Envisage an expedition to Antarctica and your mind might be forgiven for conjuring up the haunting silhouette of Shackleton — his thin, wind-whipped frame surrounded by snow-flurried mountains and a white haze of hardship. But as I sip on my second macchiato of the morning and watch a crabeater seal slide its way onto the ice floe beneath me, I reason that the modern experience is something altogether more luxurious – particularly if you’re aboard the plushest, most powerful icebreaker in the world, Le Commandant Charcot.
Launched in 2021 by French operator, Ponant (a company renowned for its stylish fleet of refined cruise liners) this 31,000-ton, 150-metre-long beauty is busy delivering next-level luxury in one the most inhospitable places on Earth. Indeed, intrepid explorers keen to follow in the footsteps of pioneers can now spend their mornings walking alongside emperor penguins, then book an oil-slicked pummel in the spa.
