Hollywood glamour in the eternal ice

These are images that captivate even the most seasoned globetrotters: a massive ship carving its way through meters-thick pack ice, surrounded by nothing but the vast, silent white of the Arctic. In the latest episode of the documentary series «From Pole to Pole» (available on Disney+), the luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot serves as the floating base for one of the most ambitious film projects of the year.

Accompanied by National Geographic, Hollywood star Will Smith travels across all seven continents. The destination of the episode released in early February: the geographic North Pole. The team owes this undertaking to the technological superiority of the Le Commandant Charcot. With its PC2 polar-class design, it is the only passenger ship in the world capable of venturing deep into the most remote polar regions.

Viewers of the documentary not only gain rare insights into the flora and fauna of the Arctic, but also an exclusive interview with Captain Étienne Garcia, who safely navigates the ship through the extreme conditions.

Once around the «white continent»

But while the cameras were rolling in the north, Ponant was already preparing its next project at the opposite end of the world. The shipping company has announced a complete circumnavigation of Antarctica for 2028 – a historic undertaking never before completed by a cruise ship in this luxurious form (in 1996–1997, the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov / Quark Expeditions completed a full tourist circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent with paying passengers on board).

This extraordinary expedition covers approximately 23,000 kilometers of coastline. The route begins in Ushuaia (Argentina) and leads across the Ross Sea to Hobart (Tasmania) and back along the east coast of Antarctica.

The trip lasts a total of 60 days, which can also be booked in two sections of approximately 30 days each.

Immerse yourself in untouched worlds

The passengers on this record-breaking voyage will walk in the footsteps of legendary explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen. Highlights include visits to Marie Byrd Land and Adélie Land – regions that, due to their inaccessibility, usually remain unreachable even for modern expedition ships. A particularly breathtaking moment is promised by the passage through the area where the wreck of the famous Endurance lies.

Despite the hostile environment beyond the ship's railings, guests on board have everything they need. The hybrid icebreaker, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), combines cutting-edge science (including onboard laboratories) with the French luxury typical of Ponant.

The journey into the unknown has already begun – at least in the booking calendar: Places for the 2028 Antarctic circumnavigation can now be reserved for adventurers with the necessary funds.