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Insurmountable, extreme and captivating: this is the best way to describe the Weddell Sea, mostly frozen by a thick and compressed ice floe. It is a challenge and a privilege to sail on it, with its promise of exceptional landscapes and original encounters.
As you advance across this immense polar expanse, you will enter an infinite ice desert, a world of silence where there is nothing but calm and serenity.
To the northwest of the Weddell Sea, stretching along the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, stands an imposing ice shelf known as the Larsen Ice Shelf. An extension of the ice sheet onto the sea, this white giant is equally disturbing and fascinating, if only due to its colossal dimensions and the impressive table top icebergs - amongst the largest ever seen - that it generates.
This voyage will be an opportunity to come as close as possible to the Weddell Sea, a real refuge for wildlife.
We are privileged guests in these remote lands where we are at the mercy of weather, ice, tidal and current conditions. Landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the IAATO.
Ref : UUVE45 - O250322
Sail into the heart of the ice of the Weddell Sea, discovering the impressive Larsen Ice Shelf and its immense table top icebergs. Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables. Lectures and information...
Choose your stateroom
Choose your stateroom
Complete your trip
Included in your cruise
To make sure things run smoothly, PONANT has included certain elements before and after your cruise as part of the price.
Shore Excursions, Overlands & Pre/Post Programmes
To complete your voyage, PONANT can organise a range of shore excursions, pre & post cruise activities and packages, plus transfers.
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*Price is per person, double occupancy, is based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of cabin to which this price applies may no longer be available.
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For your serenity, PONANT has organized the following included programme for you, which starts the day prior to embarkation.
The day before embarkation – Santiago
Transfer from airport to PONANT selected hotel.
In order to organize your transfer, please inform your travel agent 60 days before departure:
- your flight number as well as your arrival time and day
OR
- your chosen pick-up location if not at the airport, within a 50-kilometer range of Santiago city centre
Meet and greet at the hotel by our local representative. Check-in from late morning.
Lunch on your own and time at leisure in the afternoon.
Dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.
Embarkation Day – Santiago/Ushuaia
A light morning breakfast will be served before leaving for the airport for your Santiago/Ushuaia flight.
Transfer to the airport.
Flight Santiago/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class.
Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
Approximate flight duration: 3 hours
Meet and greet at Ushuaia airport (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer to Le Commandant-Charcot.
Embarkation.
– Cruise on board your ship
Disembarkation Day – Ushuaia/Santiago
Disembarkation.
Meet and greet at the port (English-speaking assistance).
Transfer to the airport in time for check-in of the flight Ushuaia/Santiago selected by PONANT in economy class.
Approximate flight duration: 3 hours
Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
It is highly recommended to have an international inbound flight the day after PONANT selected flight.
Your programme includes:
Your hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
Seats in business class may be available, please contact your travel agent.
Your programme does not include:
Please note:
If case PONANT has not received your full flight details, services start at the hotel in time for check-in.
Programme is subject to change.
To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.
Services provided
Choose your stateroom category
Expedition programmes include activities such as Zodiac® outings and landings (sometimes with "wet landing"), moderate walks to more active hikes, all accompanied by your expedition team of naturalist guides.
Ports of call, visited sites, outings and landings will depend on weather conditions, position of ice, winds and the state of the sea. These can force a change of plans at any time. The Captain and the Expedition Leader may at any time cancel or stop any activity, or even modify the itinerary. The final itinerary will be confirmed by the Captain, who will take into account the touristic quality of the sites and above all, the safety of the passengers. His decision will be based on advice from experts and authorities.
Travelling to polar/isolated regions is an exhilarating experience in remote areas: please remember that you are far from modern hospitals with full medical facilities, thus evacuation is extremely expensive. Without adequate medical coverage, all expenses will have to be immediately paid with your personal funds. We urge you to subscribe to full coverage insurance, choose your insurance company very carefully, be extremely vigilant and ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive, especially if you are insured by your credit card. PONANT offers an insurance contract with extensive guarantees, please contact us for more information.
Clothing tips:
Accessories:
Do not hesitate to visit the online PONANT store which offers a selection of equipment and accessories adapted to our destinations, at the following address: https://boutique.ponant.com
Benefits of the PONANT store:
Ideal clothes for life on board:
During the days spent on board, you are advised to wear comfortable clothes or casual outfits. The entire ship is air-conditioned, so a light sweater, a light jacket or a shawl may be necessary. When moving about in the public areas of the ship and the decks, light but comfortable shoes are recommended.
Informal evening:
In the evening, you are advised to wear smart-casual attire, especially when dining in our restaurants where wearing shorts and tee-shirts is not allowed.
For women:
For men:
Officer’s evening:
Depending on the itinerary and the program of your cruise, an Officer’s Evening with a white dress code may be organized. Therefore, we encourage you to bring a stylish white outfit for the occasion (otherwise black and white).
Gala evening:
During the cruise, two gala evenings will be organised on board. Thus, we recommend that you bring one or two formal outfits.
For women:
For men:
SHOP:
A small shop is available on board offering a wide range of outfits, jewellery, leather goods and many accessories.
