Le Commandant Charcot , In the Ice of the Arctic, from Greenland to Svalbard, 6/22-7/10

[Catlover54]

I just picked up on your thread (was busy on Hapag Lloyd's MS Europa Ocean Sun classical music fest).

Thank you so much for sharing and posting.  It sounds like you are having an extraordinary and positive experience on Ponant's star ship.

I will keep following.  Enjoy the remainder of your cruise!

[vjt]

Thank you, Catlover 54…I do intend to keep posting. Maybe today or tomorrow. First have to record screams of my fellow passengers choosing to do the Polar Plunge!

[Jenallan18]

Great posts VJT.  You sound like similar travelers to ourselves. We are on this exact cruise next year.  I’d love to hear your views on Longyearbyen.  We are trying to decide whether to take Ponant’s transfer back to Paris or spend a few extra days exploring around Longyearbyen and make our own way home.  Would love to hear yours, and others who have travelled to this area.  Thanks in advance. 

[vjt]

    Sorry for the absence.  Events sort of speeded up.  We are home, so I will finish up with a few entries.  We rounded into the body of water between the two largest islands of Svalbaard, the Hinlopen Strait. We were on our way South in order to circumnavigate the Nordaustlandet.  The new Scenic ship, a Hurtigruten ship and the Sylvia Earle were in the Northern part of the strait, but I don’t believe they attempted to go through it in its entirety.  In any event, they were rarely visible. We made a Zodiac tour to visit Alkefjellet, where there is an unbelievable cliff of Brünnich's guillemots.  We were told that typically there are 60,000 breeding pairs of them in that one small area.  We lucked out here, because there was a small mess up and we had the Zodiac to ourselves, and a really fantastic naturalist and we spent most of the time on our backs in the bottom of the zodiac looking up at the birds.  Later on we had an excellent lecture on these birds.  I will not tell you about it, just that it’s not as idyllic a life as it seemed.

   Palandarbukta Bay appeared, barren and majestic.  As we cruised along, we heard this godawful noise from the bow of the ship.  Since we were not sinking, we just shrugged it off.  Having signed up for the alfresco dinner on the heliport deck in the bow, we dressed up a bit and were welcomed with:Champagne and Caviar (yawn).  The captain had positioned the ship out of the breeze.  It was sunny and the view, spectacular.  Our butler had secured us a seat at a longish anglophone table next to some interesting folks with whom we had been visiting on the cruise.  The food was spectacular as usual...but, we finally figured out why there was a helicopter on deck when the helicopter bay opened up to a bevy of white toque chefs who were presenting the longest Baked Alaska in the world.  Just to make it even better, they poured gallons of liquor on top of it.  Then there were Irish Coffees.  Very festive indeed!

[vjt]

   The next day, we continued south to Torellneset, a headland on the southwest of Nordaustlandet.  All went ashore as our zodiac groups were called and were directed in a sort of large circle to view birds and a huge mound of walruses!  Certain arguments ensued as to their numbers, but I think a bit over forty was about right.  We actually did get as close as the law allowed, by being relatively few at a time and being very, very quiet.  Really, they are somewhat like meatloaves, except they are always good-naturedly (mostly) jockeying for position.  This is exacerbated when a bathing walrus decides to join his friends in the mound.  Pretty much every one of these animals, so sluggish and ungraceful on land, has to move a centimeter or so, complaining bitterly to accommodate the newcomer.  It was mesmerizing to watch this bucolic scene high in the arctic.  It was nicely done, but after half an hour, we had to make our trek back to the zodiacs.

  After the helicopter picked a spot, the brave Polar Hikers group took off to climb to a viewpoint over pretty treacherous terrain, but they were a very fit group.  Walter and others went ashore to visit the many tiny flowers and stretch their legs.  I was a bit tired, so I stayed aboard, had tea and cake in the observation lounge admiring the enormous glacier, then walked on the decks to enjoy the sun and clean air.

   But the day wasn’t over!  We rounded the southern end of Nordaustlandet and headed still further north to Kvitoya.  This is a truly impressive Island, still completely covered by a magnificent icecap! Sadly, it also witnessed one of the shortest and most unsuccessful European expeditions.  S.A. Andree decided to overfly the NorthPole in a hydrogen balloon in 1897.  It was instead forced down after three days, about 190 miles north of the island.  They did reach the island on foot (amazing), but the remains were found in 1930, with diaries, logs and scientific findings preserved in the ice.  The current view is that the men died within two weeks of reaching the island.   

