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15/16 Nights The Geographic North Pole
  • 15/16 Nights The Geographic North Pole

    $42,800.00Price

    Push the boundaries of navigation and set sail for 90 degrees North! During this exceptional polar exploration, you will go in search of the mythical Geographic North Pole. Head slowly up through the desert landscapes of the constantly changing ice floe. Your odyssey will continue as you travel down along Greenland, amidst the ice of the Transpolar Drift. Between majestic fjords and encounters with the Inuit culture, the region of Ittoqqortoormiit is rich in rare treasures holding inestimable value.

     

    Aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the only cruise ship able to rise to this challenge, you will make your way towards the North Pole, which is inaccessible to traditional ships. A slow and humble journey awaits you in the heart of a silent world frozen by the extreme cold. You will sail among different states and forms of ice and will be able to admire, from the reassuring cocoon of the ship, the endless show of the light as it reflects on the opalescent landscapes. Following in the wake of Frederick Cook, Robert Edwin Peary or Roald Amundsen, who were among the many to fight to achieve this elusive goal, you will be part of the few chosen ones to dare the adventure, 700 km (435 miles) from any land. And in their footsteps, you will attempt to reach the Holy Grail of all polar explorers: the North Pole!

     

    Sailing back down from the Pole, your odyssey will follow the ice floes along Greenland. You will reach the region of Ittoqqortoormiit, on the East coast. The eponymous village is located at the entrance to Scoresby Sound, the world’s largest network of fjords. You will discover the village customs during privileged exchanges mixed with joyful and authentic moments. Inuit hospitality is no myth, it is given in the warmth of a look or an exchanged smile.

     

    Amidst these extreme and isolated panoramas, the polar adventure reserves unsuspected emotions for the humble and patient explorer, one who is conscious of their privilege.

    Early Bird Specials -

     

    • Up to 30% Off Bonus Offer (reflected in the prices)
    • No Single Supplement on Sep 26 2024 departure (subject to availability)
    • Single supplement fee starts from $9,749 for Jul 11 2024 departure (subject to availability)
    • Exclusive Onboard Credit of $100 per person from Polar Dream Travel
    • $300 Welcome Bonus Offer for first time cruisers. 5% - 12.5% discount for customers who have travelled on L'Austral, Le Bellot, Le Boreal, Le Commandant Charcot, Le Lyrial & Le Soleal. Please call for details.

     

    Please click "Prices and Departures" tab above for departure dates, cabin types and price details.

     

     

     

    Day 1  LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN

    Embarkation from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
    Departure at 6:00 PM

     

    Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.

     

    Day 2 AT SEA ALONG SPITSBERGEN

     

    The largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, its name meaning “pointed mountains” in German, Spitsbergen is the last piece of land before the Arctic ice floe. Aboard your ship, you will sail along the extremely spectacular coastline of this icy land. Between millennial glaciers and rugged mountains, you will discover a jagged coastline, hollowed-out by fjords. A unique setting, the refuge of a particularly rich avifauna, offering you the possibility of taking fabulous photographs from the deck of your ship.

     

    Day 3-7 SAILING ICE FLOES

    Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

     

    Day 8 GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE

    Defined by a 90° North latitude, the Geographic North Pole lies on the Earth’s rotational axis, at the intersection of all meridians. Plunged into darkness for six months of the year, then lit by the sun for the following six months, this mythical site, permanently covered in ice and remote from any land, has fascinated generations of explorers. So far, only a very few people have ever reached it: an exploit which is now accessible to you aboard the Commandant-Charcot.

     

    Day 9-10 SAILING ICE FLOES

    Enjoy the absolutely unique experience of sailing to the heart of the ice floe, this vast expanse of virgin, immaculate ice. The landscapes are constantly changing, shifting from a smooth, flat wilderness to a chaos of ice, then to channels of open water. Your ship will sail along these naturally open channels and through the areas where the frozen layer is thinnest, offering you the chance to experience magic maritime moments in the midst of drifting sea ice. It will also often be an opportunity to see a particular kind of fauna, totally dependent on the ice floe.

     

    Day 11 At Sea

     

    Day 12 Sailing Ice Floes Along Greenland

    The north-east of Greenland is renowned for being home to one of the oldest and thickest layers of ice on the planet. Aboard your ship, you will have the unique opportunity of sailing to the heart of this icy wilderness, many thousands of years old, and will travel along one of the world's most isolated coasts, between drifting ice and blue icebergs.

     

    Day 13 Scoresby Sound

    Covering an area of 13,700 km2 (5,290 mi2), Scoresby Sound is the largest and deepest fjord system in the world. Named after the explorer and whale hunter William Scoresby, who mapped the region in 1822, it opens onto the Greenland Sea to the north of the Blosseville Coast. This wild and desert region offers untouched panoramas of infinite beauty, with high snow-capped peaks rising tall alongside icebergs immersed in clear, blue-tinged waters. Rode Fjord and its cliffs coloured red by iron ore provide a fascinating setting you will not want to miss. Discovering these stunning places in the wake of great explorers like Captain Charcot, who was deeply attached to the land of the Inuit, inspires a profound reverence.

     

    Day 14 Ittoqqortoormiit Region

    On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of isolated scenery and exploring the beauty of its landscapes. The high alpine mountains stand out in the sky, revealing dark rock edges. The region is home to the longest fjord system in the world, Scoresby Sound. On the edge of the fjord, the eponymous village is considered one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. The colourful houses, so typical of Greenland, dot the landscape with small red, yellow and blue patches that stand out against the surrounding arid landscape. Immersing yourself in this region will allow you to discover the ancestral way of life of the last hunters of the polar region. This will be a veritable deep-dive into the lives of the Arctic’s inhabitants.

     

    Day 15 At Sea

     

    Day 16 Denmark Strait

    Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the Red’s expeditions. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. 

     

    Day 17 Reykjavik

    Arrival early morning
    Disembarkation at 7:00 AM

     

    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. 

     

     

    Note: Above itinerary is for Jul 26 2024 & Sep 26 2024 departures. For Jul 11 2024 departure, it is a round trip from Longyearbyen (optional package of $2500 pp including one night hotel in Oslo, and round trip flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen). All 2025 departures, it will be a 15 nights round trip from Longyearbyen with charter flights between Paris and Longyearbyen included.

     

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