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Greenland of Great Explorers

Greenland of Great Explorers

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Description

Set sail with PONANT on an itinerary discovering the unexplored shores of the eastern coast of Greenland. During this 15-day expedition cruise, you will follow in the footsteps of the great French explorers who pushed the boundaries of polar navigation from the 19th century onwards.

From Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen, L’Austral will make its way to Jan Mayen Island, which was very dear to Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot. Located on the threshold of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, this isolated and uninhabited volcanic island was a whale hunting centre and is home to large bird colonies.

Your ship will then sail on toward the west coast of Greenland, known for its wild natural environments, its alpine landscapes, and its sea ice carried along the Transpolar Drift.

You will then sail along the Blosseville Coast, named after the French captain who saw it for the first time in 1833. Here, the ice sheet meets the sea.

During the last part of your cruise, you will sail up the west coast of Greenland. You will be able to admire the sublime fjords of Prins Christian Sund and the blue-tinged icebergs of Narsaq, before heading for Kangerlussuaq, where this unforgettable cruise will end.

Trip Name
Greenland of Great Explorers
Days
15
Overview
Vessel Type: Luxury Expedition / Cruise Ship Length: 142 metres Passenger Capacity: 264 (200 in Antarctica) Built: 2011 This superb mega-yacht with 132 cabins is the result of the expertise of the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and French sophistication, as interpreted by designer Jean-Philippe Nuel. L'Austral has a unique atmosphere, a subtle blend of luxury, intimacy and well-being. A sleek silhouette softened by elegantly smooth contours and large, arched windows opening up to the sea and the light: so many features come together to give L’Austral her distinctive shape. Precious materials, discreet elegance and a perfect balance between chic and casual, combine to make you feel as if you are on your own private yacht. A design blending tradition and innovation, where a nautical mood has been subtly recreated. Precious materials in smoothing neutral tones are brought to life with splashes of cheerful reds. So many personal touches create the spirit of a “private yacht”. Cuisine Loyal to the great French tradition, the haute cuisine on board is worthy of the finest restaurants, where discreet, attentive service is the hallmark. Our two restaurants welcome you for breakfasts, lunch and dinner. The Gastronomic Restaurant, with a capacity of 268 persons, is situated on Le Liberté Deck and serves you French and international cuisine accompagnied by fine wine. On the Grill Restaurant, you will have the opportuniny to eat outside and enjoy buffet lunch and themed dinner. Life On Board Whether you want to join other guests in the theatre or games area (Wii™ consoles, etc), or relax on your own in a quiet corner of the library, L'Austral has been designed to meet the needs of every guest. Everything has been done to preserve the independence of each guest to suit their personal tastes: lounges for lectures and shows, a spa in partnership with Sothys™, but also more intimate spaces such as the library and internet corner. Comfortable cabins, nearly all with private balcony, are available for families either as triples or as communicating cabins. There is also a games area with Wii™ consoles, children’s menus, and a baby-sitting service. Just as if you were on a private yacht, your time is your own to do as you please. Fitted with the latest equipment (Kinesis Wall, running machine) and in partnership with the famous Sothys™ brand, the Beauty Centre on L'Austral welcomes you for some unforgettable moments of relaxation and pampering (beauty treatments, hairdresser).