   There is a monument commemorating the three men which can be visited.  It was planned that we go ashore to visit the monument, but polar bear sightings made this unwise, so we took to the zodiacs and took pictures of it while admiring the birds, ice and seal holes from there.  But…much more to come as we continued north through beautiful, crunchy ice floes and some pack ice.  We spotted a mother polar bear with two healthy cubs.  Slowly, slowly Capitaine Garcia nudged the boat towards them until they were in clear view of the naked eye.  It was moving to watch her take her little cubs through their paces.  They obediently followed her down and up over batches of ice, strolling towards the ship, which quickly became boring to her, so they headed back to their route, whatever that was.  They will be with their mother about two more years.

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by vjt

[vjt]

   The next day’s activities and Adventures took place near Chermsideoya.  This northern Svalbard island seems to have been named after Lieutenant Herbert C. Chermside, the keeper of logs for one of the British expeditions.  These logs were used to census the age of whales killed in the areas they explored.  It was beautiful country, fairly low lying, surrounded by sun, blue, blue waters, ice and felt welcoming.  Which it was at first, so our hikers and kayakers bounded off the ship as did the walkers a bit later on.  But the wind and ice changed, so they had to come back to a different landing site right quick.  Slowly it became obvious to us that a mile or so away was a teensy sailboat surrounded by ice.  Apparently, our captain had been talking with their skipper for almost two days.  They were “sort of stuck” in the ice.  So “we” let them know that we would finish the day’s activities, and then get back to them for a decision.  Obviously, we had food to offer, safe room and board and safe passage to Longyearbyen.  Their skipper had not put out any official distress signal, so although we had no legal obligation to them, it’s my belief that the officers of Le Commandant Charcot thought the sailboat was in a precarious situation, and that the eight people on board ought to take advantage of our offer.  So, there was a lot of hesitation back and forth.  The sailboat skipper had the brilliant idea that they could follow in our wake as we smashed our way through the ice towards a more open passage.  Capitaine Garcia apparently informed him that this was not a hot idea as the large and deep pieces of ice we would make as we leave would surely smash their boat to bits.  The “sailboaters” voted unanimously to stay aboard as they had 30 days of food (!)…So, in the end, we sort of unsnarled them for a temporary respite in a little lake we had made them in the ice.  I sure would like to know if they are still there, now with 10 days of food.

…But, as they say, that’s not all.  At about midnight Capitaine Garcia apologized, but said that there would be a bit of a show at three am or so.  Turns out another Ponant ship was making heavy work on its way, having run into more ice than expected on its much tamer route, but we were on our way back and could intercept it to assist.  Le Boreal was moving, technically it wasn’t stuck, but it wasn’t going to make its schedule.  Kind of exciting, but we went to sleep.  All of a sudden, our ship blew our foghorn super loud, so we got up to see the process.  Virtually all the passengers from Le Boreal were on deck with parkas, waving thank you to us!  Just to rub it in, our captain unleashed our shiny blue/green helicopter which did a fly over.  They loved it!  I felt very proud to be on Le Commandant Charcot, even though all we had contributed was money (lots of).

[jpalbny]

Apparently the Polar Bears have a deal with the cruise ship companies, to keep you from landing on Kvitoya. We were supposed to go there in August 2011 with Silversea but again, we could not land due to a bear that was parked there. In an attempt to make up for it, our wonderful zodiac guide, the late great Robin Aiello, took us close enough that we could touch the rocks on the shoreline. So I can say that I've "touched" Kvitoya.

[vjt]

Dang, jpalbny, you got me there...

[vjt]

We awoke to a ship (ours) heading north, in fact all the way to 82° N.  I think the main reason was to find a spot for…The Polar Plunge…Which had been postponed at least once.  There was quite a bit of ice coring, ice poking and splashing around in melted ice before the crew could cordon off a place to set up The Polar Plunge Tent and leave the rest of us to munch on delicious macarons and drink champagne and take more pictures of our companions and the ships’ bow.  This all was very elaborate, but I suppose for a ship containing the makings of a town on ice which could house the entire ship's inhabitants for up to 20 days, setting up for this bit was a snap.  Walter, always the scientist, made a very nice ice core and we have the photo to prove it.  Finally, the festivities began.  I tore up the gangway to get the best view possible, nearly knocking down the victims shuffling off the ship in bathrobes!  Brrr.  Every time one emerged from the shelter tent, people clapped and cheered loudly as they emerged from the icy depths, triumphant!  This was done in a little open water spot. There was one rescue crew member in the water at all times, ropes deployed, etc.  The majority of the participants were women, and a couple of them made beautiful dives.  Truly, I was impressed.  Typically for this ship, members of the crew could participate and that was fun as well.

