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Explore the captivating Weddell Sea and experience the thrill of sailing through ice shelves, forming a seemingly endless expanse of turquoise and white. A unique opportunity to see a remote region, and breath in the quiet serenity of Antarctica. Come unfathomably close to the throngs of wildlife that take refuge in the Weddell Sea, under the guidance of expert guides and lecturers. Sail on an extravagant and modern luxury vessel, where every detail is taken care of.
- 38468
- Ocean
- 01 Dec 21
- Ushuaia
- Ushuaia
- Antarctica
- 02 Dec 21, 13 Mar 22, 24 Mar 22
- From 14Dec21 to 05Apr22
- 12 nights
- Ponant
- Multiple Cruiseships 5.5 - 6 stars
- Fly-Cruise
-
Ushuaia, South Shetland Islands, North Antarctic Peninsula, The Weddell Sea
Inclusions
- 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 sessions hosted by our naturalist-guides.
- Landscapes: alpine landscapes, table top icebergs, glaciers, ice floes.
- Wildlife: Weddell seals, crabeater seals and leopard seals, Adelie penguins, humpback whales, sea birds.
- Many included activities: Hovercraft, hot air balloon, snowmobiles.
Important Terms
- * Rates quoted are in Australian dollars.
- Prices shown are fully inclusive of taxes unless otherwise stated.
- Advertised price includes any bonus nights, special offers or discounts listed in the inclusions.
- Surcharges may apply due to demand, Christmas & New Year's Eve, school or public holidays, trade shows, special events & other unforeseen circumstances.
- Prices may be based on Dynamic Rates and as such, may fluctuate at anytime without notice, due to matters outside our control, such as adverse currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges, taxes and airfare increases, or at the property's discretion.
Departures & Rates
| Cabin Name/Category | From Price/person | |
|---|---|---|
| Prestige Stateroom Deck 6 | $19,520 | Book Now |
| Prestige Stateroom Deck 7 | $19,860 | Book Now |
| Prestige Stateroom Deck 8 | $20,180 | Book Now |
| Privilege Stateroom Deck 6 | $23,680 | Book Now |
| Privilege Stateroom Deck 7 | $24,520 | Book Now |
| Privilege Stateroom Deck 8 | $25,350 | Book Now |
| Prestige Suite Deck 7 | $32,000 | Book Now |
| Prestige Suite Deck 8 | $32,830 | Book Now |
| Privilege Suite Deck 6 | $34,490 | Book Now |
| Privilege Suite Deck 8 | $34,490 | Book Now |
| Suite Duplex | $47,800 | Book Now |
| Owner's Suite | $76,290 | Book Now |
* All prices quoted are PER PERSON in Australian Dollars and include taxes, fees and port expenses (if applicable). All prices quoted are for the cruise departing on 24Mar22. Prices for alternative departure dates may vary.
Included In Your Cruise
Overnight in Santiago + flight Santiago/Ushuaia + transfers + flight Ushuaia/Santiago
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 our travel specialists 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 speak to our travel specialists.
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 speak to our travel specialists.
It is highly recommended to have an international inbound flight the day after PONANT selected flight.
Your programme includes:
- Transfer from airport upon flight arrival or from your chosen pick-up location within a 50-kilometer range from Santiago city centre.
- 1-night accommodation in a 5* hotel the night before embarkation.
Your hotel will be confirmed few weeks before your cruise.
- Early check-in available from late morning.
- Hospitality desk at the hotel in Santiago.
- Return flight Santiago/Ushuaia/Santiago selected by PONANT, in economy class.
Seats in business class may be available, please speak to our travel specialists.
- Meals as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
- Transfers as mentioned in the programme.
Your programme does not include:
- Tips for the local guide.
- Personal expenses.
- Other meals and services not mentioned in the programme.
Please note:
- The local currency is the Chilean Peso. You will be able to make most of your purchases in USD (in small denominations) or by credit card, accepted in most hotels, shopping centres and boutiques. You will also be able to retrieve Pesos from the ATM’s.
- Summer season in Santiago: temperatures may be very hot, but often between 68 °F (20 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C).
