Ponant

Luxury Cruises

Expedition Cruises

Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego)

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L'Austral

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Le Lyrial (Ponant)

Le Laperouse

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Le Champlain

Le Dumont d'Urville

Le Ponant

Le Commandant Charcot

Le Bellot

Le Jacques Cartier

90.0 North Once in a lifetime

The only ship of this capability and what an opportunity so we had to take advantage of it.  The following describes the actual experience we had.

Flight from Paris

We were offered the opportunity to pay to upgrade to business class and accepted it, the flight was supposed to leave at 10 a.m. but we did not leave the terminal, on a bus, to the plane until after 10:05.  We had to carry luggage up the stairs and when we boarded were told it was open seating, despite having received a seat assignment on our boarding pass.  This was fine as our boarding passes had us in row 22 and we were able to sit in row 8.   The plane was very nice, service from the crew was mostly very good.  The food was meh, but drinks were plentiful.  Despite leaving late we arrived about 20 minutes earlier than the scheduled flight time and quickly boarded a bus to take us to the tender.  The local people took care of retrieving our checked baggage.  It was cold and windy when we got off the bus after a roughly 7-minute trip and there was no tender waiting.  We stood around for over 10 minutes until one of the expedition team came and called the bridge to send over a tender with another 5 minute wait.  This was a major fail on the part of Ponant, the tender should have been waiting for the bus.  

Embarkation

Upon arriving at the ship a gentleman insisted on bringing my carry-on bags up the gangway, although no one took my wife’s bags which were heavier than mine.  We went to reception, turned in the paper forms we had printed out and filled in, handed over our passports, submitted credit card info, and were given room keys.  We went to our suite and unpacked the carry-on bags, and then took a brief tour of the ship and got to know two of the bartenders when we stopped for a drink.  When we returned to our suite the room attendant was just delivering our checked bags.  There was no welcome bottle of champagne in the room and the wine we asked for was not present.  

At approximately 6:10 p.m. we were told to report to the theater for the muster drill.  We have sailed 25 times prior and this was the longest muster drill, with English and French being alternating and discussions about what should happen if we had to abandon the ship along with videos.  As we looked around the room we noticed both French and English speakers were in the minority as there were a large number of passengers from mainland China and Tawain present.  

Afterwards we went for a pre-dinner cocktail and then dinner at NUNA which is a cooperation with Alain Ducasse, which has a very limited menu.  During the cruise we would mostly dine at NUNA, the food was good but the first night my fish main course was just barely warm.  

The second day was a sea day, not yet in the ice until around 5 p.m.  Attended a presentation by the Captain and the expedition leader, now given in 3 languages due to a large contingent of Chinese speaking passengers on-board.  So presentations are very long due to having someone say the same thing 3 times (although the French one always seems longer so wonder if we are missing out on something).  Lunch at the buffet restaurant SILA was not very good, dried out lamb although sauce was tasty, no dishes that were more than barely warm.   Dinner was back at NUNA and good but other than my soup food was just warm, not hot.  

Monday was another sea / ice day and we woke up to crashing thru the ice.  Coffee at the Observation bar and then a breakfast at the buffet which was just OK.  Expected better croissants given this is a French line, eggs just warm not hot.  Seeing a recurring theme here?  

Tuesday was another full day of travelling thru the ice, we and many others spent time out on the decks watching the ship navigate the ice, seeing the cracks that form, listening to the sounds made, and in awe of the colors of the broken-up ice.  It was an amazing time.

We arrived at 90.0.0 North at 6:17 p.m. on Wednesday.  There was a celebration out on deck 6 which is the helicopter pad.  At about 6:30 the elevator that brings the helicopter up and down opened up and accompanied by the saxophonist came several officers with glasses of champagne and caviar. The Captain posed for pictures with the pax and a sign with the coordinates of the North Pole.  Afterwards we all went to dinner and the Captain repositioned the ship into a large and stable ice floe.  We were then offered the chance after dinner to walk on the ice which almost everyone did.  However, the time was cut short when a female polar bear appeared and we were quickly hustled back on-board.  The bear hung around for 45 minutes or so with everyone taking pictures and videos of it.  

Thursday we were allowed to get off again and there were various options including skis, snowshoes, the survival tent had been setup, walking poles were available, a sled created by the carpenter was available for pulling someone on, etc.  After lunch was the polar plunge which was well attended.  (My wide did it but I did not as a recent EGK was required to participate and I did not bring a copy.)  At 6 p.m. we set sail back to Svalbard with several stops and then to Greenland.

The next 2 days were again spent in the ice.  Food continued to be mostly good to very good, soups usually hot, mains sometime hot other times just warm.  