A laundry service (washing/ironing) is available on board, but unfortunately there are no dry cleaning services. For safety reasons, your cabin is not equipped with an iron.
INSULATED BASE LAYER:
WATERPROOF OUTER LAYER:
HEALTH CARE:
OUTFITS ON BOARD:
ACCESSORIES:
PONANT activities
Participative science
Le Commandant-Charcot is fitted with the most modern oceanographic equipment and all the facilities necessary to accompany a scientific team in its research. Guided by our naturalists and the team of scientists, you will thus have the opportunity to make a direct contribution to the global scientific effort. Helping scientists to set up a station on the ice floe, deploying an Argos marker buoy or taking water samples: thanks to simple protocols, you’ll be able to discover part of the scientific adventure in the polar regions and contribute to improving the knowledge of biodiversity, marine mammals or glaciology and better understand Climate/Ecosystem/Man interactions.
Hovercraft
Following the example of Le Commandant-Charcot, designed to sail to the edge of the poles, hovercraft, which work as well on land as they do on sea, will take you to the most hard-to-reach places. Their unique propulsion system will ensure that you can explore the ice floe in total safety, regardless of ice and weather conditions. They will drop you in the heart of the austral or boreal vastness, in the deafening silence specific to this extreme environment, and let you live out a dream of absolute escape.
Helium balloon
Thrill-seekers and fans of exceptional, romantic landscapes, lulled by suspended moments... A flight in a tethered hot air balloon, handled by professionals, will let you take to the skies to admire the infinite crystal-clear panoramas of the Arctic and the Antarctic from above. You will always remember, and with emotion, these summits touching the skies, this immaculate ice floe and these steep hillsides and serrated contours stretching out to the horizon. This will also be an opportunity to observe the ship at work in the vastness of its environment.*
*with limited places available
Kayaking - Le Commandant-Charcot
Glide on the clear waters or between the ice floes and get as close as possible to the immaculate nature of the poles. Supervised by licenced expert guides, you will try your hand in a kayak, a boat that has been favoured by the Inuits for at least 4,000 years. The kayak was initially used for hunting and fishing; for you, it will be a means of making the very most of your adventure on the White Continent or in the Far North.*
*with limited places available
Snowmobiles
Using comfortable, ultra-modern, electric snowmobiles, which are silent and meet the most stringent standards, you can access firm land from the ship in order to constantly discover new panoramas. This light and secure activity, accessible to all, will enable you to travel around safely, explore the polar expanses and become intoxicated by these grandiose landscapes, in the company of professional guides.
Polar diving
Diving in polar waters means an exceptional chance to admire an unusual landscape and to meet marine animals in their natural environment. Whether along an iceberg, meeting a magical world with a thousand and one shades of blue, or along a drop-off in search of anemone, soft coral, giant isopods… Diving will provide you with the unique opportunity to penetrate a unique and little-known world.*
*Optional
Hiking
During each shore landing, depending on the ecological resilience of the biome encountered, we will propose hikes at different levels, in the company of your experienced naturalist guides: from a simple stroll along the coast to walks lasting several hours to reach particular viewpoints or historical sites. When the itineraries allow it, you’ll put on snowshoes to set off, like the explorers of old, to discover areas that have barely known Man. In the Arctic, some excursions will be organised with sled dogs, the faithful companions of the Inuit. Trained to detect areas of thin ice and warn of the presence of bears, they will guide you and ensure your safety.
Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables
Aboard Le Commandant-Charcot, a fleet of 16 Zodiac® expedition dinghies will be used for outings and shore visits throughout the cruise. Getting closer to a glacier calving huge icebergs, setting foot on a sheet of ice floe, observing bears, seals, sea lions and penguins up close: so many unforgettable moments that very few people will ever have the chance of experiencing in these regions that are hostile to man and home to unique wildlife.
25 March 2022 Ushuaia
Embarkation 25/3/2022 from 16h00 to 17h00
Departure 25/3/2022 at 18h00
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…
26 March 2022 27 March 2022 Crossing the Drake Passage
Arrival 26/3/2022
Departure 27/3/2022
Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic. The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the Zodiac® outings. Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience. From the ship’s bridge, you will experience exceptional sailing moments before joining the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.
28 March 2022 South Shetland Islands
Arrival 28/3/2022
Departure 28/3/2022
On the edge of the Antarctic Peninsula, 120 km (70 miles) from the White Continent, the South Shetland Islands offer surreal and mysterious scenery. On these volcanic islands of dark rock, the landscapes alternate between long, jagged and snow-covered coast and large, gently sloping bays. These lunar and wild lands are home to important scientific research stations and a large number of animal species: chinstrap penguins, crabeater seals or Weddell seals, Antarctic terns, giant petrels and elephant seals have taken up residence here.
29 March 2022 North Antarctic Peninsula
Arrival 29/3/2022
Departure 29/3/2022
Throughout your time in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. You will sail through the Antarctic Sound, named after Swedish explorer Otto Nordenskjöld’s ship, which was trapped by the ice during an important scientific expedition in 1902. The gateway to the Weddell Sea, this sound is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and plates of sea ice drifting northward from the coastal areas of this vast sea. It is home to Adelie penguins and a great many leopard seals.
