The St. Lawrence River in the Heart of the Boreal Winter
PONANTCC130227HOL

The St. Lawrence River in the Heart of the Boreal Winter

Departure 13 Feb 2027
Duration 14 Nights
Cruise Line PONANT EXPLORATIONS
Ship Le Commandant Charcot

Featured Cabins

0800 059 0570

Itinerary

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 13 Feb 2027
Depart 18:00

Canada’s most diverse metropolis, Montréal, is an island city that favors style and elegance over order or even prosperity, a city where past and present intrude on each other daily. In some ways it resembles Vienna—well past its peak of power and glory, perhaps, yet still vibrant and grand.But don’t get the wrong idea. Montréal has always had a bit of an edge. During Prohibition, thirsty Americans headed north to the city on the St. Lawrence for booze, music, and a good time, and people still come for the same things. Summer festivals celebrate everything from comedy and French music and culture to beer and fireworks, and, of course, jazz. And on those rare weeks when there isn’t a planned event, the party continues. Clubs and sidewalk cafés are abuzz from late afternoon to the early hours of the morning. And Montréal is a city that knows how to mix it up even when it’s 20 below zero. Rue St-Denis is almost as lively on a Saturday night in January as it is in July, and the festival Montréal en Lumière, or Montréal Highlights, enlivens the dreary days of February with concerts, balls, and fine food.Montréal takes its name from Parc du Mont-Royal, a stubby plug of tree-covered igneous rock that rises 764 feet above the surrounding cityscape. Although its height is unimpressive, “the Mountain” forms one of Canada’s finest urban parks, and views from the Chalet du Mont-Royal atop the hill provide an excellent orientation to the city’s layout and major landmarks.Old Montréal is home to museums, the municipal government, and the magnificent Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal within its network of narrow, cobblestone streets. Although Montréal’s centre-ville, or Downtown, bustles like many other major cities on the surface, it’s active below street level as well, in the so-called Underground City–-the underground levels of shopping malls and food courts connected by pedestrian tunnels and the city’s subway system, or métro. Residential Plateau Mont-Royal and trendy neighborhoods are abuzz with restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, and cafés. The greener areas of town are composed of the Parc du Mont-Royal and the Jardin Botanique.

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Quebec City, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 14 Feb 2027
Arrive 11:00
Depart 18:00

Québec City’s alluring setting atop Cape Diamond (Cap Diamant) evokes a past of high adventure, military history, and exploration. This French-speaking capital city is the only walled city north of Mexico. Visitors come for the delicious and inventive cuisine, the remarkable historical continuity, and to share in the seasonal exuberance of the largest Francophone population outside France.The historic heart of this community is the Old City (Vieux-Québec), comprising the part of Upper Town (Haute-Ville) surrounded by walls and Lower Town (Basse-Ville), which spreads out at the base of the hill from Place Royale. Many sets of staircases and the popular funicular link the top of the hill with the bottom. Cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and elaborate cathedrals here are charming in all seasons. The Old City earned recognition as an official UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, thanks largely to city planners who managed to update and preserve the 400-year-old buildings and attractions without destroying what made them worth preserving. The most familiar icon of the city, Fairmont Château Frontenac, is set on the highest point in Upper Town, where it holds court over the entire city.Sitting proudly above the confluence of the St. Lawrence and St. Charles rivers, the city’s famous military fortification, La Citadelle, built in the early 19th century, remains the largest of its kind in North America. In summer, visitors should try to catch the Changing of the Guard, held every morning at 10 am; you can get much closer to the guards here than at Buckingham Palace in London.Enchanting as it is, the Old City is just a small part of the true Québec City experience. Think outside the walls and explore St-Roch, a downtown hot spot, which has artsy galleries, foodie haunts, and a bustling square. Cruise the Grande-Allée and avenue Cartier to find a livelier part of town dotted with nightclubs and fun eateries. Or while away the hours in St-Jean-Baptiste, a neighborhood with trendy shops and hipster hangouts.

