Cruise the Saint Lawrence announced that Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot will sail the waters of Saint Lawrence in the winter of 2025, according to a press release.

Le Commandant Charcot will offer four 12-night sailings between late January and early March 2025, with calls in several Saint Lawrence member ports including Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Gaspé, Sept-Îles, Saguenay and Québec. Embarkation and disembarkation operations will be shared between Québec and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, according to a press release.

René Trépanier, executive director of Cruise the Saint Lawrence said: “For almost a decade, we have repeatedly promoted unparalleled winterscapes and winter season shore activities with expedition cruise operators. Our efforts appear, at long last, to have begun to pay off with the announcement of this exciting North American premiere.”

The sailings will include at least one overnight stay to allow guests more time for exploring the region. The announcement comes after an onsite inspection tour conducted in February 2023 by José Sarica, director of expedition experience at Ponant and Emerick Le Mouël, first officer onboard Le Commandant Charcot.

Hervé Gastinel, president of Ponant said: “At Ponant we are particularly attached to the Saint Lawrence region, a region that our ships have visited in summer for a number of years now. Our market-leading winter cruises will open the doors to totally novel experiences, unrivaled by any operator elsewhere in the world.

“The Commandant Charcot will enable us to navigate the ice in complete safety, while providing passengers with an onboard experience nothing short of exceptional. Working together with Destination Saint Lawrence authorities, we have developed an out-of-the-ordinary itinerary. And we are especially eager to share this adventure with our passengers.” 

Minister of Tourism of Québec Caroline Proulx said: Tourism Québec expressed great pleasure in seeing this initiative come to fruition: “The launch of winter cruises on the Saint Lawrence marks a turning point in the history of international cruises in Québec. This announcement aligns to perfection with efforts devoted to promoting upmarket and Indigenous tourism while transforming Québec into a leader in the winter tourism sector.”