A French luxury cruise line has unveiled its new ship that it will use to sail around Antarctica - see inside

Brittany ChangOct 31, 2021, 18:45 IST

The Le Commandant Charcot.Studio Ponant/Olivier Blaud

French cruise company Ponant has unveiled its Le Commandant Charcot, a "polar exploration vessel."
The hybrid electric ship is in part powered by liquefied natural gas and can accommodate up to 245 guests.

French luxury cruise company Ponant recently launched its 13th vessel, a hybrid electric cruise ship designed to sail in frigid climates like Antarctica.

Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Emerick Le Mouel

Meet Le Commandant Charcot, Ponant's first hybrid "Polar Class 2" ship that's in part fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Le Commandant Charcot. Studio Ponant/Olivier Blaud

The new ship is a "mark of Ponant's commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism," according to its maker.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

The 492-foot-long ship is powered by five engines and 50 tons of lithium ion batteries, but most of its power comes from the LNG, Rachel King reported for Fortune.

Le Commandant Charcot Ponant/JulienFabro

Besides these cleaner energy sources, Le Commandant Charcot isn't like the typical Royal Caribbean or Carnival mega cruise ship.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

For one, Ponant has banned single-use plastic while implementing onboard waste sorting aboard the ship.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

It's also full of suites lined with Dyptique products and restaurants by multi-Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse.

Le Commandant Charcot. Studio Ponant/Nath Michel

And on that note, let's take a tour of Le Commandant Charcot's amenities.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

The vessel can accommodate 245 people inside its 123 staterooms.

Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Nicolas Dubreuil

These rooms range from 215 square-feet to 1,238 square-feet.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

And every unit comes with its own balcony, which is perfect passengers who want to enjoy their quiet morning cup of coffee in the frigid Antarctic temperatures.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

The largest suite, the owner's suite, has its own 1,937-square-foot terrace.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

There are also four 1,011 square-foot duplex suites that all have their own jacuzzis and terraces.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

These duplex suites, the owner's suite, and the privilege and grand prestige suites all come with butler service.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

All of the rooms also have charging ports that are compatible with both European and American devices.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

In true luxury fashion, Le Commandant Charcot will have amenities that aren't often found on a cruise ship, such as a cigar lounge …

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

… a wrap-around promenade deck with heated seats …

The Le Commandant Charcot. Studio Ponant/Olivier Blaud

… and a spa equipped with services like a gym, a "snow room" with real snow, a detox bar, and massages with luxury products.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

Despite these flashy amenities, Le Commandant Charcot also has a few amenities that can be found on your typical cruise ship, such as a theater, an indoor pool ...

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

... meeting rooms, and a heated outdoor pool by a fire pit.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

Hungry sea goers can dine at the ship's two restaurants or its outdoor bar.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

There's also an onboard laboratory to aid in the studying of the environments the cruise ship will be sailing through.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

And passengers interested in these studies can attend the ship's onboard lectures.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

But if you prefer the thrill of the outdoors, Le Commandant Charcot will offer opportunities to go kayaking, ice fishing, polar diving, hovercrafting, and more.

Kayakers and Le Commandant Charcot. Studio Ponant/Olivier Blaud

Ponant officially launched the ship September 28, and there are now itineraries available through the winter of 2022 to 2023.

Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Nicolas Dubreuil

And unlike your typical ship, Le Commandant Charcot can travel to remote destinations like the North Pole region.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

This includes the upcoming "Weddell Sea and Larsen Ice Shelf" sailings starting at almost $14,000, making it one of the ship's cheapest options.

Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Nicolas Dubreuil

This 11-night lineup will either sail to and from Punta Arenas, Chile or Ushuaia, Argentina with stops along the Antarctic Peninsula.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

There's also the more expensive Northwest Passage itinerary, which will sail from Iceland to Alaska.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

This 25-day cruise, which will sail from September to October 2022, starts at $42,100.

