This report includes information on our February 15—March 12, 2022, “Ross Sea” expedition cruise on the Le Commandant Charcot with Ponant. Although we had taken a “drive by” cruise of the Antarctic Peninsula in 2007 on the Golden Princess and explored “Beyond the Polar Circle” in 2020 on the Le Soléal with Ponant, this expedition offered the opportunity to experience much more of the Antarctic region and to travel where few others have ever been able to venture.

Unfortunately, poor weather, high seas, and heavy ice conditions resulted in extensive modifications to our scheduled itinerary and reduced the number of landings and Zodiac cruises we were able to make. Nevertheless, we voyaged much farther west than we had anticipated (McMurdo Sound), set a new world record for the farthest point south ever reached by ship (Bay of Whales), and viewed historical sites (Ross Island) that we never expected to see. We saw three types of penguin (emperor, Adélie, gentoo), six types of seal (fur, elephant, crabeater, Weddell, leopard, Ross), three types of whale (blue, humpback, minke), three types of orcas (Types A, B, and C), and vast numbers of seabirds including albatrosses, skuas, gulls, and petrels. This was another fantastic wildlife-viewing experience! And due to the expedition nature of the cruise, we were completely happy (even enthusiastic) about the new itinerary.

EXPEDITION ITINERARY: ROSS SEA 26 DAYS/25 NIGHTS (1 NIGHT SANTIAGO, 24 NIGHTS ONBOARD) Read more