PONANT And The Explorer Club Reveal 30-Day ExplorationS

Between 2024 and 2026, PONANT and The Explorers Club will collaborate to further exploration and advance field research in less-traveled destinations globally. Guests can embark on 12 expeditions across five continents, beginning with a 30-day Antarctic itinerary from January 7 to February 5, 2024, focused on studying the impact of climate change on glaciers.

Partnering with the Explorers Club, PONANT stands out as the sole small-ship expedition line that prioritizes research and exploration. Rooted in scientific discovery and education, their itinerary will harmonize the Explorers Club’s proficiency in the physical, natural, and biological sciences with the state-of-the-art capabilities and technological advancements of PONANT’s latest vessel, Le Commandant Charcot. As the world’s only luxury icebreaker that doubles as a floating research facility equipped with an onboard laboratory, this collaboration ensures a remarkable and unprecedented adventure.

“Both PONANT and the Explorers Club are founded on principles of exploration with a deep respect for scientific research whose studies aim at preserving our oceans, the environment and climate,” said Navin Sawhney, CEO of Americas, PONANT. He added, “The Explorers Club’s members have been responsible for a series of famous ‘firsts’, including first to the South Pole, so it felt fitting for Antarctica to be the inaugural expedition onboard our polar exploration vessel, Le Commandant Charcot.” 

Th half-circumnavigation will embark from South America’s southernmost tip towards New Zealand, ultimately crossing the fabled line of the Antarctic Polar Circle and sailing through three southern oceans while retracing the paths of iconic explorers such as Roald Amundsen and Jean-Baptiste Charcot.

Some of the adventure’s most unforgettable moments will include approaching the planet’s last terra nullius- Marie Byrd Land, and visiting the world’s largest marine protected area filled with aquatic life like whales, seals, orcas, and penguins.

Other highlights entail viewing the highest volcano in Antarctica and the 43-mile Drygalski Ice Tongue and engaging in offshore activities such as kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, and Zodiac adventures.

Heading the expedition, is Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña, a distinguished geologist and glaciologist who has investigated the impact of black carbon on snow and ice melt in the Arctic, as well as glacier mass loss in the Himalayas.

PONANT travelers will actively participate in productive discussions and hands-on snow sampling sessions, delving into climate change and its possible rectification methods.

The Explorers Club, PONANT, and Dr. Horodyskyj Peña believe that exploring diverse landscapes allows voyagers and scientists to comprehend, communicate, and protect our planet’s ecosystems.

Based on double occupancy, rates start at $50,550 per person for the 30-day ‘Unexplored Antarctica between Two Continents’ itinerary. For more information, click here.