Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot will achieve a world-first when it circumnavigates Antarctica in 2028.

Le Commandant Charcot in polar waters. — *Le Commandant Charcot* in polar waters. (Courtesy of Ponant/Ophelie Bleunven)

Been dreaming of that ultimate Antarctic adventure? For those with more than two months to spare, this epic voyage with Ponant might be just the ticket. At the height of the southern summer in 2028, the Marseille-based cruise line’s Le Commandant Charcot—the world’s first hybrid-electric polar exploration vessel—will embark on an 18,000-kilometer circumnavigation of the White Continent, a feat never before attempted by a luxury cruise ship. The expedition will depart the Argentinian port town of Ushuaia in January and sail westward through the Southern Ocean to reach Hobart 30 days later. After a stopover in the Tasmanian city, Le Commandant Charcot will head back to South America following the eastern coast of Antarctica—a leg that will take another 34 days. Jointly commanded by two of Ponant’s most experienced high-latitude navigators, the Polar Class 2–rated icebreaker will also provide a lux-urious passage, with 123 wood-paneled staterooms, a Nordic-chic spa, and the only Alain Ducasse restaurant at sea. Sales for this exclusive trip will open in December 2025; prices have yet to be announced.

ponant.com

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2025 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Breaking the Ice”). Buy a single issue or subscribe here.

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