Ponant announces full circumnavigation of Antarctica for 2028

• Ponant launches new 2028 circumnavigation voyage of Antarctica.
• The ship will navigate around 11,200 miles of coastline.
• The itinerary follows in the footsteps of Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot.

Ponant luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, will embark on a full circumnavigation of Antarctica between January and March 2028, departing from Ushuaia.

The itinerary will journey through remote regions and navigate around 11,200 miles of coastline.

The ship will set sail in January 2028, from Ushuaia (Argentina) westward to reach Hobart (Tasmania) in 30 days. After a two-day stopover, it will then depart again towards its starting point, this time following the eastern coast of Antarctica over 34 days.

This itinerary was designed by Captains Etienne Garcia and Patrick Marchesseau. Their expertise in ice navigation at the highest latitudes, gained while commanding ships of the Ponant Explorations fleet, has made this new sailing dream a reality. They will jointly command Le Commandant Charcot during this exclusive voyage.

This voyage will revive the legacy of the great polar explorers who braved the frozen expanses. In the pioneering spirit of Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot, guests will travel back in time and discover the remnants of forgotten camps, witnesses to these incredible expeditions.

Le Commandant Charcot offers a comfortable base for all polar expeditions: by Zodiac, on snowshoe hikes, by kayak and the challenge of the polar plunge. It houses two laboratories—one dry and one wet—equipped to collect and analyse samples from water, ice, and air. A new SIMS antenna continuously measures ice thickness.

Sales for this exclusive trip are scheduled to open in December 2025.