Adventure in Baffin Island with Le Ponant
Polar Expedition
Explore the extreme regions of the globe withe 5-Star comfort and service and so discover the unique concept of Ponant polar expedition cruises.
A 5* expedition trip
Choosing a PONANT expedition cruise means opting for a state of mind: the combination of elegance and authenticity, as well as exploration and confort, as well as adventure and refinement. As a result, you will enjoy personalized and attentive service, refined gastronomy and the comfort of your ship and cabin.
Great North and Arctic Cruise
from August 14, 2020 to August 28, 2020
15 days / 14 nights
Port of departure : Kangerlussuaq
Port of arrival : Kangerlussuaq
Ship : AUSTRAL
The Route
Yor first stop will be in Ilulissat, on the west coast of Greenland. In the heart of magnificent UNESCO world heritage listed fjord, let yourself be seduced by the magical of spectacular icebergs here who are the masters of the place.
The Austral will then cross the Davis strait to reach Pont Inlet, north of Baffin island. Located at the entrance to the legendary Northwest Passage, this hamlet surrounded by mountains and glaciers sometimes as the privilege of witnessing the passage of narwals.
Your journey through Nunavut will continue along the west coast of Baffin Island. For this reaso, you will have various opportunities to meet local communities, including Cape Dorset, a village well known for the Inuit art pieces that can be admired.
And finally, before your landing in Kangerlussuaq, do not miss the visit of Akpatok, a mysterious and uninhabited island where is not rare in sumer to cross bears, baited by the impressive colony of guillemots de Brünnich who took residence there.
Important note:
You are the privileged guests of this remote lands where the weather conditions, ice, tide and current dictate their law. This is why landings at certain sites and wildlife viewing can not be garanted and vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique moment. The commander and the expedition leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, in accordance with safety instructions and AECO regulations.
Highlights
- Outings and landings in Zodiac® with an experienced team of naturalist guides.
- Possibility of hiking.
- The discovery of Baffin, the largest island in Canada, and the beautiful landscapes of Nunavut.
- Visit traditional villages and meeting with the Inuit people of Greenland and Nunavut.
- Discovery of Disko Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at the meeting of the largest icebergs in the Northern Hemisphere .
- Landscapes : icebergs, fjords, cut mountains, glaciers, wild tundra, steep cliffs and polar ice caps.
- Wildlife : polar bears, whales, seals, walruses, killer whales, arctic sternes, guillemots of Brünnich and many other seabirds.
Free Parka 
Naturalist 
Free Boot Rental
DELUXE CABIN
- Area : 193,75 ft²
- Capacity : up to 2 passengers per cabin
- Office with letter paper
PRESTIGE CABIN DECK 4, 5 or 6
- Area : 193,75 ft²
- Capacity : up to 2 passengers per cabin
- Balcony : 43 ft²
LUXURY SUITE
- Area : 290 ft²
- Capacity : Up to 2 passengers per cabin
- Balcony : 64 ft²
PRESTIGE SUITE
- Area : 387,5 ft²
- Capacity : Up to 4 passengers per cabin
- Balcony : 86 ft²
SHIPOWNER SUITE
- Area : 484 ft²
- Capacity : Up to 2 passengers per cabin
- Private Balcony : 96 ft²
- On the deck 6
- Office with letter paper
- Bath or Shower
- Exceptional panorama on the sea
- Individual air conditioning
- Double bed or 2 single beds
- Shower
- Separate toilets
- Mini bar
- Flat screen TV
- Ipod™ Station
- Video on demand
- Electronic safe
- French brand bath Products
- Dressing table and hair dryer
- Direct telephone line by satellite
- 110/220 volt Installation
- Room service 24h / 24h
- Wifi Internet access.
Conditions and formalities :
Check with your embassy if you are not a national.
Formalities:
Passengers who deviate from the proposed embarkation and disembarkation program must imperatively check with the competent authorities to know the formalities necessary for their journey.
Additional legal information:
Warning about the use of drones: the use of drones aboard PONANT vessels, whether in navigation or even at a stopover or anchorage is strictly prohibited. Similarly, the use of drones ashore in the Arctic and Antarctic areas is also strictly prohibited by international polar regulations. In other regions, the possible use of drones on land is subject to obtaining a permit from the competent authorities of each country and each zone crossed, as well as a driving license to be obtainedby the user in his home country. Obtaining these permits is the responsability of the passengers ; permits must be available at all times. As a result, passengers by passing these authorizations are subject to prosecution.
Kangerlussuaq
Embarkation 08/14/2020 from 4 to 5 pm . Departure 08/14/2020 at 6 pm .
From 1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq, in Greenland, was home to a US military base. Its international airport is now a transit point for travelers seeking adventure in the Far North. Located north of the Arctic Circle, this city is indeed the starting point for beutiful discoveries in the heart of Wilderness. A few seven miles away, it is possible to approach the Greenland Ice Cap, the largest ice formation in the Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, admire the beautiful autumn-colored tundra landscapes, where the most remarkable Arctic hares, musk oxen, polar foxes, reindeer, hawks and eagles have made their home.
15 August 2020▸16 August 2020 – ILULISSAT
Arrived 08/15/2020. Departure 08/16/2020.
In the heart of the famous Disko Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ilulissat Icefjord offers a spectacle of almost unreal beauty due to the presence of the largest icebergs in the northern hemisphere. True ice sculpture with translucent colors, they continue their eternal path and seem to sparkle with a thousand lights. From their sides fall huge chunks of ice that inexorably reach the sea. Nearby, you will discover the village of Ilulissat, the main curiosity of the region. Surrounded by ice giants, it present a unique blend of traditional Arctic Life, with its multicolored wooden houses, sled dogs and skin tanners working according to ancestral methods.
