Million Air Spring 2023

elite traveler SPRING 2023 113

Fromtop The spa’s swimming pool; emperor penguin colony

Into the ice

I have a confession, dear reader. I have never been on, nor wanted to go on, a cruise. While I can see the appeal, it is just not my cup of tea. But, a voyage to the bottom of the world on board French company Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot is more than enough to convert a nonbeliever like myself. DAY1-3 “You never come back from Antarctica disappointed,” quipped the a ff able and ever-so enthusiastic captain Etienne Garcia as he introduced himself in the 492-ft ship’s plush lecture theater. The fi rst two days at sea, where we passed the notoriously rocky Drake Passage (be sure to bring anti-seasickness supplies even if you are a hardened sailor), were spent in a haze of captain and expedition team introductions; safety brie fi ngs; food, food and more food (beef Wellington, lobster and ‘iceburgers’); and exploring Le Commandant Charcot . Shehas fi ve chic bars on board; two wine cellars; a cigar and whisky lounge; a spa with a swimming pool, sauna, ice room and detox bar; and two restaurants, one of which is Nuna by Alain Ducasse, the fi rst of the chef’s restaurants at sea. Sailing across the Drake Passage provides a startling perspective of just how far o ff -grid you’re heading. I saw nothing but an endless stretch of ocean for two whole days — no other ships, no planes, no land, no people (apart from the other 154 guests onboard). DAY4-5 As Le Commandant Charcot is an ice-breaking vessel polar class 2 — meaning she is the strongest ice-breaking ship that has been built for passengers

— she can go safely into the ice thanks to a 24-megawatt stainless steel propeller and is able to venture further and deeper into Antarctica. When we fi rst glimpsed the gargantuan icebergs in the ocean, the excitement on board was electric. Our fi rst landing was at Rabot Point, on the east side of James Ross Island where, after a bracing Zodiac cruise, we embarked on a fairly strenuous hike over the rocky terrain; Ponant’s enthusiastic naturalists were waiting at various points of the hike to share insight on the area. The following day, we headed on a Zodiac cruise around the icy waters surrounding Snow Hill, where we spotted emperor penguins hanging out on the ice — the expedition guide cut the engine so we could gently glide through the water and get closer. As landings and Zodiac cruises are at the mercy of Mother Nature, you have the sense of being truly part of an expedition. There’s an element of surprise — an announcement could see you rushing back to your cabin to throw on your outdoor gear. As we waited for announcements, guests gathered on the helideck to watch Le Commandant Charcot break through the ice — an astounding and seemingly impossible sight when the vast white plains creak and crackle as a path is created. Come evening, we donned our glad rags for a gala dinner at Nuna restaurant and dined on the tasting menu; dessert was a mini reconstruction of the ship in chocolate cake form. The captain announced that we would be up bright and early — 7am — for a landing on Snow Hill the following morning. DAY6-7 Following the captain’s wake-up call, I leapt out of bed and fl ung open the cabin’s curtains, and was greeted with the most inconceivable view I have ever seen — we were stationed in the middle of the ice at Snow Hill, stretching endlessly into the distance, peppered with big chunks of ice. The sun was shining so I had my breakfast in my fl u ff y robe out on the balcony (all cabins come with a balcony; the Suite de l’Armateur, or Shipowner’s Suite, has the largest at an enormous 2,000 sq ft).

Photos Olivier Blaud, Gilles Trillard, Samantha Coles