The actual itinerary turned out to look nothing like what was in the original description, which was fine just went into it with a different expectation.  Expedition team were all friendly, some more than others, but all that we encountered were very knowledgeable.   Lindsey, who was our zodiac driver on 2 occasions, was very well versed in multiple topics.  It was said multiple times during the first couple of days that the actual itinerary would be subject to various factors, although mostly weather, which is totally understandable.   However, I for one, would have appreciated if they at least conveyed where and what they hoped to do over the course of a few days just for better planning of my days.  When we disembarked Joel, who we know from a different cruise line when we sailed to Antarctica, was there to assist with our luggage to the taxi.

Suites

The suites are very modern in design, we had a Deluxe Suite which is 301 sq feet with a very comfortable bed and a verandah with 2 chairs and a table.  The layout could be better, while it has a very nice large shower, there is a only single sink.  There is no walk-in closet and very limited space, IMO, given this ship is all about expeditions, for drying wet clothes.  There is a typical bar fridge, although only stocked with mini-bottles of spirits.  There is also a Nespresso coffee machine – which we never used.  There is a couch and a table but only 1 chair which presents some issues if one wants to order room service.

Pros

Very impressive ship as far as the cutting-edge technology; a walking track on deck 5 the entire length of the ship; excellent crew – super attentive and not a single one you wanted to avoid; open bridge policy; the tenders are the nicest and most comfortable we have ever been on; the bread – except for the croissants – is wonderful (from someone who bakes their own bread); soups – with ironically the exception of French onion – were all very tasty and usually served hot; mains were usually very good sometimes arrived hot but more often warm.  Wine glasses usually refilled at meals before they are empty.  Suite attendant was mostly unseen but typically the room was refreshed within an hour of us putting on the makeup room light and every time we saw him he wanted to insure we were completely satisfied.  Wonderfully large and plush bath towels.  The bar on deck 9 is welcoming and offers great views.  We liked that during the day various single musicians play in different venues (reminded us of Crystal).  Nothing was ever a problem for the crew to do for you.

Cons

No self-serve guest laundry.  We do not want to do laundry on a cruise but it would be nice to have the ability to throw wet clothes into a dryer after a zodiac ride.  Limited choice of menu in Nuna, surprised no option for a hamburger or sandwiches at lunch in Nuna.  Briefings and other presentations done in French and English (not a problem we expected this) but the Chinese translator sometimes talking so loudly in the theater that we can’t hear the main presenter.   Only 2 choices of included white and red wines plus one Rose.  Good cheese selection but no port wine to accompany them included.  (Flight home on BA to Las Vegas had better wines and a port).  Upcharges for many drinks.  Some announcements are difficult to understand given the accent of the Captain when speaking in English.  Told there would be an envelope in our suite for gratuities for the crew.  At the price point we paid gratuities should have been included.  Totally did not like the fact that no map of the itinerary nor cruise video were included, you could BUY them – sorry but this is inexcusable IMO.  When we went to Antarctica, on a different line, everyone received a video of the cruise.  Here you could pay from 70 to 270 or more Euros for pictures / videos.  Picture meeting the captain on not so formal night: 7 Euros.  Total lack of adherence to the dress code by 95% of the pax.   Also there was very little recognition of people by name, only a few crew, mostly bar waiters, called us by name but only because they asked us our names.  No officer addressed us by name which when only 199 pax you think they could learn a few names.  

Take away

Would we sail on Ponant again?  Lots of excellent things, from the capability of the ship to the crew and the mostly very good food.  We only did this cruise due to the unique itinerary and a future Ponant would have to be totally unique and something we are interested in, right now there is only one.

Progreso

I notice that none of the other reviews talk about money. I'm therefore assuming this ship and itineraries are for people seeking to explore certain destinations and will pay whatever it takes to do so.

In that case I would echo the other excellent reviews.

However, almost everyone I spoke to on this 2 day ship visit, said that they had a great time, but they really had to think about if they wanted to spend so much money. Even people who seemed wealthy have to think about it.

Cruises, including 5 star lines range from £100-£150 a night. Le Commandant Charcot prices range from £1000-£1500 per night. Whilst I would happily pay double that of a 5 star cruise line. I don't think I would pay 10 times the price.  

Regarding the dining, I would say it was excellent, but comparable to a 5 star cruise at a fraction of the price. In fact my experience in the blue restaurant on the £200 a night celebrity Aqua class was superior to this.  

If you want the north Pole at any cost. This is the ship for you. If you want a great value expedition cruise - shop around.