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN
Longyearbyen is the capital of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, located on Svalbard’s main island, and is the northernmost territorial capital on the planet. With winter temperatures dropping to below 40°C, the landscapes of this mining town are simply breathtaking. The glaciers, the mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and the untouched nature, make you feel like you’re in completely unexplored territory.
Day 2 - Day 2 STELLINGFJELLET, SVALBARD & ISBUKTA, SPITSBERGEN
To the east of the southern tip of the South Spitsbergen National Park, you’ll discover Stellingfjellet, one of the largest cliffs of the Svalbard archipelago. This impressive rocky promontory, located south of the Markhambreen glacier in the Torell Land massif, is bordered by shallow waters, rich in fish and nutriment. These feed the many colonies of nesting birds which have found refuge in the crevices of its vertiginous walls. The heights of this geological wonder are a theatre for the skilful and endless dance of its inhabitants. From the sea, you’ll have a privileged viewpoint for observing this grandiose decor.Nestling on the south-east point of the island of Spitsbergen, this small bay shelters an immense glacier, the Vasil’evbreen, whose front is more than 20 kilometres long. This is an opportunity for an unforgettable Zodiac® outing. If the conditions allow it, you will be able to land directly at the foot of this majestic glacier, so as to discover the moraine and walk on the first section of the glacier. Depending on the ice conditions, you will also perhaps be lucky enough to approch Stellingfjellet, home to one of the largest guillemot colonies on the archipelago.
Day 3 - Day 3 AT SEA
During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.
Day 4 - Day 4 JAN MAYEN ISLAND, SVALBARD
The island of Jan Mayen, belonging to Norway, lies hidden off Greenland’s coastlines, lost between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. This small piece of land is inhabited by only a handful of Norwegian meteorologists. Tongues of ice descend from its volcanic summit, which culminates at 2,227 metres and is covered with a thick glacial coat. These tongues join the sea, between ranges of black volcanic rocks at times tinged with red. If the sky is clement, you will have the chance to glimpse the summit, decked out in magnificent light. The visit of a small fin whale will perhaps enable you to complete this memorable picture.
Day 5 - Day 5 AT SEA
During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.
Day 6 - Day 6 WATKINS FJORD
At the entrance to Kangerlussuaq Ffjord (East Greenland), you’ll explore one of its small side branches: the magnificent Watkins Fjord. The huge glacial valley of Frederiksborg pours into this sumptuous desert of rock and ice surmounted by the jagged silhouette of the summits of the Lemon Range. The fjord owes its name to the British explorer Gino Watkins (1907-1932), who in 1930 led an expedition aboard Quest, the former ship of famous explorer Ernest Shackleton, in the aim of finding a supply point in this region on the airway between England and Canada. Come and discover this mythical place in the history of Arctic exploration.
Day 7 - Day 7 TUGTILIK & STORO ISLAND
In the Ammassalik region, the small island of Storo welcomed the famous French explorer Paul-Emile Victor during his first stay in Greenland in 1932. This young ethnologist was set down by Captain Charcot at Ammassallik then made his way to the island of Storo, where he spent a year hosted by an Inuit family. Bones, stones, a tomb and a few vestiges of huts and wooden cabins are evidence that people have been coming to the island for a very long time. Its location facing the Denmark Strait, at the entrance of a small fjord, is indeed ideal for hunting or for observing the whales, narwhals or belugas that live in the fish-rich waters of the Greenland Sea.
Day 8 - Day 8 SERMILIK FJORD & TASIILAQ
You will be captivated by the spectacular scenery of the Sermilik Fjord, the largest in the south-east of Greenland. To the north, above the glacial valleys, the Schweitzerland Alps and their peaks that rise to an altitude of more than 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) stretch out in the distance, while in the south, where it opens onto the Irminger Sea, heavy erosion has carved the landscape. Three main glaciers calve a multitude of dazzling icebergs that drift serenely along the indigo waters of this majestic fjord. It owes its name to the Inuit word Sermilik, which generally refers to a fjord into which a glacier flows. It was mapped in 1884 by the Danish explorer Gustav Holm and his crew, while they wintered in the Ammassalik region.In Tasiilaq, on Ammassalik Island, follow in the wake of Captain Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s famous ship, the Pourquoi Pas ?, which set off with its crew in 1935 to discover this small island of primitive and wild beauty that remained unexplored until the end of the 19th century. Along with Ittoqqortoormiit, a village with 500 inhabitants located at the entrance of the Scoresby Sound, the village of Tasiilaq and its surroundings, 800 kilometres (500 miles) further north, are the only inhabited areas on the east coast of Greenland. The name of this island is a reference to the capelin, a small flamboyant silver-coloured fish whose presence in the thousands announces to inhabitants the return of spring. A surprising discovery in a spectacular setting.
Day 9 - Day 9 QINGMINGUARTALIK & NANSEN HARBOR
