Expedition
PONANT
French luxury meets polar exploration. Home of Le Commandant Charcot — the only luxury icebreaker that reaches the North Pole.
French Elegance in Wild Places
PONANT doesn’t ask you to choose between luxury and adventure. Their 13-ship fleet ranges from sleek yacht-style vessels to the most capable luxury icebreaker ever built, and every one of them carries that unmistakable French sensibility — refined dining, understated elegance, and a crew that treats hospitality as an art form. With 35+ years of expedition heritage, they’ve been doing this longer than most competitors have existed.
Le Commandant Charcot — The Icebreaker That Changed Everything
This is the ship that redefined expedition cruising. A PC2-rated icebreaker powered by liquefied natural gas, Le Commandant Charcot can reach the Geographic North Pole and push deeper into Antarctic ice than any luxury vessel in history. She carries just 245 guests in absolute comfort — think heated outdoor pools surrounded by icebergs and Michelin-caliber French cuisine after a day of Zodiac landings on ice shelves.
The Blue Eye Lounge
Exclusive to the PONANT Explorer fleet, the Blue Eye is the world’s first underwater multi-sensory lounge. Positioned below the waterline with two massive portholes, it lets you see and hear the ocean’s marine life through hydrophones and body-sensing sofas that translate underwater sounds into vibrations. There’s nothing else like it afloat.
Dining with Ducasse
PONANT’s culinary program is developed in partnership with Ducasse Conseil, bringing Michelin-level French gastronomy to every sailing. Local ingredients, regional menus, and the kind of wine list you’d expect from a French-flagged fleet.
Destinations & Experiences
PONANT sails everywhere worth going — Antarctica, the Arctic and Norway, the Mediterranean, Iceland, and beyond. Their Explorer fleet is built for small-ship cruising in remote destinations, while Le Commandant Charcot opens up polar regions no other luxury line can touch.
Why Book Through Travel Tamers
We’ll help you choose the right ship and itinerary — whether that’s a Mediterranean yacht cruise or a polar expedition — and secure the best available pricing and suite upgrades. PONANT’s itinerary calendar is complex, and matching the right vessel to your goals matters. That’s what we do.
Key Benefits
Interested in sailing with PONANT?
We will build a custom itinerary with our preferred PONANT rates and group benefits.
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