Fantastic Ship if money is no object

Superb Antarctic navigation aboard La Commandant Charcot leaving from  Ushuaia through Drakes Passage, tracking west along Antarctica from Marguerite Bay to Cape Adare and then up to Lyttelton, NZ

Captain Devorsine & Expedition Leader Kuyper went out of their way to provide an exceptional Antarctic experience including navigation along the Ross Ice Shelf, navigation through ice floes, expeditions on fast ice & continental Antarctica to experience the landscape & wildlife and, to the extent conditions allowed, visits to historic sites 

Not all passenger bucket list items could be achieved due to weather conditions. Negative passenger comments in this regard should be discounted. Too often complaining passengers ignored the ample warnings before & during the cruise that what can be done & experienced is dependent on weather & sea conditions. Adverse conditions may mean desired experiences cannot be done without comprising passenger & crew safety. These passengers may not care for their own safety but I very much appreciated this Captain & Leaders’ respect for a harsh & unforgiving environment & their insistence on the primacy of passenger/crew safety

It should also be noted this is not cruising that is recommended for passengers with mobility issues. While the crew tried to accommodate such passengers as best they could, there is a limit to what is achievable in this environment. Those prone to sea sickness should also be prepared for days when they will suffer (even with anti sea sickness medications). I  am such a passenger but regard this as a small price to pay for the experience of a lifetime 

Also to be commended was the exceptional on board service & cuisine. The latter is very much attuned to European tastes. Americans seem to find the cuisine more challenging even though their obsession for burgers & fries is catered for by the chefs. Particularly noteworthy are the French pastries & breads produced on board. Astoundingly, at the end of 4 weeks (without being able to re-provision), the kitchen was still serving fresh lettuce (something most cruise ships can’t do after 2weeks!)

Finally, a big shoutout to all the officers, ship crew, expedition crew & scientists on board. They did an exceptional job given they were ship bound for 4 weeks (albeit crew were rightly able to join in landings if shifts allowed). They maintained a high & friendly standard of service for the entire voyage even when the swell was 10m high & the wind gusting over 100km/hr (which is no mean feat)

Bravo Ponant - a fantastic cruise

Exceptional Experience of a Lifetime 

Rarotonga

Launched in 2021, Le Commandant Charcot is a Polar Class 2 rated icebreaker. It is a 245-passenger, 31,300-ton cruising vessel with high quality interiors. It is French, chic, the service is smooth, and passengers are well-heeled, experienced and predominantly elder travellers.

As of 2022, Le Commandant Charcot is the only PC2 rated ship in service. Note that the strongest Canadian Coastguard icebreakers to date, are PC3 rated. The vessel is capable of breaking up to 2.5m thick multi-year ice, reaching remote polar destinations. She features a 52,000hp hybrid power plant powered by LNG, and 5 MWh electric batteries. The ship carries 2 helicopters for reconnaissance and is amazingly quiet.

We choose Le Commandant Charcot for its off-the-beaten-track itinerary and most of all for the North West Passage. We called at Greenland’s South coast and at different islands of North Canada Nunavut. On the Beaufort Sea we landed on multiyear sea-ice. From Reykjavik to Nome we sailed 4,400 NM equivalent to 8,134 km.

On board 16 Zodiacs ferry passengers across to remote shores. We found the staff very capable and the excursion staff of young scientists, marine biologists & naturalists very knowledgeable. Surprisingly the hotel director is treating highly qualified non-French excursion staff as servants, while privileging French staff.

Our cabin was nicely furnished and decorated, with a comfortable king bed, desk & couch, club-chair & table, flat screen TV, balcony with chairs & table, bathroom with washbasin & relatively spacious shower, separate toilet, wardrobe & safe, Nespresso coffee & tea facility, mini bar replenished daily and included in the open bar policy.

On deck 3 there is an excursion staff briefing room and on port & starboard you find an excursion lounge and a retractable zodiac landing platform. For Arctic and Antarctic voyages Ponant provides a parka and lends you good rubber boots. The boots exchange in the excursion lounge is highly impracticable and time consuming. The hotel director considers a 5-star appearance more important than a practical expedition service. He doesn’t allowed  passengers to place their boots before their cabins doors.

On deck 5 you find: reception & lobby; theatre; cigar lounge; lounge & bar; shop with designer labels; and the formal restaurant. At deck 9: comfy outside pool & bar; gym; lovely spa with pool, sauna, snow-room, detox-bar & beauty parlour; and a pleasant casual restaurant.

Both restaurants are open sitting and nicely appointed, the waiting staff very efficient and correct. The vessel has an open bar policy that includes drinks, apéritif, some cocktails, champagne, digestif, and wines - with the exception of the grand crus, exclusive drinks and cocktails. The wine list is impressive and top wines are on display at the right temperature and available at the restaurant on deck 5.

Dress code is smart casual with a couple of extra-smart nights although no rules are laid down. Passengers often go chic and we advise ladies to pack a cocktail dress and some heels for the smarter nights. There's no requirement for men to pack jackets and ties, although most men wear blazers on the smart nights. 

