Le Commandant Charcot is the World’s only luxury hybrid-electric icebreaker. One of the most advanced polar vessels at sea today, this hybrid-electric expedition ship is powered by liquified natural gas and aims to provide a safe and low impact polar voyage for her passengers. With a capacity for 245 passengers in the Arctic (200 in Antarctica), she is fitted with a Polar Class 2 (PC2) hull allowing her to sail between sheets of drifting sea ice and reach the most remote and isolated regions. She produces zero emissions and offers quiet sailing in electric mode in protected areas allowing you to hear the silence of the polar regions, and to minimise disturbance to wildlife.

With 9 decks, there is plenty of space onboard to explore and enjoy your surroundings as you sail. Onboard you will find two restaurants; guest lounge; cigar lounge; tea room and bar; uninterrupted promenade deck allowing passengers to walk all the way around the ship and to the bow; heated benches and two Swarovski Optic telescopes; boutique selling essential items, clothing, books and souvenirs; lecture theatre able to seat all passengers with cutting-edge audio and lighting technology and LED stage background enabling the projection of ultra-high resolution images; a smaller conference room for lectures and learning and two boarding and disembarkation rooms for efficient operations. Deck 9 (Pool Deck) is designed for relaxation with a heated indoor swimming pool with large glass roof; sunroom with large windows; detox bar; outdoor heated Blue Lagoon pools; giant firepit; outdoor bar; large observation lounge and Wellness Lounge with salon, spa area, gym, sauna and snow room.

Please click on any side photo to view ships gallery.

   
All of the 123 staterooms onboard are luxuriously equipped with either a king-size bed or two single beds, a private balcony, individually controlled air-conditioning, minibar, Nespresso coffee maker and boiler, electronic safe, Bose Bluetooth speaker, flatscreen TV with video on demand (TV channels where signal allows), WiFi access (where signal allows), 110v US style & 220v European style plugs sockets, dressing table, hairdryer and a private bathroom with Dyptique Paris bath products. Some suites have a separate living area with sofabed to accommodate up to 4 guests (6 in the Owner's Suite).

Onboard you will enjoy contemporary French cuisine of the highest standard. Serving International and French cuisine, Nuna has the capacity to seat all passengers in a single sitting and offers elegant and refined a la carte dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The ship’s second bridge is located at the back of the restaurant behind large windows, where you can observe the crew during their operations. For a more relaxed dining experience, Sila is located on the top deck serving breakfast, buffet lunches and themed dinners. Also on the top deck is Inneq, an open-air bar where you can enjoy a varied and refined range of international sweet and savoury dishes throughout the day. As you would expect on a French ship, fresh pastries and bread will be made each day by your onboard French baker; and your sommelier will assist you in choosing from the well-stocked wine cellar.

Expedition Focus  
Her interior and service may be luxurious, but her itineraries and expedition programmes remain focussed on wildlife, learning and off-ship experience. During your expedition voyage, you will use zodiacs to make shore landings and short cruises to get close to wildlife and the spectacular scenery; these small inflatable boats carry just 10 guests and a guide and are accessed via the marina platform at the rear of the ship. She offers a range of complimentary activities onboard including kayaking, dogsledding (in East Greenland), hiking & snowshoeing, polar plunge and ice floating, zodiac cruising and citizen science.

Your onboard expedition team of between 19-23 experts offers one of the best guest-to-guide ratios of any expedition voyage. This team of biologists, naturalists, engineers, glaciologists and geologists will be on hand to ensure your safety during all of your activities, and also to share their passion for the polar regions. They will be by your side during the voyage, zodiac cruises and landings, offering key insights to help you get the most out of your encounters with wildlife, flora and local populations that await you – and to help you better understand the challenges involved in preserving the natural and cultural heritage that you encounter. They will also provide a series of scientific, cultural and historical presentations onboard to bring cultural, environmental and historical dimensions to your landings and the wildlife and scenery that you can hope to encounter. Your Expedition Leader will be responsible for managing and coordinating your exploration of the polar regions in accordance with the weather, sea and ice conditions to provide you with the very best experience possible.

The ship is equipped with a range of research-dedicated facilities including a modular wet lab with side door providing access to the sea for deploying sensors and collecting samples; a dry lab connected to a science-dedicated onboard network for carrying out computer work and data analysis; lecture theatres for sharing knowledge and information with guests; and a quarterdeck that can be used to deploy sensors via the ship’s hoist. Your onboard Scientific Coordinator will manage these spaces and provide laboratory tours and lectures with the purpose of raising awareness about the stakes and challenges involved in protecting the polar worlds, and providing special interactions with researchers.

Eco-Friendly Sailing
The ship features a number of new technologies to minimise her environmental impact:
- Low Emissions. She produces 25% less carbon emissions, 85% less nitrogen oxide emissions and 95% less fine particle emissions. She has a Clean Ship label awarded by the Bureau Veritas guaranteeing reduced atmospheric emissions and water and waste processing
- Waste Reduction. Achieved by the onboard production and bottling of drinking water in glass containers, supply and provision of stainless steel flasks and elimination of single use plastics
- Recycled Energy. Blue Lagoon baths and benches on the promenade deck are heated by recycled energy generally by the ship’s propulsion
- Electrical Quay Connection (in ports that are suitably equipped)
- Respect for Ecosystems. She has shell and sea creature detectors, electronic positioning system without the need for anchoring, ballast water processing, with reduced noise and vibration
- Electric Power. She has the largest battery bank ever installed on a cruise ship; this means zero emissions and quiet sailing when using electric mode in protected areas
- Liquified Natural Gas. She is the only ship in the world that is genuinely autonomous for a period of 1.5 months using LNG from her 2 x 4,500m³ tanks
- Azipods. She has the world’s most powerful propulsion pods, providing safety and exceptional 360° manoeuvring ability in the ice