 

[vjt]

That night was the second Gala.  In general, we did our best to look dressy.  I had brought two fancy tops and some glittery stuff.  Walter had brought a black jacket and pants, a white shirt…and insisted on wearing a tie.  The ladies who were in charge of the customer experience as well as the lady naturalists were in stunning gowns, and somehow the powers that be managed to get the uneasy male naturalists in clothes that would pass for dressy. No one was in a tux, but the waiters.  We all cleaned up pretty good.  We had invited the German scientific staff and the Officer in charge of the ship’s scientific undertakings to be our guests.  Although there was no extra charge to us, we did have to formally invite them.  The food was out of this world as was the service and we did really have a fun evening.  We went to the observation lounge for a nightcap, listened to dreamy music, chatted with folks…and then on to bed for our Last Day.

[vjt]

  

   The Last Day of a perfect vacation is always “grimmy”.  Although the crew did keep us busy all day, I prefer to make some general comments before going on with my sequenced narrative.

 

   We do not remember any other vacation that was so enthralling, so mystical, so delicious, so carefree, so educational and so comfortable in our lives.  Starting with the ship itself, it simply glides quietly with occasional rocking.  It’s LNG-electric powered, so there is no sound and no vibration.  All you hear from the balconies or the decks is water, ice or ice and water.  So, yes, it’s a cruise, but, when outside, we were immersed in nature.  The ship is incredibly sturdy.  Not a sound from adjoining cabins or from the hall, not even from the shows.  I think the online photos are generally fair, except for the lobby area, which is much lighter and airier than it appears, but also quietly divided into a number of smaller seating, drinking and musical areas.  The cabins and suites are quietly furnished, absolutely everything works: two types of plugs and USB plugs are strategically placed.  It’s my understanding that only two internet accounts are allowed in regular cabins as part of the free service.  And the internet speed is slowish, even with the new satellites, but we were without only once for a couple of hours. Towels sheets, soap and so on are quietly excellent.  Things are not “branded” on Le Commandant Charcot.  

 

   I may have been too harsh earlier about the Naturalist Staff.  It is true that some of them really did not know much about individual places we were visiting.  However, I grew to appreciate the many specialized lectures we had (about 40) on subjects biological, historical, geological and cultural.  Not all the naturalists were fluent in English and French, so if you spoke only one of the languages, not all the lectures were available to everyone, although the illustrations were always excellent.

 

   OK, the parkas.  They are incredibly warm and beautiful (if you like bright orange) and you get little medallions sewn on for participating in special activities, like the Polar Plunge or Kayaking, although there are many nice badges already on them.  But, the truth of the matter is, in midsummer they are really overkill most of the time.  If it’s very windy (say on a zodiac) or it's raining hard, they are a blessing.  On the other hand, if you are moving about on land, you will almost surely overheat.  We mainly wore our packable down jackets and a woolen head cap with a long neck and face cover.  As we live in Florida and have a fair amount of gear, we reluctantly left our parkas behind.  If you do choose to take these home, and most did, be sure to bring an extra bag as they really are not compressible. 

 

   Food.  Across the board, the food was excellent.  It ranged from French bourgeois, to brasserie, to international, to haute cuisine accompanied by fresh bread of many descriptions, the finest butter and wines that were pleasing, if not outstanding.  The cheese was the only disappointment, and that it was.  Baffling.  On the other hand, the desserts were the best I have ever had.   Whatever the flavor, fruit, chocolate or something more exotic, it was pure pleasure.  The pastries were excellent, most of the time the most famous French ones.  The only miss there was the grand brunch that coincided with the Fourth of July.  The saxophone playing our National Anthem was great, and all gave it due respect, but the doughnuts were the worst I have ever had, and the brownies would have benefitted from my mother’s recipe.  

 

To sum up the care that was taken with food I will tell a mojito story.  It does seem silly to even think of a mojito on an arctic cruise, (a Moscow Mule is surely more appropriate), but there it was on top of the bar menu.  They were great, full of fresh mint and so we had them several times.  On the last night, we ordered them once again.  The bartender was apologetic, but they had just (after 18 days!) run out of fresh mint!  It seems every ingredient is kept in a tailor-made bin at the right temperature and humidity.  Don’t forget: there is nowhere to reprovision on these cruises!  Different décor in different places were chosen for special meals, with dinner on the helicopter deck, sun shining and surrounded by ice was perhaps, the most magical.

 

   We did take a cruise last year on one of the well-known luxury lines.  Having sailed on that same ship twice before, I can report that the food was really poor compared to the historic reality.  At this point I have absolutely no patience for any excuses concerning service or food.  These are corporate decisions, whether its poor training or cost cutbacks.

