In the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot
16 Days - Le Commandant Charcot
Your journey aboard Le Commandant Charcot will begin with your first look at this strikingly elegant ship, capable of navigating our planet’s most extreme environments. You are about to begin an adventure that will lead you to the edges of the Earth, on the continent that no people have ever inhabited, the Antarctic. But while these lands belong to no one, they have been the theatre of the greatest expeditions and have proven the heroism exemplified by certain men. From the Antarctic Peninsula to the Bellingshausen Sea and its unknown islets, Le Commandant Charcot will humbly take you on a 15-day exploration of the Far South, in the wake of the legendary man to whom it owes its name.
from USD $23013pp
Prices displayed after discount
Home » 16 Day Le Commandant Charcot: In the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot
Itinerary Highlights
- Cross the Arctic Circle and the exploratory approach of the distant Charcot Island.
- Conferences and information meetings on board with our passionate experts, specialists in the fauna, flora and history of the polar regions.
- Landscapes: immense glaciers, monumental icebergs, immersion in the heart of the ice floes.
- Wildlife: Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins; leopard, crabeater and Weddell seals; humpback, Minke whales and orcas, and the possibility of observing emperors penguins and Ross seals.
Itinerary in Brief
- Day 1: Santiago
- Day 2: Santiago - Ushuaia/Embarkation
- Day 3-4: Crossing the Drake Passage
- Day 5: Crossing the Antarctic Circle
- Day 6: The Gullet
- Day 7-8: Expedition to Charcot Island
- Day 9: Bellingshausen Sea
- Day 10: Marguerite Bay
- Day 11: Pourquoi Pas Island
- Day 12-13: Antarctic Peninsula
- Day 14-15: Crossing the Drake Passage
- Day 16: Ushuaia

Day 1: Santiago
On your first day, a representative will be waiting for your arrival to ensure a smooth transfer and assist you with your check-in at your hotel and settle into your room. In the evening, explore the local area around your hotel.
Day 2: Santiago - Ushuaia/Embarkation
But first, a delicious breakfast is in order to fuel your adventures ahead. The excitement of embarking on another adventure is palpable as you settle into your seat and prepare for your flight to Ushuaia. On arrival you will transfer to the port for embarkation before your departure at 6pm.
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…
Day 3-4: Crossing the Drake Passage
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. You will experience exceptional sailing moments on board and join the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.
Day 5: Crossing the Antarctic Circle
Weather permitting, we'll cross the mythic line of the Antarctic Polar Circle, located along 66°33’ south of the Equator. This iconic area demarcates the point from which it is possible to view the midnight sun during the December solstice. Within this circle, the sun remains above the horizon for 24 consecutive hours at least once a year. Crossing this line, an experience known to few people, is sure to be an unforgettable highlight of your cruise through the polar regions.
Day 6: The Gullet
The sumptuous landscapes of this narrow channel between Adelaide Island and Graham Land attract all visitors sailing towards Marguerite Bay. It is like an ice palace, its immaculate white walls reflected in the frozen mirror formed by the waters of the Southern Ocean, scattered with icebergs and gleaming blocks of ice. This passage was explored for the first time by the Jean-Baptiste Charcot expedition in 1909, which sketched its position. It was then surveyed in 1936 by the British expedition under John Rymill. It is here in this magical setting that some of the first subaquatic images of the Antarctic were shot during Philippe Cousteau’s four-month expedition to Antarctica between 1972 and 1973.
Day 7-8: Expedition to Charcot Island
When he discovered this island surrounded by sea ice in 1910 from aboard the Pourquoi Pas ? as he mapped Alexander Island, Jean-Baptiste Charcot had not be able to get less than 40 miles away from it. Situated in a zone that experiences frequent low-pressure systems and regular cloud cover, the island remains in many ways an enigma. It is entirely covered in ice and sheer cliffs, with the exception of the rocky outcrops extending over a dozen kilometres in the far north-west. The ice in the narrowest part of Wilkins Sound has been cracking in recent times, thus officially detaching this island from its neighbour, Alexander Island, lying 50 km away. Very few people have landed on this largely untouched island, whose waters attract numerous seabirds, such as petrels, Antarctic terns and skuas.
Day 9: Bellingshausen Sea
Stretching from the west of the Antarctic Peninsula to the Amundsen Sea, the Bellingshausen Sea was named after the Russian admiral and explorer who has been attributed the first confirmed sighting of mainland Antarctica, in 1820. Among others, its waters surround two of the Antarctic’s largest islands: Alexander Island and Thurston Island. You will explore this sea amid ice floe, blocks of sea ice and majestic icebergs. The coastal areas along the Bellingshausen Sea are also renowned as the home of colonies of emperor penguins. Depending on the month of the southern summer, you will perhaps be lucky enough to observe isolated adults, adolescents seeking emancipation or recently independent new adults.