Welcome to a small protected bay on the eastern coast of Greenland, around 200 km south of Tasiilaq, for a date with history and ice. During this port of call, you will have the opportunity to visit the remains ofold peat houses from the Thule civilisation. Then, after sailing through the ice, you will reach the starting point of the very first crossing of the Greenland ice cap, led in 1888 by Fridtjof Nansen, the great Norwegian polar explorer. A magical place where you can climb the gentle slopes of the ice cap’s first foothills to better appreciate its huge size.Travelling to Nansen Harbor is the guarantee of a voyage back in time and will enable you to discover a superb bay, into which the ice cap plunges directly. It was because of the proximity and accessibility of the glacier that Fridtjof Nansen chose this location for his crossing of the ice cap crossing in August 1888. Sailing along the coast, you can imagine the first steps of the great explorer on the Greenland ice sheet.
Day 10 - Day 10 SKJOLDUNGEN
Discover Skjoldungen Island on the south-east coast of Greenland. This uninhabited land boasts magnificent landscapes that are sure to dazzle you. The island is surrounded by a stunning fjord, a distinctive feature of which is its double entrance: it forms a bend before joining the sea on the other side. Mountains, glacial valleys, rocky outcrops, tundra and willow forests make up the beautiful scenery which you will be able to admire more closely when you land here. At this port of call, surrounded by wild and pristine nature, it is quite common to see bearded seals, orcas, but also birds such as the common redpoll, the northern wheatear, or the common raven.
Day 11 - Day 11 PRINS CHRISTIAN SUND & AUGPILATOK
Your ship glides silently towards the Greenland coast, in a setting punctuated by pointed peaks and majestic glaciers… You are on the verge of crossing the Prins Christian Sund, a narrow channel that stretches out and zigzags over some one hundred kilometres between Greenland’s south-east and south-west. Fall under the spell of the primitive beauty of these unique landscapes, including rocky cliffs and waterfalls that are fed by the ice sheet and plunge into the icy waters. Here, bearded seals love to lie on the floating ice to soak up the sunshine. Augpilatok, is a small Inuit village of around one hundred inhabitants, whose name means “sea anemone” in Greenlandic. Located in a mountainous region inaccessible by road, its picturesque, colourful houses stretch out to the southern tip of Greenland, on the banks of the spectacular Prince Christian Sound. Some one hundred kilometres long, the sound connects the Labrador Sea to the Irminger Sea, meandering through stunning landscapes such as majestic glaciers, craggy peaks, and rocky cliffs with waterfalls fed by the ice sheet. This region was uninhabited in the 19th century. The village was created in the 1920s and the main activities revolve around hunting, fishing and livestock farming.
Day 12 - Day 12 IGALIKU & NARSAQ FJORD
From your ship, discover the town of Narsaq. You will be dazzled by the beauty of the surrounding icebergs − large masses of ice in different shapes and shifting colours. Dominated by lush mountains, this small town is typical of Greenland and is located in the heart of a wonderful natural landscape. The multicoloured house facades and the glaciers with their myriad shades of blue offer a magical setting, conducive to wonderment.
Day 13 - Day 13 AT SEA
During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.
Day 14 - Day 14 EVIGHEDSFJORDEN
Your ship glides slowly along the water towards the west coast of Greenland, to enter Evighedsfjorden, just a few kilometres south of Kangerlussuaq. Evighedsfjorden means “the fjord of Eternity”, and for good reason: just when you think you’ve reached the end of this stretch of sea measuring over 100 kilometres in length, it seems to go on forever, as though to bring even more pleasure to those sailing in it. The spectacular scenery ranges from glaciers to tundra with an abundant flora, and jagged cliffs where numerous bird species have taken up residence. Take the time to observe the white-tailed eagles and the colonies of seagulls and black-legged kittiwakes flying overhead in the area.
Day 15 - Day 15 KANGERLUSSUAQ
From 1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland was home to an American military base. Nowadays, thanks to its international airport, it has become a transit point for travellers seeking adventure in the Far North. Located to the north of the Arctic Circle, this town is the starting point of magnificent discoveries surrounded by unspoiled nature. Indeed, just a few dozen kilometres from there it is possible to get close to the Greenland ice sheet, the largest body of ice in the Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, admire also the superb landscapes of tundra in autumnal colours, where Arctic hares, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, reindeer, falcons and eagles live.
Day 16 - Please Note:
We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. The itinerary, landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type

Inclusions

    • Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
    • Hiking opportunity.
    • Exploring the east coast of Greenland and its pristine territories once trodden by the first French explorers Jules de Blosseville, Jean-Baptiste Charcot and Paul-Émile Victor.
    • Visiting traditional villages and meeting the Inuit people.
    • The scenery: fjords, rugged mountains, glaciers, icebergs, wild tundra, sheer cliffs, polar ice cap, ice floes.
    • The wildlife: Arctic terns, musk oxen, Arctic foxes and hares, whales, seals and orcas.
    • Sail along the Prins Christian Sund, a narrow, 100-km long passage that winds its way through cliffs and glaciers.

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