Le Commandant Charcot, Inaugural Cruise ex Le Havre to Reykjavik – 31 May 2021

14 Night cruise departing from Havre to Reykjavik onboard Le Commandant Charcot.

At the boundaries of the Arctic territories, PONANT invites you on the inaugural cruise of Le Commandant-Charcot, the first hybrid electric polar exploration vessel.

This exceptional 15-day voyage between Iceland and Greenland will take you to discover the emblematic sites of the polar adventure led by the famous French explorer, Jean-Baptiste Charcot.

Your journey will start in Le Havre, which has been the starting point for many expeditions in direction of the frozen territories of the north. After passing the Rockall Rock, frequently battered by impressive waves, you will sail along the coast of the Alftanes Peninsula, in the south-west of Iceland. In this region, haunted by the sinking of the Pourquoi Pas? IV, you will take part in a small ceremony at the site where the wrecked ship lies: a very emotional moment.

You will then reach the shores of Greenland to sail along the majestic and mysterious Blosseville Coast. You will discover the Scoresby Sund, the world’s largest fjord network. The Arctic will then reveal itself to you such as you had always imagined it: clad in a thick layer of ice and snow with sparkling reflections and spellbinding silence.

Highlights of this cruise:

Le Havre
Formerly the home port of the SS France, the emblematic ocean liner that in the 1960s was the maritime link between Europe and the United States, Le Havre is rich with a substantial maritime and port tradition.A major trading location during the Industrial Revolution and the gateway to the New World in the era of the transatlantic adventures, the town became very prosperous before being bombed heavily during the Second World War. Magnificently rebuilt by the architect Auguste Perret, the city founded in 1517 by François I now boasts a modern style that is perfectly integrated with its historic structure: a fabulous example of Post-War architecture that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Saint-Malo
The mere mention of Saint-Malo’s name is enough to plunge us back into the richness of its past. The fortifications stand as testimony to the Malouins’ determination to defend their citadel, fought over by France and Britain in turn. When we drop anchor here, immerse yourself in the diversity of its heritage: the time when privateers sailed the oceans in search of trade and victories; the legendary yacht races the port city is still famous for, such as the Route du Rhum; and the final resting place of the French writer François-René de Chateaubriand, who was born here and chose to be buried here anonymously.

Sailing in Front of the Islet of Rockall
Lost in the middle of the North Atlantic, between Ireland and Iceland, Rockall is one of the remotest places on Earth. The eroded summit of an extinct volcano, the site was formed some 55 million years ago, when the Laurasia supercontinent broke up, followed by the separation of Europe and Greenland. Frequently swept by immense waves, this granite rock standing some twenty metres above the water will offer you spectacular panoramas.

Alftanes (Iceland)
In the south-west of Iceland, discover the Alftanes Peninsula, made sadly famous by the sinking of the Pourquoi Pas? IV. In 1936, the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot was returning to France aboard the Pourquoi Pas? after having provided support to the expedition led by Paul-Émile Victor in Greenland, when the ship was caught in a violent storm and was wrecked off the coast. The memory of this tragic event offers a striking contrast with the calmness of the surrounding countryside, made up of vast green plains and distant hills.

Blosseville Coast
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, aboard La Lilloise, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland and gave French names to various sites on the coast. The adventure probably has an unfortunate outcome, since the crew was never found. This uninhabited territory, which now bears his name, lies to the south of Scoresby Sund. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pieces of pack ice, Blosseville Coast is one of these wild and hard-to-reach places that very few people are lucky enough to explore.

Ittoqqortoormiit Region
Located between the largest national park and the longest system of fjords in the world, the town of Ittoqqortoormiit, whose name means “great house” in Greenlandic, is one of the remotest inhabited places in the world. Covered with ice and snow for nine months of the year, you will be able to discover the ancestral way of life of the last hunters of the polar region. As soon as the thickness of the ice floe allows, they set out on the trail of walruses, seals, narwhals, musk ox and polar bears, travelling by traditional dog sleds.

Jan Mayen Island, Svalbard
The island of Jan Mayen, belonging to Norway, lies hidden off Greenland’s coastlines, lost between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. This small piece of land is inhabited by only a handful of Norwegian meteorologists. Tongues of ice descend from its volcanic summit, which culminates at 2,227 metres and is covered with a thick glacial coat. These tongues join the sea, between ranges of black volcanic rocks at times tinged with red. If the sky is clement, you will have the chance to glimpse the summit, decked out in magnificent light. The visit of a small fin whale will perhaps enable you to complete this memorable picture.

Reyjkjavik
Iceland’s capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the country. Perlan, the “Pearl of Reykjavík”, a museum located on ’Oskjuhlið hill, offers a panoramic view of the lush, green landscapes. A little further, one can easily spot the signpost showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church, and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two lively streets with charming small shops. For some relaxation just outside of the city, visitors have the opportunity to visit the Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.