Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot Embarks on Historic First Winter Cruise Along the St. Lawrence River

An icebreaking cruise ship, the Le Commandant Charcot, embarked on its inaugural winter voyage along the St. Lawrence River on January 17th, which allows passengers to experience the Canadian winter landscape. This journey is a significant milestone in winter tourism as it is the first international passenger cruise to traverse this waterway during the winter months.

Owned by Ponant, the Le Commandant Charcot can accommodate 245 passengers and has a crew of 215 members. Renowned for its polar expeditions to locations like Antarctica, this marks its first winter cruise in Quebec. Around 150 passengers from various countries, including the UK and the USA, began their journey from St Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory adjacent to Newfoundland. The cruise itinerary includes stops at Cap-aux-Meules in the Iles-de-la-Madeleine archipelago.

Promoted as an immersive experience, the cruise offers activities like snowshoeing at Forillon National Park, ice fishing, and snowmobiling in La Baie (Saguenay). Passengers will also have opportunities to skate in Old Quebec City and engage with the rich traditions of the Mi’kmaq and Innu cultures through special excursions.

Le Commandant Charcot has four more winter voyages scheduled through March, with the final route including stops in Greenland and culminating in Iceland. The ship is designed to minimize environmental impact by utilizing battery power in ecologically sensitive areas.

This current voyage plans to visit the Gaspe Peninsula on Tuesday, followed by Sept-Iles in the Côte-Nord region and La Baie before concluding in Quebec City at the end of January.

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