Day 1 - Monday - Aug 12, 2024
| Reykjavik, Iceland |
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Depart: 6:00 pm |
Iceland's capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the country. Perlan, the "Pearl of Reykjavik", a museum located on Oskjuhlid 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 Hallgrimskirkja church, and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the Skolavordustigur 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.
Day 2 - Tuesday - Aug 13, 2024
Spend exceptional moments sailing onboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans that the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
Day 3 - Wednesday - Aug 14, 2024
| Prince Christian Sound, Greenland, Denmark, Denmark |
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Your ship glides silently towards the Greenland coast, in a setting punctuated by pointed peaks and majestic glaciers... You are on the verge of crossing the Prins Christians Sund, a narrow channel that stretches out and zigzags over some one hundred kilometers between Greenland's south-east and south-west. Fall under the spell of the primitive beauty of these unique landscapes, including rocky cliffs and waterfalls that are fed by the ice sheet and plunge into the icy waters. Here, bearded seals love to lie on the floating ice to soak up the sunshine.
| Kujalleq Glacier, Greenland, Denmark, Denmark |
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In the immense and mythical Greenland, in the Prince Christian Sound region, your ship will make its way to the Kujalleq Glacier. You will be captivated by this frozen tongue, in front of which dance small icebergs and a few growlers. Growler is the surprising name given to chunks of ice that are smaller fragments of an iceberg. They are either white or, more remarkably, blue-green. Birds fly in your wake and bearded seals observe you from afar, stretched out on granite rocks. Combined with the surrounding ice, these rocks form a magical landscape that immerses you in the polar realm.
Day 4 - Thursday - Aug 15, 2024
Follow the Davis Strait currents and Qaqortoq, the largest town in southern Greenland, reveals itself in a rocky setting covered in immaculate white in winter and enchanting green in summer. From the moment your ship enters the fjord edging the town, off in the distance you will be able to glimpse the delightful, brightly-coloured houses built upon the hillsides surrounding this charming fishing port, the most southerly in Greenland. You will have the opportunity to wander around the streets of the town center which have distinct Danish influences and are home to numerous historical buildings and landmarks, such as the country's famous and oldest fountain, topped with whales. Not far from there, you will also have the chance to discover the town's open-air fish market, where fishermen come to sell the day's catch.
Day 5 - Friday - Aug 16, 2024
As you sail through the majestic Ikka Fjord in south-west Greenland, you will discover over 10,000 years of underwater geology - mysterious columns up to 20 meters high, formed several millennia ago, rise up from the seabed. Their material, ikaite, gives the fjord its name. Truly magical! You glide over calm, clear waters amidst breathtaking mountains in the endlessly wild, huge area of Greenland.
Day 6 - Saturday - Aug 17, 2024
When Erik the Red, the exiled Norse chief, landed on the coast of Nuuk, he found a fertile and welcoming land dotted with fjords. He settled there with a group of his former countrymen, and the Norse remained the principal inhabitants until, over a period of 500 years, their population declined and gave way to the Inuit. Nuuk is situated at the mouth of one of the largest networks of fjords in the world, where the waters never freeze. The town spreads gently out towards the Davis Strait and enjoys a historic center that is particularly rich in national heritage. The vivid reds, blues, greens, and yellows of the houses are a lively contrast to the somber waters of Greenland and serve to lift the spirits of the locals during the winter months.
Day 7 - Sunday - Aug 18, 2024
Spend exceptional moments sailing onboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans that the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
Day 8 - Monday - Aug 19, 2024
| Cruising Ilulissat / Disko Bay, Greenland |
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To the east of Baffin Bay, discover Disko Bay, scattered with countless icebergs produced by the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your ship, admire the majestic ballet of these ice giants as they slowly drift across the dark waters. This site is a natural marvel of Greenland, and is also renowned as an observation point for the region's many humpback whales. The encounters with wild fauna and stunning landscapes in the heart of this spectacular and fragile nature will be pure moments of wonder for you.
Day 9 - Tuesday - Aug 20, 2024
Spend exceptional moments sailing onboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans that the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
Day 10 - Wednesday - Aug 21, 2024
On Baffin Island, located in northern Canada at the mouth of the famous Northwest Passage, there is a small Inuit settlement at the very bounds of infinity. To get there, cross the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line that separates man from lands of mystery and wonder. It's not so much the way of life that sets Pond Inlet's inhabitants apart, so much as the setting. Snow-capped mountains, fjords, and glaciers combine in a dazzling natural environment that fills space and expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is one of them.
Day 11 - Thursday - Aug 22, 2024
During your journey at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship's upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest, and entertainment.
Day 12 - Friday - Aug 23, 2024
The Canadian Arctic Circle is home to one of the planet's best preserved natural sanctuaries: Somerset Island. This immaculate northern desert is renowned for its phenomenal landscapes, its midnight sun, and its huge tundra, where musk oxen roam. Covering 24,786 square kilometers (15,400 square miles), it is the Arctic Archipelago's ninth-largest island. Vegetation is rare except in some hollows and lowlands, where Peary caribou are common.