- Summer season in Ushuaia: temperatures vary between 41 °F (5 °C) and 65 °F (15 °C)
- We recommend you wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
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 speak to our travel specialists; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.
*Rates are based on per person for two adults sharing. For solo travellers or single person occupancy rates, or other cabin types not listed, please contact our Travel Specialists for a quote.
Cabins
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6, 7 & 8
Area: 20 m²
Capacity: up to 2 passengers per cabin
- 5 m² private balcony
- Shower
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Privilege Stateroom Deck 6, 7 & 8
Area: 28 m²
Capacity: up to 3 passengers per cabin
- 5 m² private balcony
- Shower
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Prestige Suite Deck 7 & 8
Area: 40 m²
Capacity: up to 4 passengers per cabin
- 10 m² private balcony
- 2 Showers
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Privilege Suite 6
Area: 48 m²
Capacity: up to 4 passengers per cabin
- 12.5 m² private balcony
- Shower & Balneo bathtub
- Butler service
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Privilege Suite 8
Area: 48 m²
Capacity: up to 4 passengers per cabin
- 12.5 m² private balcony
- Shower & Balneo bathtub
- Butler service
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Suite Duplex
Area: 48 m²
Capacity: up to 4 passengers per cabin
- 26 m² private balcony with jacuzzi
- Shower & Balneo bathtub
- Butler service
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Owner’s Suite
Area: 114 m²
Capacity: up to 2 passengers per cabin
- 186 m² private balcony with jacuzzi
- Shower & Balneo bathtub
- Butler service
- Individually-controlled airconditioning
- Stateroom layout: king-size bed or twin beds – communicating staterooms available
- Minibar – 24hr room service
- Flat screen satellite TV
- Video on demand
- IPod™ docks
- Safe
- French bath products
- Dressing table with hairdryer
- Direct line telephone
- 110V American (two flat pins)/220V European (round sockets with two round pins)
- Internet access Wi-Fi
Itinerary
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
Amidst the eerie stillness of the Weddell Sea, you’ll wend your way through a veritable labyrinth of dense ice floe and majestic table icebergs. Sweeping ice platforms sculpt a landscape unlike any other, populated by fur seals, penguins, wandering albatross and other imposing seabirds. The Weddell seal, king of this realm, will welcome you to his territory with a haunting cry that pierces the surrounding silence. You’ll recognise him by his dark grey coat and spotted belly. Weddell seals have the impressive distinction 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
Amidst the eerie stillness of the Weddell Sea, you’ll wend your way through a veritable labyrinth of dense ice floe and majestic table icebergs. Sweeping ice platforms sculpt a landscape unlike any other, populated by fur seals, penguins, wandering albatross and other imposing seabirds. The Weddell seal, king of this realm, will welcome you to his territory with a haunting cry that pierces the surrounding silence. You’ll recognise him by his dark grey coat and spotted belly. Weddell seals have the impressive distinction 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…
Ship Info
Le Commandant-Charcot
Le Commandant Charcot is a luxury polar exploration ship operated by Ponant. This state-of-the-art ship was specifically designed for polar expeditions and offers an exceptional level of comfort and luxury for passengers. With a maximum capacity of just 270 passengers, the ship offers a spacious and intimate atmosphere for exploring the Arctic. Le Commandant Charcot features a range of onboard amenities, including multiple dining venues, a spa, fitness center, and panoramic observation lounge. The ship is equipped with advanced technology and features, including a hybrid propulsion system, ice-breaking capabilities, and a state-of-the-art scientific laboratory.
Expert naturalist guides lead excursions, including Zodiac cruises, hiking expeditions, and visits to local communities, allowing passengers to explore the Arctic’s stunning landscapes, wildlife, and cultures. The ship’s unique design and environmentally-friendly features minimize its impact on the environment, making it an excellent choice for those looking for a sustainable and responsible Arctic expedition experience.
Cruise Line
Ponant
PONANT was founded in 1988 by officers of the French Merchant Navy who launched France’s first cruise ship company. For over 30 years PONANT has combined exceptional itineraries to take their guests on cruise voyages that are simultaneously authentic and sophisticated. Their luxurious ships are smaller in stature and as such are able to visit less-frequented ports and little-known anchorages to offer immersive cruise experiences.