Quebec City, Québec, Canada

La Baie, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 15 Feb 2027
Arrive 11:00
Depart 23:59
No further details for this day.
La Baie, Québec, Canada

La Baie, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 16 Feb 2027
Depart 12:00
No further details for this day.
La Baie, Québec, Canada

Gaspé, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 17 Feb 2027
Arrive 18:00
Depart 23:59
No further details for this day.
Gaspé, Québec, Canada

Gaspé, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 18 Feb 2027
Depart 20:00
No further details for this day.
Gaspé, Québec, Canada

Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada

Date of arrival 19 Feb 2027
At sea.

Saint Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Date of arrival 20 Feb 2027
Arrive 08:00
Depart 12:00

By heading almost due east from Cap-aux-Meules in Canada, it is possible to reach France in about one day’s worth of steaming! With barely 6,000 inhabitants living on tiny St. Pierre, it is the smallest French Overseas Collective. The residents of St. Pierre are predominantly descendants of Normans, Basque and Bretons and the French spoken is closer to Metropolitan French than to Canadian French. Although Basque is not spoken any longer, the influence is still felt through sport and a Basque Festival. Interestingly, this small island has two museums in part dedicated to the Prohibition. The Musée Heritage is St. Pierre’s newest museum with a focus on medical artefacts from the 19th and 20th century. Another claim to fame is a guillotine, the only one ever used in North America. In this quirky village it is easy to find the Post Office; just look for the clock tower shaped like a praying monk.

Saint Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Date of arrival 21 Feb 2027
Arrive 13:00
Depart 18:00

Newfoundland’s fourth-largest city, Corner Brook is the hub of the island’s west coast. Hills fringe three sides of the city, which has dramatic views of the harbor and the Bay of Islands. The town is also home to a large paper mill and a branch of Memorial University. Captain James Cook, the British explorer, charted the coast in the 1760s, and a memorial to him overlooks the bay.The town enjoys more clearly defined seasons than most of the rest of the island, and in summer it has many pretty gardens. The nearby Humber River is the best-known salmon river in the province, and there are many kilometers of well-maintained walking trails in the community.

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada

Date of arrival 21 Feb 2027
At sea.

Strait of Belle Isle

Date of arrival 22 Feb 2027
At sea.

Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada

Date of arrival 23 Feb 2027
At sea.

Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada

Date of arrival 24 Feb 2027
At sea.

Sept-Iles, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 25 Feb 2027
Depart 11:00

Viewing the workings of this major Canadian port from a waterfront boardwalk, no one would guess this was once a quiet fishing village. The place boomed after World War II, when large companies decided Sept-Îles would make a good base for expanding northern Québec’s iron-mining industry. But all of the massive infrastructure can’t trump Mother Nature. Beautiful beaches line the coast, and the islands of an archipelago park sit just offshore. Campers and bird-watchers flock here, in part to spot the colorful beaks of the puffins.

Sept-Iles, Québec, Canada

Going through the locks of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Passage

Date of arrival 26 Feb 2027
At sea.

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Date of arrival 27 Feb 2027

Canada’s most diverse metropolis, Montréal, is an island city that favors style and elegance over order or even prosperity, a city where past and present intrude on each other daily. In some ways it resembles Vienna—well past its peak of power and glory, perhaps, yet still vibrant and grand.But don’t get the wrong idea. Montréal has always had a bit of an edge. During Prohibition, thirsty Americans headed north to the city on the St. Lawrence for booze, music, and a good time, and people still come for the same things. Summer festivals celebrate everything from comedy and French music and culture to beer and fireworks, and, of course, jazz. And on those rare weeks when there isn’t a planned event, the party continues. Clubs and sidewalk cafés are abuzz from late afternoon to the early hours of the morning. And Montréal is a city that knows how to mix it up even when it’s 20 below zero. Rue St-Denis is almost as lively on a Saturday night in January as it is in July, and the festival Montréal en Lumière, or Montréal Highlights, enlivens the dreary days of February with concerts, balls, and fine food.Montréal takes its name from Parc du Mont-Royal, a stubby plug of tree-covered igneous rock that rises 764 feet above the surrounding cityscape. Although its height is unimpressive, “the Mountain” forms one of Canada’s finest urban parks, and views from the Chalet du Mont-Royal atop the hill provide an excellent orientation to the city’s layout and major landmarks.Old Montréal is home to museums, the municipal government, and the magnificent Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal within its network of narrow, cobblestone streets. Although Montréal’s centre-ville, or Downtown, bustles like many other major cities on the surface, it’s active below street level as well, in the so-called Underground City–-the underground levels of shopping malls and food courts connected by pedestrian tunnels and the city’s subway system, or métro. Residential Plateau Mont-Royal and trendy neighborhoods are abuzz with restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, and cafés. The greener areas of town are composed of the Parc du Mont-Royal and the Jardin Botanique.

