Ponant Plans Second Antarctic Circumnavigation for the 2028–2029 Season
With nearly 30 departures, the lineup spans classic Antarctic Peninsula voyages, expert-led expeditions, and a 59-night journey around the continent.
Photo: Julien Fabro
Ponant Explorations will offer a second full circumnavigation of Antarctica in 2029, headlining a 2028–2029 Antarctic season with 12 itineraries and nearly 30 departures. Voyages range from 10 to 59 nights, with options for first-time visitors and travelers seeking more remote regions of the continent.
The 59-night circumnavigation departs Ushuaia, Argentina, on Jan. 11, 2029, aboard Le Commandant Charcot, following what Ponant describes as a sold-out inaugural circumnavigation in 2028. Offered in two segments, the roundtrip voyage includes a one-night stay in Hobart, Tasmania, on Feb. 9.
The itinerary traces about 14,300 miles through the Bellingshausen, Amundsen, Ross, and Weddell Seas. Highlights include the Ross Ice Shelf, Mount Erebus, Charcot Island, and UNESCO-listed Macquarie Island, with opportunities to observe penguins, seals, whales, and seabirds.
“Our 2028-2029 Antarctic season showcases the extraordinary diversity of experiences available across the White Continent, from classic journeys along the Antarctic Peninsula to crossing the Weddell Sea to our second full circumnavigation,” said Samuel Chamberlain, the CEO of Ponant Explorations Americas.
Two departures offer additional expert programming. A 12-night Weddell Sea expedition aboard Le Commandant Charcot, departing Nov. 6, 2028, will feature an Explorers Club member and a science grantee conducting research onboard. The 10-night Antarctica: The White Continent voyage aboard Le Lyrial, departing Jan. 28, 2029, operates in alliance with Smithsonian Journeys, with two experts leading lectures and discussions.
For clients making their first Antarctic trip, Emblematic Antarctica offers 13 departures aboard Le Boréal and Le Lyrial from November 2028 through February 2029. The 10-night itinerary includes a pre-departure hotel night in Buenos Aires, round-trip flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, and transfers. Holiday departures sail Dec. 19 and Dec. 29, 2028.
Other itineraries explore South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, the Ross Sea, and New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands, with Le Soléal also joining the season’s four-ship lineup. Activities may include Zodiac excursions, shore landings, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, and polar plunges, depending on the itinerary, weather, and ice conditions.
Fares for the 2028–2029 Antarctic season start at $15,450 per person.