 

   Entertainment.  Every evening, before and after dinner, there was music in two locations, the observation lounge, and the main lounge area.  Often these were accompanied by electronic backgrounds.  These were excellent musicians, and the company seems to have benefitted by the war and tensions in eastern Europe.  Generally, the music was of the “piano bar’ type and well known, from old pop to musicals, very well arranged.  Official concerts and shows took place pretty much every night.  Classical, opera, Broadway and French were all performed, cabaret style.  This does sound pretty sedate, and I guess it is, but there were several dances on board and opportunity to learn some fancy steps.

 

   The service, housekeeping, waitstaff, bartenders and crew were all five stars and deserve tremendous credit.  The ship is sparkling clean everywhere, inside and out, all the time.  Except for Gala nights, the captain ate with his officers at a table in the more casual restaurant.  People were respectful of his mealtimes, except for a “bon soirée here” and there.  But otherwise, we saw and interacted with him frequently, and he participated as a co-equal with the expedition leader (who, by the way, did not speak French!).  But there was no doubt who was in charge and who set the tone of the ship.

 

   People have commented on Ponant’s poor communications.  I do think their back office is not on the ball.  I dutifully downloaded their app, and almost random stuff was posted on there.  A menu here, a notice there and opening hours of various facilities.  They never did get around to posting or texting the departure pier.  Some of the passengers had never been notified that our return charter was to land at Orly and not CDG!  That sure created some travel issues!  I think our travel agent really had to go out of her way to get information that should have been easily obtainable.  All her pre-covid contacts had left.  

 

However, on the ship itself, everything was clear.  Of course, some decisions on activities had to wait while the crew figured out the best options.  But we were told the night before and again the next morning what was going to happen.  As that got firmed up, we were told when and where each group should report.  These announcements were made in English and French.  The English was delightful…it was definitely grammatical, correct English, but the accents were so strong we could pretend it was French!  The captain spoke twice a day, but more if he felt there was something urgent.  He is bilingual.  As well, the expedition leader would rally us to a special animal here and there.  All information was posted quickly on the room TV’s and in two public places in the public areas.  The recaps were bilingual.  Sometimes the Captain and the Expedition Leader (who spoke no French?) would do them, following each other’s sentences, and sometimes two naturalists would take the podium.

 

   A caution here.  This is a unique ship.  It is obviously the pride and joy of the entire company.  It is hard for me to believe that, even full, it is a money-maker.  Ponant is a privately held company and the owner is quietly enthusiastic about his company’s endeavors and is known for his charitable contributions.  I believe they are already designing a solar/wind driven ship.  But also, our cruise was not full.  I can’t really say what a full house would mean with respect to the general ease and relaxation of this trip.  After all, there would be at least twice as many expedition groups and lunchtime might bring a bit of a rush to the “casual” dining area. 

 

   If there are specific questions, I am happy to answer them here.  I will attempt to post some photos, just for fun, then will finish this account with our last sailing day and our too exciting disembarkation (spoiler!))

 

[jpalbny]

I can't wait to try this ship!

[vjt]

jpalbny: Go for it!

 

[vjt]

Well, here goes my first photo attempt.  I noticed, perhaps on another site, that some people find it inconvenient not to have photos interspersed with the text.  These photos are being added to my commentary just to give you some flavor for our trip on Le Commandant Charcot.  First:  Here we are!

[vjt]

One of our first stops was this northern Greenland Inuit village Ittoqqortoormiit.  Our ship was the only one to be able to reach the town so far this year, and we brought fresh fruit and other items to the folks there.  They more than repaid us by their kind welcome and a culture show in the evening onboard.

[vjt]

This is the very moving song we heard that night at the Cultural Presentation.  It is the tragic story of a Raven who fell in love with a Snow Goose.  The drum is authentic, we think made of seal stomach and played by hitting the rim.

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by vjt
bad grammar

[vjt]

By the time we passed north of the village, this is the typical ice we navigated through for several days.  The scenery was beautiful, but you can see from the instrument below the choices which had to be made on the bridge minute by minute:

[vjt]

A wall of waterfalls.

 

 

[vjt]

On the seas from Greenland to Svalbard.  Daytime:

[vjt]

On the seas from Greenland to Svalbard.  Midnight:

Edited July 31, 2023 by vjt
Typo

[vjt]

Welcome to Svalbard!  We passed quite a time with this guy!

[vjt]

A beautiful glacier.

[vjt]

A mother bear with her two cubs in typical habitat...the captain nudged the ship as close as was wise.

[vjt]

A tiny bit of the Guillemot Roost.

[vjt]

Return from an Adventure.