Day 13 - Saturday - Aug 24, 2024
Beechey Island, at the eastern end of Resolute Bay, will call to mind some of the most important moments of Franklin's expedition. Sir John set off in 1845 in search of the mythical Northwest Passage and was forced to take shelter in Erebus Harbour for two long years, while he waited for the ice floes to recede and allow him a way through. It is a spectacular location; seeing the three wooden grave markers, bleached by the sun (indicating the burial places of at least three of Captain Franklin's men), and visiting the memorial that has been erected in memory of Franklin and his men can only reinforce the hushed sense of reverence. If the surrounding wilderness impresses us, the ochre and yellows of the rocky desert soften the landscape.
Located in Baffin Bay, Devon Island is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Anchored on the Arctic Cordillera, its rocky surface, similar to that of Mars, is of great interest to scientists. Robert Bylot and William Baffin were the first Europeans to sight Devon Island in 1616 but it would be mapped two centuries later by the British sailor William E. Parry, who named it after the eponymous English region. Around 1920, the Hudson's Bay Company set up a fur-trading outpost there, until the departure of the Inuits in 1936. A new attempt to populate it was made at the beginning of the 1950s. Only a few buildings in ruins, vestiges of that time, remain today.
Day 14 - Sunday - Aug 25, 2024
| Cruising the Northwest Passage |
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At the far north of the American continent, in the most northerly part of the Arctic archipelago, the Northwest Passage is the shortest waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Its crossing has been coveted since the 15th century and Roald Amundsen was the first to do so in 1906. Blocked by thick ice floe for most of the year, to date only a lucky few have managed to sail from one side to the other. The crossing of this little-mapped and little-explored region is a challenge worthy of Le Commandant Charcot, which was designed to sail in extreme environments. Sheltered in its refined and protective setting, you will make the most of this exploration of the ice with the inimitable appeal of the first time: just like the first explorers, you will sail in its channels sculpted by glacial erosion and discover spectacular landscapes, made up of craggy terrain and monumental fjords. You will be able to measure the privilege of undertaking such an exploration in the light of the experience's rarity.
Day 15 - Monday - Aug 26, 2024
| Cruising the Northwest Passage |
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Day 16 - Tuesday - Aug 27, 2024
| Cruising the Northwest Passage |
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Exploring sea ice of Northwest Passage
Day 17 - Wednesday - Aug 28, 2024
| Mercy Bay, Northwest Territories, Canada |
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Day 18 - Thursday - Aug 29, 2024
On the edge of Beaufort Sea, in Canada's Northwest Territories, Sachs Harbour is the only settlement on Banks Island. In 1914, the schooner Mary Sachs of the Canadian Arctic Expedition dropped anchor at the then-uninhabited sand bar. Its Thule archaeological remains are evidence of a human presence dating back 500 years. Its traditional name Ikahuak ("where you go across") indicates seasonal visits, probably for setting fox traps. In around 1929, families of Inuvialuit trappers settled on this territory inhabited by musk oxen, caribou, and polar bears.
Day 19 - Friday - Aug 30, 2024
| Cruising the Northwest Passage |
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At the far north of the American continent, in the most northerly part of the Arctic archipelago, the Northwest Passage is the shortest waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Its crossing has been coveted since the 15th century and Roald Amundsen was the first to do so in 1906. Blocked by thick ice floe for most of the year, to date only a lucky few have managed to sail from one side to the other. The crossing of this little-mapped and little-explored region is a challenge worthy of Le Commandant Charcot, which was designed to sail in extreme environments. Sheltered in its refined and protective setting, you will make the most of this exploration of the ice with the inimitable appeal of the first time: just like the first explorers, you will sail in its channels sculpted by glacial erosion and discover spectacular landscapes, made up of craggy terrain and monumental fjords. You will be able to measure the privilege of undertaking such an exploration in the light of the experience's rarity.
Day 20 - Saturday - Aug 31, 2024
| Cruising the Northwest Passage |
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Exploring sea ice of Northwest Passage
Day 21 - Sunday - Sep 1, 2024
| Cruising the Beaufort Sea |
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Bordering the north coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Beaufort Sea was feared for centuries because of its extreme climatic conditions. Covered for most of the year with a thick layer of ice, and unexplored until 1914, this part of the Arctic Ocean, named in honor of the British Admiral Francis Beaufort, will reveal its magnificent icy landscapes to you. With a bit of luck, maybe you will cross the path of some polar bears, since the region is renowned for sheltering the Lord of the Arctic.
Day 22 - Monday - Sep 2, 2024
| Cruising the Beaufort Sea |
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Day 23 - Tuesday - Sep 3, 2024
| Cruising the Beaufort Sea |
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Exploring sea ice in Beaufort Sea
Day 24 - Wednesday - Sep 4, 2024
Spend exceptional moments sailing onboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans that the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.
Day 25 - Thursday - Sep 5, 2024
Located along the Bering Strait, Nome offers the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of magnificent wilderness. As you weave in and out of the brightly coloured houses, you will discover the pioneering legacy that still marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing... People here live from their manual labor. The surrounding plains provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna.