30 March 2022 The Weddell Sea
Arrival 30/3/2022
Departure 30/3/2022
Amid the eerie stillness of the Weddell Sea, wend your way through a labyrinth of dense ice floe and majestic table-top icebergs. Sweeping ice platforms sculpt a landscape unlike any other, populated by fur seals, penguins, wandering albatross and other remarkable seabirds. The Weddell seal – king of this realm – will welcome you to his territory with a haunting cry that pierces the surrounding silence. You can recognise him by his dark grey coat and spotted belly. Weddell seals have the impressive skill of being able to stay underwater for more than an hour.
31 March 2022 1 April 2022 Sailing toward Larsen Ice Shelf
Arrival 31/3/2022
Departure 1/4/2022
On the Weddell Sea, you will sail close to the gigantic Larsen ice shelves. These floating ice shelves help to prevent the erosion of the Antarctic ice sheet. Over the last fifty years, scientists have however observed regular collapses of these shelves, along giant cracks that can be several hundred kilometres long and deep. In 2017, a portion measuring more than 6,000 km2, so barely smaller than Corsica, had broken off the Larsen C ice shelf, forming one of the largest tabular icebergs in the world. This disintegration is believed to be due in part to global warming and melting sea ice.
2 April 2022 The Weddell Sea
Arrival 2/4/2022
Departure 2/4/2022
Amid the eerie stillness of the Weddell Sea, wend your way through a labyrinth of dense ice floe and majestic table-top icebergs. Sweeping ice platforms sculpt a landscape unlike any other, populated by fur seals, penguins, wandering albatross and other remarkable seabirds. The Weddell seal – king of this realm – will welcome you to his territory with a haunting cry that pierces the surrounding silence. You can recognise him by his dark grey coat and spotted belly. Weddell seals have the impressive skill of being able to stay underwater for more than an hour.
3 April 2022 4 April 2022 Crossing the Drake Passage
Arrival 3/4/2022
Departure 4/4/2022
If there is one place, one sea, one waterway dreaded by tourists, researchers and hardened seafarers alike, it is undoubtedly Drake Passage. Situated at the latitude of the infamous Furious Fifties winds, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, it is the shortest route to connect Antarctica to South America. Seasoned navigators will tell you that you must earn your visit to the White Continent! As the Antarctic convergence zone where cold currents rising up from the South Pole meet warmer equatorial water masses, Drake Passage harbours a very diverse marine fauna. Don't forget to look to the sky to catch a glimpse of elegant albatross and Cape petrels, playfully floating about in the wind around your ship.
5 April 2022 Ushuaia
Arrival 5/4/2022 early morning
Disembarkation 5/4/2022 at 07h00
Capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…
Polar Expedition
Realise your dream of adventure in the polar regions ! From your ship’s deck, aboard a Zodiac® inflatable or from land, discover the icy vastness and the fauna of Antarctica (humpback whales, seals, penguins and more) or the Arctic's fjords, glaciers and icebergs in shifting colours, not to mention the polar bears, the variety of wildlife and the special moments shared with the locals. Our team of naturalist guides share their knowledge with you during varied lectures about the fauna, the flora, the history of great explorations, geology and climatology. Thanks to its conscientiousness and to the responsible approach that is its hallmark, PONANT has been a leader and expert in cruises to these destinations for more than 20 years.
Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.
Day 1 – Ushuaia/Santiago
Meet and greet upon arrival of the flight Ushuaia/Santiago selected by PONANT by our local representative.
A private transfer will lead you to the Santiago by Mandarin Oriental Hotel 5*.
Lunch and afternoon at leisure.
Dinner included at the hotel.
Day 2 – Santiago
Breakfast followed by check-out.
A private transfer will lead you to the airport in time for your flight selected by Ponant.
Your hotel:
The Santiago by Mandarin Oriental Hotel 5* is located in the heart of the city’s most important commercial and leisure district, known as Las Condes, home to two luxury shopping malls, restaurants, museums and theatres. It is also close to the exclusive residential neighborhood of Vitacura. The new luxury accommodation, public areas and landscapes are redesigned to reflect local culture, with features inspired by Mandarin Oriental’s Asian heritage.
Your programme includes:
Your programme does not include:
Please note:
Contacts of your hotel:
Hôtel Santiago by Mandarin Oriental
Kenedy Avenue 4601, Las Condes
Santiago, CHILE, 756 0994.
Telephone: (+56 2) 29503088
To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.
Travellers are advised to check all the information with the authorities concerned prior to the departure date. CDP advises Travellers to consult the country factsheets relating to the chosen destinations. CDP specifically draws Travellers' attention to the fact that the information provided may change up until the departure date, and they are advised to consult that information up until the time of departure. CDP invites Travellers to adjust their behavior to the visited country, to exercise vigilance and to avoid carrying valuable objects during their travel.
Total : AU$590