PONANT EXPLORATIONS has opened bookings for its 2028–2029 Antarctic season, with more than 30 luxury expedition departures now available aboard Le Boréal, Le Lyrial, Le Soléal and Le Commandant Charcot. The season features classic Antarctic Peninsula voyages, extended Southern Ocean expeditions and an unprecedented full circumnavigation of Antarctica.
More than 30 Antarctic departures
The 2028–2029 season includes the popular 10-night Emblematic Antarctica itinerary, operating between November 2028 and February 2029. The voyage includes a hotel stay in Buenos Aires, return charter flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Zodiac excursions and landings, plus opportunities to encounter penguins, whales, seals and seabirds. Christmas and New Year departures are also available.
Travellers seeking a longer expedition can choose itineraries combining the Antarctic Peninsula with South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and Patagonia. Other departures explore New Zealand’s remote Subantarctic Islands and the Ross Sea, with optional post-cruise extensions to Iguazú Falls.
World-first Antarctic circumnavigation
Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker capable of navigating multi-year ice, will again operate voyages to some of Antarctica’s most remote regions, including the Weddell Sea, Bellingshausen Sea and Marguerite Bay. Guests can also participate in activities such as Zodiac excursions, hiking, snowshoeing and ski touring, with selected voyages offering opportunities to observe emperor penguins.
The headline voyage for the season is a world-exclusive full circumnavigation of Antarctica, departing Ushuaia on 11 January 2028. The 62-day expedition will cover almost 23,000 kilometres, visiting destinations including the Ross Sea, Mount Erebus and Adélie Land while following in the footsteps of explorers Shackleton, Scott and Charcot. The itinerary will also be available as two separate 31-day half-circumnavigation voyages between Ushuaia and Hobart.
Guests booking new voyages before 31 August 2026 can also take advantage of PONANT’s Serenity Policy, allowing eligible bookings to be modified or postponed free of charge to another departure within the same year or earlier, subject to conditions.
