According to Deb Corbett, PONANT General Manager Sales & Marketing Asia Pacific, “For many, an expedition to Antarctica is one of those ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences, often expressed as life-changing”.
Well, just give some thought to this as she added, “Consider the additional opportunity of being among just a small number of fellow guests to witness the total solar eclipse scheduled on 4 December 2021, while located in the only area on Earth where the eclipse will be 100% visible at this time, the Weddell Sea, deep in Antarctic waters.”
She added, “Imagine the moment when, having disembarked onto the pack ice, you observe this natural
phenomenon, as rare as it is exceptional, the moon aligned perfectly in front of the sun, covering it completely with a black disc, with darkness in this icy land beyond the polar circle, where the sun never sets at this time of year.”
According to Deb Corbett and I agree, joining PONANT, world leader in luxury and polar expeditions, on board the truly innovative and segment defining Le Commandant-Charcot, for this unique voyage celebrating the ship’s inaugural season of expeditions in Antarctica during the 2021/2022 season is not to be missed.
Described as a true expedition for modern explorers, in addition to viewing the total eclipse of the sun from the pack ice, this 15-night expedition voyage, departing Ushuaia, Argentina on 30 November 2021, will explore the challenging eastern part of the Weddell Sea, mostly frozen by a thick and compressed ice floe, the region remains rarely accessible, perfect for the Polar Class 2 rated Le Commandant-Charcot, with guests also discovering the imposing Larsen ice shelves with immense tabletop icebergs, among the largest ever seen.
In addition to regular outings and shore visits in Zodiac inflatables with the expert polar Expedition Team and Naturalist Guides, there will be plenty of opportunity to take advantage of inclusive innovative activities including hovercraft, hot air ballooning and electric powered snowmobiles, when appropriate, to provide additional exploration and perspectives of the surroundings.
Deb Corbett adds, “Carrying a maximum of just 270 guests, this segment-defining environmentally responsible hybrid-electric polar exploration vessel propelled by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), has another unique aspect to it, which is unbridled luxury, with Le Commandant-Charcot providing previously unheard levels of comfort and facilities in a ship capable of going deep inside the challenging reaches of the Weddell Sea or even reaching the geographic North Pole .
She added, “I really love the concept of not just following in the footsteps of the great explorers but exploring further in this wonderland, only made possible by the extraordinary capabilities of our new ship, Le Commandant-Charcot, with its twin five-blade Azipod propulsors and highly rated PC2 ice strengthened hull configuration, with the concept of toasting the early explorers with French champagne at night while sharing our own day’s adventures, really appealing to me and an extraordinary ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity indeed.”
I think Deb wants to go on this amazing voyage…what do you think?…Oh and me too!
In the meantime, register to hear more during PONANT’s upcoming Live Online Event on Thursday 19 November when you can join PONANT’s Head of Expeditions and Sustainability, Nicolas Dubreuil, and Head of Expeditions Asia Pacific Mick Fogg live, to find out more about Le Commandant-Charcot and the extensive range of 2021/2022 Antarctic polar voyages available.
So make a date: Thursday 19 November 2020 at 2pm AWST, 5pm AEST and 7pm NZST, with prior registration required to join the event, by clicking on this link: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/59/ok1p2am7 and there will be live Q&A time at the end of the presentation, as well as prizes to win and an exclusive offer on the day.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
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