Day 10: Marguerite Bay
The icebergs are each more majestic than the next and scattered around the deep and intense blue waters of Marguerite Bay, one of the most beautiful regions in the Antarctic. It is delimited in the north by the mountainous Adelaide Island, in the south by George VI Sound and Alexander Island, and in the east by the Fallières Coast. Charcot named it after his wife during his second expedition to the Antarctic between 1908 and 1910. In 1909, in the southern summer when the skies are at their clearest, he led an important scientific mission to map and study this region. The bay is home to a number of cetaceans and you may get the chance to observe leopard seals or Adelie penguins.
Day 11: Pourquoi Pas Island
Le Commandant Charcot will land on the coast of Pourquoi Pas Island, so named in the 1930s by John Riddoch Rymill in honour of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, who discovered it from aboard his ship Le Pourquoi Pas ? during his second expedition to Antarctica between 1908 and 1910. This mountainous island, situated in the north of Marguerite Bay between Graham Land and Adelaide Island, is 28 km long and 14 km large. It is scattered with narrow fjords and snow-covered mountains. You will go to shore in a zodiac dinghy with your expedition team and you could get the chance to observe Adelie penguins going about their business on the island’s rocky shores.
Day 12-13: Antarctic Peninsula
Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.
Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest zodiac outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.
Day 14-15: Crossing the Drake Passage
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.
Day 16: Ushuaia
Today is the final day of your journey. Before disembarking, we invite you to enjoy an early morning breakfast before transferring to Ushuaia airport for your flight to Santiago.
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…
Dates | Cabin | From | Special Offer |
---|---|---|---|
12 Dec 2023 - 27 Dec 2023 | USD $23013pp | ||
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6 | USD $23013pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Stateroom Deck 7 | USD $23420pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Stateroom Deck 8 | USD $23827pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 6 | USD $24440pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 7 | USD $25467pp | Contact us | |
Deluxe Suite Deck 8 | USD $26280pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Suite Deck 7 | USD $33240pp | Contact us | |
Prestige Suite Deck 8 | USD $34267pp | Contact us | |
Grand Prestige Suite Deck 6 | USD $35293pp | Contact us | |
Privilege Suite Deck 8 | USD $37340pp | Contact us | |
Suite Duplex | USD $50653pp | Contact us |
**Prices are per person based on twin / shared accommodation.
**Single supplements may apply
Cabin Details
Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
20 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Stateroom Deck 7
20 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Stateroom Deck 8
20 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Deluxe Suite Deck 6
28 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Deluxe Suite Deck 7
28 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Deluxe Suite Deck 8
28 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Suite Deck 7
40 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with 2 showers and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Prestige Suite Deck 8
40 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with 2 showers and French bath products, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Privilege Suite Deck 8
48 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler service, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European sockets, WiFi internet access
Grand Prestige Suite Deck 6
42 metres-squared, private balcony, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler service, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European sockets, WiFi internet access
Suite Duplex
48 metres-squared, private balcony, jacuzzi, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod dock, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European sockets, WiFi internet access
Owner's Suite
114 metres-squared, private balcony with jacuzzi, private bathroom with shower and bathtub, butler service, individually-controlled air conditioning, minibar, television, iPod docks, safety deposit box, French bath products, dressing table with hair dryer, direct line telephone, 110V American / 220V European outlets, WiFi internet access
Le Commandant Charcot Deckplan

Specifications
- Length: 150m
- Width: 28m
- Draught: 10
- Ice Class: PC2
- Propulsion: LNG and Hybrid Electric
- Shipyard: VARD
- Classification: Bureau Veritas
- Flag: French
- Crew Members: 190
- Passengers: 270
- Guest capacity Antarctica: 200 pax
- Onboard Expedition Zodiac: 16
- Staterooms and Suites: 135 (including 31 suites)
- Panoramic Restaurant: 1
- Grill Restaurant: 1
- Swimming Pools: 2 (indoor pool and winter garden, outdoor pool)
- Spa, Sauna, Fitness Room: 1
Whats included?
- Arrival transfer in Santiago.
- One pre-embarkation hotel night in Santiago.
- Economy class flight from Santiago to Ushuaia.
- Economy class flight from Ushuaia to Santiago.
- Services of local guides, in Ushuaia.
- Meals as mentioned in the programme and beverage package.
- Transfers as mentioned in the programme.
What’s not included?
- Tips for the local guide.
- Personal expenses.
- Other meals and services not mentioned in the programme.