NORTHEAST GREENLAND’S UNEXPLORED SEA ICE
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15 DAYS
Opening the way to new horizons you’re invited aboard to explore the north-east of Greenland, an untouched, remote region surrounded by sea ice carried along the Transpolar Drift. At the end of spring, in the comfort of this marvel of technology, be guided and amazed at the opportunities for exploration in one of the hardest to reach areas of the Far North.
The first days of summer is particularly precocious and hostile in the Arctic with ice and snow. Along the Blosseville Coast the pack ice crystallizes, forming sharp peaks, exploring this inhospitable land and attempts to venture closer to its untouched shores. Off in the distance, the dark rock formations of the alpine peaks rise from the opaline desert.
Discover the Ittoqqortoormiit region at the entrance to Scoresby Sound. The beauty of isolated villages, with their colourful traditional houses. Vast virgin-white expanses, the silence is broken only by the sounds of dogs and the grating of sled runners against the ice. An outing alongside the last hunters of the polar region will have you overwhelmed by various sensations aboard this ancient means of transport. Among the first outside visitors of the season, you will be warmly welcomed by the community. During privileged exchanges mixed with joyful and authentic moments, you will learn about the village customs on the ice floe. Inuit hospitality is no myth, it is given in the warmth of a look or an exchanged smile.
Either in zodiacs, kayaking or hiking you’ll have diverse opportunities to explore these hypnotic, infinitely varied panoramas, including glaciers, fjords, and icebergs trapped by the ice. You may get the chance to glimpse a blue whale at the entrance to a fjord, or the stirring silhouette of a large bear in search of food.
For seekers of polar treasures, the beauty of the world evokes a childlike awe. In the hostile environment, you will find wonder in a ray of light or in the flight of a bird gliding along the edge of an ice monument.
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Reykjavik, Iceland | Embark in the evening, settle in and relax onboard starting your voyage |
| Day 2 | Denmark Strait | Sailing through the Denmark Strait |
| Day 3 | Blosseville Coast | Experience this wild and hard-to-reach place that few are lucky enough to explore |
| Days 4 -7 | Ittoqqortoormiit Region | East Coast of Greenland, high alpine mountains, entrance to the longest system of fjords in the world, discover Inuit traditions from the Ittoqqortoormiit community |
| Days 8 - 10 | North-East Greenland | Immerse yourself higher up in the Arctic region, exploring unexpected riches of the sea ice, look out for polar bears |
| Days 11 - 13 | Blosseville Coast | Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pack ice – thin or thick, flat or pronounced – as far as the eye can see, observing Arctic wildlife |
| Day 14 | Denmark Strait | Attend Lectures, keep an eye out for seabirds and marine life |
| Day 15 | Reykjavik | Disembark early morning Reykjavik |
Ship Offering This Itinerary
Le Commandant Charcot
Hailing as the world’s first hybrid luxury polar exploration vessel, the Le Commandant Charcot combines the top tier of luxury with sustainable development at the heart of the design. Equipped with 135 luxury staterooms featuring elegant and warm stone, wood and leather detailing’s to reflect the natural environment that the ship will be sailing in, the Le Commandant Charcot is setting a new level for opulence in the polar regions. Guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to places to relax and unwind on-board with an abundance of social areas to choose from ranging from two pools (indoor and outdoor), a beauty corner, theater, three different lounges, multiple reception areas and different restaurants to choose from.
Day 1 Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland’s capital stretches along the edge of a vast bay in the west of the country. A museum located on ’Oskjuhlið hill, offers views of lush, green landscapes. A little further on spot the signpost showing the way to the evangelical Hallgrímskirkja church, and to the historical centre where one can stroll along the Skólavördustígur and the Laugavegur, two lively streets with charming small shops.
Just outside of the city there’s opportunity to visit the Reykjanes peninsula and its famous thermal lagoons of the Blue Lagoon.
Embark in the evening, settle in and relax onboard starting your voyage.
Day 2 Denmark Strait
Lying between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait was crossed for the first time by theVikings in the late 10th century, during Erik the Red’s expeditions. In the Second World War, its waters were the theatre of a battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, on 24 May 1941. In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this rich ecosystem.
Day 3 Blosseville Coast
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise, an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pack ice – thin or thick, flat or pronounced – as far as the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the kingdom of the polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot, a silent ship open to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic wildlife, through a series of encounters.
Days 4 – 7 Ittoqqortoormiit Region
On the East coast of Greenland, in the Ittoqqortoormiit region that is covered with snow and ice for nine months of the year, you will have the rare opportunity of immersing yourself in the heart of an isolated territory and exploring the beauty of its infinite polar whiteness. The high alpine mountains punctuate the sky and gradually reveal their dark rock edges beneath a coat of snow. Located at the entrance to the longest system of fjords in the world, sits the village of Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the northernmost inhabited places on the East coast. Its name means ‘great house’ in Greenlandic and it is home to the last hunters of the polar region, whose ancestral way of life you will encounter. As soon as the thickness of the ice floe allows it, the hunters set out on the trail of walruses, seals, narwhals, musk oxen and polar bears, travelling by traditional dog sleds. On these expanses of immaculate snow, the silence is broken only by the sounds of the dogs, the grating of a sled coming back from a run or of footsteps on the ice. You will discover Inuit traditions through privileged and festive moments on the ice floe and in the village.
Days 8 -10 North-East Greenland
Set sail for North-East Greenland to immerse yourself further and up higher in the Arctic region to explore the unexpected riches of the sea ice, where traditional ships cannot travel at this time of the year. As the light shifts and the moods of the sky change, the different states of the ice and the infinite diversity of its textures create an exceptionally stunning tableau. With patience and humility, you will sail amid the pearl-white floating cathedrals and the ice carried by the Transpolar Drift. En route, icebergs have their journey halted by ice and pressure ridges reveal their sharp edges. In the midst of this icy vastness, beauty is found in the detail and the magic of the moment. In the realm of polar bears, Le Commandant Charcot is a reassuring cocoon built for polar exploration and offers you wonderful opportunities to observe these lords of the ice when you happen upon them. You may even get the chance to admire the moving sight of a mother and her cub travelling across the immaculate icy expanse.
Days 11 – 13 Blosseville Coast
Aboard your ship, follow in the footsteps of Jules Poret de Blosseville, a French explorer and sailor. In 1833, he set off to discover this isolated and unexplored part of eastern Greenland aboard La Lilloise, an adventure with a fatal outcome. The uninhabited territory that bears his name lies to the south of Scoresby Sound. Surrounded by ice, icebergs and pack ice – thin or thick, flat or pronounced – as far as the eye can see, Blosseville Coast is a wild and distant place to which very few people have access. Exploring it means a slow immersion into the heart of a frozen, almost unreal desert, where the variations in light transform one’s perception of the landscape. In the kingdom of the polar bears your silent ship open to the exterior, will offer exceptional moments observing Arctic wildlife, through a series of encounters.
Day 14 Denmark Strait
In the wintertime, extremely dense pack ice forms along the Greenlandic coasts and, while the Transpolar Drift sweeps icebergs along throughout the year, the strait is generally clear of ice during the summer. In the depths of the strait lies the world’s largest waterfall, an undersea cataract formed by the difference in temperature between the cold waters of the Greenland Sea and the warmer waters of the Irminger Sea. Numerous cetacean species thrive in this rich ecosystem.
During your day at sea, make the most of the services and activities on board. Relax in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board.
Day 15 Reykjavik
Disembark early morning in the beautiful vibrant city of Reykjavik. Farewell fellow passengers and crew.