’s spice gardens fill the air with the aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon. The colorful marine life that calls the coral reefs off Canouan home mirrors the vibrant colonial architecture that decorates Willemstad’s historic center.

Join us aboard Le Dumont-d’Urville for an exceptional PONANT cruise sailing from Colón to Fort-de-France. This 13-day itinerary will give you the opportunity to appreciate the richness and diversity of Afro-Caribbean cultures, an azure blue sky and white-sand beaches.

Throughout your journey, you will benefit from an excursion included per person per port of call, to choose from a selection offered by PONANT. During this cruise, explore the mangrove in a traditional canoe from Cartagena de Indias, enjoy hiking in La Quebrada and seeing its waterfall, leaving from Santa Marta, or discover the town of Soufrière, between land and sea, on Saint Lucia. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

Your journey in Central America will continue with a port of call in the magnificent Portobelo Bay, in a region imbued with the traditions of Congo culture. The fortifications of this former gateway to the New World are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First, succumb to the charms of the clear waters of Panama and the San Blas archipelago, composed of more than 300 islands and cays. The Kuna people live among the palm trees and pirogues (small boats); this culture continues, among other things, the traditional craft of molas, weaved textiles in sparkling colours.

Then, you will visit the city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. Its port, fortress and historic monuments, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offer many noteworthy sights.

Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, will reveal its charming colonial architecture. Then, you will head south to the archipelago of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The most beautiful coral reef in the West Indies connects this chain of islands and reveals incredible underwater fauna and secret coves.

You will then sail towards Saint Lucia and its two majestic rocky peaks soaring straight from the sea, a unique location listed as UNESCO World Heritage site.

After a last stop at Les Saintes, a highly popular anchorage site with crystal-clear waters, you will finally reach Fort-de-France. Make sure to visit one of its renowned rum distilleries!

With featured guest Jonathan Shackleton, descendant of Sir Ernest Shackleton and family historian, and the presence of Sue Flood, British Photo Ambassador and polar specialist,  and author of Emperor - The Perfect Penguin.

Charcot, Bellingshausen, Dean, Fisher, Ross, Amundsen… Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the names of these legendary explorers resonate at every moment. Thanks to its unique capacity to sail into the very heart of the ice, Le Commandant Charcot invites you, with respect and humility, to set off in the footsteps of these great Antarctic figures during an all-new and unrivalled half-circumnavigation that will sail from the far south of the American continent to Australia. This journey to the boundaries of the known world will take you on a long adventure, where time stands still, where the horizon stretches into infinity to reveal dreamlike landscapes and abundant wildlife.

Antarctic exploration cannot be separated from the pioneers who travelled in these territories at the edges of the Earth. They left their names everywhere. Inaccessible and elusive are certainly the adjectives that best describe these lands that are among our planet’s most little-known and remote. Like a real explorer, you will cross the legendary southern seas of Bellingshausen and Amundsen, approach Marie Byrd Land, one of the last Terra nullius of our planet, and, if conditions allow it, attempt to reach the Charcot Island, enveloped in its blanket of ice. Very significant in the history of South Pole exploration, Ross Sea is also the world’s largest marine protected area, the kingdom of prodigious wildlife. As a privileged witness, keep a watchful eye and take the time to observe the Antarctic petrels, whales, orcas, seals and penguins that are to be found here.

The power of the polar world will conquer you, leaving you with unforgettable memories of the impressive Drygalski glacier scattered with blue, the endless and constant Ross Ice Shelf, the majestic Witkins and Getz ice shelves, and the ice floe taking over the Amundsen Sea. Here and there, you will notice clues to the past presence of Shackleton and Scott who have forever marked this continent of extremes with their historic exploits. At the foot of Mount Erebus, the highest volcano in Antarctica, their memory becomes tangible: the former base camp has remained intact.

Your cruise will end in Hobart, the Tasmanian capital, which has a captivating history. For those wishing to extend their exploration of the White Continent, the Tasmanian city will also be the departure point for a second half-circumnavigation aboard Le Commandant Charcot that you can discover here, so as to continue exploring the Antarctic and its mythical regions, heading towards the Cape.

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation 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 schedule and any landings, activities and wildlife encounters are subject to weather and ice conditions. These experiences are unique and vary with 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 IAATO.