Numerous activities, from gymnastics in the morning, lectures in the afternoon to a piano concert or a show at night in the theatre. At sea the ship has an open bridge policy. Food is French cuisine and outstanding. The formal restaurant offers cuisine designed by 3-Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse. The casual restaurant offers an excellent buffet. For suites there is a butler service. At the restaurant the French tone of course is prevalent. All officers are French, the crew a mixture of Filipino and Indonesian, and all English speaking.

We had a great voyage sailing the North West Passage. Starting from Reykjavik we sailed the Denmark Strait, followed the 100km long Prince Christian Sound in South Greenland and sailed the Davis Strait. Subsequently we sailed the Hudson Strait, Fury & Hecla Strait, Bellot Strait, Byam Martin Canal, Parry Canal, M’Clure Strait, the Beaufort Sea and Bering Strait.

 

We visited remote places like Aappilattoq, Glacier Grinnell, Pointe Enukso, Cape Dorset, Monte Oliver, Fort Ross, Beechey Island, Maxwell Bay, Radstock Bay, Prince Patrick Island, Sachs Harbor and Nome.

Overall Le Commandant Charcot is a beautiful polar ship with a most impressive ice-breaking capability, no casino, no rowdy teenagers and an overload of wealthy boomers.

North West Passage

Incredible ship from top to bottom.  I have done Silversea and Regent and this is ABSOLUTELY my favorite and the most comfortable ship I have ever been on.  Entertainment mostly consisted of lectures and they had an absolutely fabulous crew of lecturers.  In addition, there was a couple who did opera who were superb and the best violinist I have evere seen play.  The food was, by far, the best I have ever had on any ship.  The staff was friendly and extremely attentive but was not in any way pretentious.  The detox bar was amazing and always made my fruit smoothies exactly the way I liked them (and with gogi berries - yum)!  Nuna - what can I say about that restaurant and the food - my god.  Incredible from top to bottom.  The ship was extremely elegant and contemporary.  I was on a Scenic river cruise, which had that tacky look to it.  This was clean and contemporary!  Everything about this ship is beyond amazing and we went to the geographic North Pole thanks to my awesome travel agent and friend.  This ship is like nothing else out there - just plain wow!

Just wow!

To the Ross Sea and Beyond

We are now one week into the cruise and I’m sorry to say that it doesn’t live up to its promotion. 

On the positive side, the ship and its equipment are outstanding. The same goes for the cabins, the restaurants, bars, and all the people working there.

What’s bad is that expectations fostered by Ponant are not met: this maiden voyage was promoted as a uniquely adventurous expedition going all the way down to the Emperor Penguins. This promotion was misleading: as it turned out, at this time of the year, even an icebreaker cannot reach the areas where the Emperor Penguins abound. As a result, the cruise went as far as ordinary Antarctic cruises go in summer, and we saw only a couple of lonely Emperor Penguins and little other wild life. 

To make things worse, both the cruise director and captain seem to be unaware of the most basic rule of customer service. They fail to communicate candidly, structured and comprehensively. Instead, the cruise director offers lengthy exculpations while the swaggering captain indulges in euphemistic, rambling speeches. All this is exacerbated by a large but evidently inexperienced expedition crew that creates a chaos out of every zodiac outing. Given the fact that only 122 passengers are on board, I wonder how passengers will fare when the ship is loaded to its capacity of 245.

Boredom in Supreme Comfort

Le Commadant Charcot is a beautiful ship: conceived by a star designer, it is pure luxury both inside and outside.

Moreover, it is uniquely capable. Powered by the latest hybrid technology, it achieves the highest icebreaking class except for the Russian nuclear-powered behemoths. 

In short, it is the ultimate icebreaker for luxury expedition cruises. Unfortunately, its potential has been wasted, at least at the maiden voyage we experienced. This voyage was advertised as “The Emperor Penguins of Bellinghausen Sea”. 

What actually happened was that we merely touched the Bellinghausen Sea before the captain turned back, offering a cruise that any of Ponant’s Boreal class ships could have done. 

What a waste! Le Commandant Charcot has superb icebreaking and bad weather capabilities, but the captain avoids both. It has two helicopter berths that would enable unprecedented scenic flights and passenger transfers to otherwise inaccessible places, but Ponant has decided against helicopters, obviously fearing the wroth of environmentalists. What hypocrites they are at Ponant! This ship requires a multiple of power & fuel compared to the other Ponant ships with equal passenger capacity: the Boreal class ships are 3 times lighter, have half the draft and 6 times less power! What difference do a few flights with helicopters make in this context? Please, Ponant, use this ship’s capabilities and strip it of its green fig leaves. Wake up the sleeping beauty!

Sleeping Beauty

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