Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot has marked five years of polar expedition cruising since its delivery on August 2, 2021.

Built by Fincantieri subsidiary VARD, the vessel was designed as the industry’s first luxury icebreaker.

Its Polar Class 2 hull allows the ship to push deeper into polar waters than conventional expedition vessels, reaching remote regions such as the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea and Peter I Island.

The 30,000-ton ship also features a hybrid propulsion system that pairs LNG with high-capacity batteries.

During its maiden season, it offered itineraries to the geographic North Pole, along with expeditions to eastern Greenland and the Northwest Passage.

The 245-passenger ship then repositioned to Antarctica for sailings to Peter I Island, the Ross Sea, Charcot Island and more.

In early 2025, the vessel launched its first-ever winter season in the Arctic, offering 12-night cruises to the St. Lawrence River and the Canadian Arctic.

Le Commandant Charcot began its current Arctic deployment in April after repositioning from Antarctica, with itineraries to Svalbard, the North Pole, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic.

The ship will remain in northern waters through early 2027, with a winter program in the Baltic, Scandinavia and the St. Lawrence River.

Highlights include two Gulf of Bothnia sailings featuring UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the High Coast archipelago, Old Rauma and Gammelstad Church Town.

Earlier this year, the vessel completed its five-year drydock survey at Damen, which included a series of upgrades.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the work included new underwater hull coating and overhauls of safety equipment and expedition gear.