Kayakers and Le Commandant Charcot. Studio Ponant/Olivier Blaud

This price may seem hefty to the average cruise goer, but the sailing is already booked out.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

If you're looking to spend big, you can book the "Unexplored Antarctica between Two Continents" sailing, which will operate from January 15 to February 13, 2023.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

This 30-day cruise will sail from Argentina to New Zealand, and will "half-circumnavigate" Antarctica along the way, according to the cruise line.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

The sailing starts at $45,420 for a stateroom, making it the ship's most expensive itinerary so far.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

This price then shoots up to a lofty $172,050 for the owner's suite, which has already been booked for the sailing.

Inside the Le Commandant Charcot. Ponant/Gilles Trillard

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A French luxury cruise line has unveiled its new ship that it will use to sail around Antarctica - see inside

French luxury cruise company Ponant recently launched its 13th vessel, a hybrid electric cruise ship designed to sail in frigid climates like Antarctica.

Meet Le Commandant Charcot, Ponant's first hybrid "Polar Class 2" ship that's in part fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The new ship is a "mark of Ponant's commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism," according to its maker.

The 492-foot-long ship is powered by five engines and 50 tons of lithium ion batteries, but most of its power comes from the LNG, Rachel King reported for Fortune.

Besides these cleaner energy sources, Le Commandant Charcot isn't like the typical Royal Caribbean or Carnival mega cruise ship.

For one, Ponant has banned single-use plastic while implementing onboard waste sorting aboard the ship.

It's also full of suites lined with Dyptique products and restaurants by multi-Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse.

And on that note, let's take a tour of Le Commandant Charcot's amenities.

The vessel can accommodate 245 people inside its 123 staterooms.

These rooms range from 215 square-feet to 1,238 square-feet.

And every unit comes with its own balcony, which is perfect passengers who want to enjoy their quiet morning cup of coffee in the frigid Antarctic temperatures.

The largest suite, the owner's suite, has its own 1,937-square-foot terrace.

There are also four 1,011 square-foot duplex suites that all have their own jacuzzis and terraces.

These duplex suites, the owner's suite, and the privilege and grand prestige suites all come with butler service.

All of the rooms also have charging ports that are compatible with both European and American devices.

In true luxury fashion, Le Commandant Charcot will have amenities that aren't often found on a cruise ship, such as a cigar lounge …

… a wrap-around promenade deck with heated seats …

… and a spa equipped with services like a gym, a "snow room" with real snow, a detox bar, and massages with luxury products.

Despite these flashy amenities, Le Commandant Charcot also has a few amenities that can be found on your typical cruise ship, such as a theater, an indoor pool ...

... meeting rooms, and a heated outdoor pool by a fire pit.

Hungry sea goers can dine at the ship's two restaurants or its outdoor bar.

There's also an onboard laboratory to aid in the studying of the environments the cruise ship will be sailing through.

And passengers interested in these studies can attend the ship's onboard lectures.

But if you prefer the thrill of the outdoors, Le Commandant Charcot will offer opportunities to go kayaking, ice fishing, polar diving, hovercrafting, and more.

Ponant officially launched the ship September 28, and there are now itineraries available through the winter of 2022 to 2023.

And unlike your typical ship, Le Commandant Charcot can travel to remote destinations like the North Pole region.

This includes the upcoming "Weddell Sea and Larsen Ice Shelf" sailings starting at almost $14,000, making it one of the ship's cheapest options.

This 11-night lineup will either sail to and from Punta Arenas, Chile or Ushuaia, Argentina with stops along the Antarctic Peninsula.

There's also the more expensive Northwest Passage itinerary, which will sail from Iceland to Alaska.

This 25-day cruise, which will sail from September to October 2022, starts at $42,100.

This price may seem hefty to the average cruise goer, but the sailing is already booked out.

If you're looking to spend big, you can book the "Unexplored Antarctica between Two Continents" sailing, which will operate from January 15 to February 13, 2023.

This 30-day cruise will sail from Argentina to New Zealand, and will "half-circumnavigate" Antarctica along the way, according to the cruise line.

The sailing starts at $45,420 for a stateroom, making it the ship's most expensive itinerary so far.

This price then shoots up to a lofty $172,050 for the owner's suite, which has already been booked for the sailing.