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Cabin Options

Ponant, Le Commandant Charcot, Prestige Stateroom 1

Upper Decks Balcony Stateroom

Welcome to the Upper Decks Balcony Stateroom aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Outside
Occupancy 2 persons
Size 215ft² (20m²)
Ponant, Le Commandant Charcot, Deluxe Suite 1

Deluxe Suite

Welcome to the Deluxe Suite aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 2 persons
Size 301ft² (28m²)
Ponant Le Commandant Charcot Grand Prestige Suite 2

Grand Suite

Welcome to the Grand Suite aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 2 persons
Size 452ft² (42m²)
Ponant Le Commandant Charcot Privilege Suite 9

Privilege Suite

Welcome to the Privilege Suite aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 4 persons
Size 516ft² (48m²)
Ponant Le Commandant Charcot Owner's Suite 19

Owner's Suite

Welcome to the Owner's Suite aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 6 persons
Size 1237ft² (115m²)
Ponant Le Commandant Charcot Suite Duplex 5

Duplex Suite

Welcome to the Duplex Suite aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 4 persons
Size 1011ft² (94m²)
Ponant, Le Commandant Charcot, Prestige Suite 1

Prestige Suite

Welcome to the Prestige Suite aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 4 persons
Size 430ft² (40m²)
Ponant, Le Commandant Charcot, Prestige Stateroom 5

Lower Deck Balcony Stateroom

Welcome to the Lower Deck Balcony Stateroom aboard the Le Commandant Charcot from PONANT EXPLORATIONS, your home away from home. Your private abode includes a range of amenities for your enjoyment, relaxation and comfort.
Room Type Suite
Occupancy 2 persons
Size 215ft² (20m²)

Ship Facilities

Dining
Enrichment
Entertainment
Health & Fitness

About the Ship

Le Commandant Charcot is the first hybrid electric and liquefied natural gas polar exploration vessel, the result of a more responsible design never seen before in the polar environment.

Le commandant charcot

Le commandant charcot Information

Launched 2021
Length 492 ft (150m)
Guest Capacity 245
Cabins 123
Crew Members 215

Deck Plans

Deck 3

  • Expedition Room
  • Conference Room

Deck 5
  • Bridge
  • Promenade Deck
  • Gastronomic Restaurant 
  • Reception Desk
  • Expedition Desk
  • Studio PONANT
  • Shop
  • Travel Ambassador Desk
  • Cigar Lounge
  • Bar
  • Main Lounge
  • Theatre 
Deck 6

  • Conference Room
  • Duplex Suite
  • Grand Suite
  • Deluxe Suite
  • Lower Deck Balcony Stateroom 

Deck 7
  • Duplex Suite
  • Prestige Suite
  • Deluxe Suite
  • Upper Decks Balcony Stateroom 
Deck 8

  • Bridge
  • Owner’s Suite 
  • Privilege Suite
  • Deluxe Suite
  • Prestige Suite
  • Upper Decks Balcony Stateroom 

Deck 9

  • Blue Lagoon
  • Bars
  • Restaurant 
  • Detox Bar
  • Indoor Pool
  • Hair Dresser
  • Fitness Centre
  • Spa
  • Snow Room
  • Observatory Lounge
  • Library 

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