17 August 2020 – AT SEA
Arrived 08/17/2020. Departure 08/17/2020.
During your day at sea, enjoy the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation at the spa or keep fit at the gym. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the pool or sunbathing. This non-stop day will also be an opportunity to attend conferences and shows on board, to make some purchases at the shop or to meet the PONANT photographers in the space dedicated to them. Lovers of thr open sea, meanwhile, will visit the upper deck of the ship to admire the spectacle of the waves and may have the chance to observe marine species. A true parenthesis enchantes, between comfort, rest and entertainment.
18 August 2020 – POND INLET, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/18/2020. Departure 08/18/2020.
We then arrive in Canada’s north, on Baffin Island, at the mouth of the famous Northwest Passage, there is a small Inuit hamlet that converse with the infinite. To discover it, you will cross the Arctic Circle, this imaginary line that separates man from mysterious and marvelous lands. It’s not so much their daily life differentiates Pond Inlet residents from the rest of the world, but rather their living environment. Here snow-capped mountains, fjords and glaciers rise up to form this vibrant natural environment that fils qpace and expands time. Some discoveries change you forever: this is the case of this one.
19 August 2020 – NAVIGATION IN THE BELLOT STRAIT
Arrived 08/19/2020. Departure 08/19/2020.
Here and finally the key stage of the Northwest Passage, the strait of Bellot, crossed by strongcurrents, promises you a moment of unforgettable sailing. The entrance to the strait is overlooked bythe Ross cairn. Not far from there are buildings of Fort Ross. Separating Somerset Island from the Boothia Peninsula, this 1,2 mile wide passageway was discovered in 1852 by Captain William Kennedy, Royal Navy navigator, and by Frenchman Joseph-René Bellot, at a expedition looking for Sir Franklin. Discover a magnificent setting covered with snow, divided by large ice sheets. A navigation during which your ship may be escorted by an icebreaker … and some polar bears.
20 August 2020 – ÎLE POUNCET, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/20/2020. Departure 08/20/2020.
21 August 2020 – IGLOOLIK, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/21/2020. Departure 08/21/2020.
22 August 2020 – ÎLE PRINCE-CHARLES, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/22/2020. Departure 08/22/2020.
23 August 2020 – CAPE DORSET, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/23/2020. Departure 08/23/2020.
24 August 2020 – KIMMIRUT, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/24/2020. Departure 08/24/2020.
25 August 2020 – ÎLE D’AKPATOK, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/25/2020. Departure 08/25/2020.
26 August 2020 – IQALUIT, NUNAVUT
Arrived 08/26/2020. Departure 08/26/2020.
27 August 2020 – AT SEA
Arrived 08/27/2020. Departure 08/27/2020.
During your day at sea, enjoy the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation at the spa or keep fit at the gym. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the pool or sunbathing. This non-stop day will also be an opportunity to attend conferences and shows on board, to make some purchases at the shop or to meet the PONANT photographers in the space dedicated to them. Lovers of thr open sea, meanwhile, will visit the upper deck of the ship to admire the spectacle of the waves and may have the chance to observe marine species. A true parenthesis enchantes, between comfort, rest and entertainment.
KANGERLUSSUAQ
Debarkation the 08/28/2020 at 7:30 am.
From 1941 to 1992, the town of Kangerlussuaq, in Greenland, was home to a US military base. Its international airport is now a transit point for travelers seeking adventure in the Far North. Located north of the Arctic Circle, this city is indeed the starting point for beutiful discoveries in the heart of Wilderness. A few seven miles away, it is possible to approach the Greenland Ice Cap, the largest ice formation in the Northern Hemisphere. From Kangerlussuaq, admire the beautiful autumn-colored tundra landscapes, where the most remarkable Arctic hares, musk oxen, polar foxes, reindeer, hawks and eagles have made their home.
For more peace of mind, PONANT has selected flights and organized transfers between the port and the airport (and vice versa). This package is included in the price of your cruise.
Day 1 – The day of your boarding – Paris/Kangerlussuaq
Flights Paris/Kangerlussuaq selected by PONANT
Flights time : approximately 4:40.
Airport reception.
Transfer to the port for boarding.
– Cruise aboard your ship –
Day 16 – The day of your landing – Kangerlussuaq/Paris
Landing.
Welcome to the port.
Transfer to the airport for the registration of Kangerlussuaq/Paris flights selected by PONANT.
Flights time : approximately 4:40.
Your program includes:
- Paris / Kangerlussuaq and Kangerlussuaq / Paris flights selected by PONANT in economy class.
- The transfers mentioned above.
- The assistance of our local representative.
Your program does not include :
- Tips.
- Personal (drinks, meals, visits…).
- Other services not mentioned in the program.
To note :
Tourist infrastructure is limited to Kangerlussuaq. We thank you for your flexibility and understanding.
- Since local transport ressources are limites, waiting can be generated.
- Bus offer basis comfort. Thus the storage capacity is limited on boardvehicles, so it is recommended to minimize your carry-on luggage. The use of a backpack is recomended.
- Similarly, the local resoirces of guides being limited, please note that the drivers act as a guide. Whenever possible, translations will be made by the on-board staff.
- Flights schedules and programs subject to change.
- For passengers in transit in Paris, we recomend spending the nights before and after your flights to Paris to ensure your correspondence with confidence the next day.
Outfits and equipment
On expedition cruises, landings and trips are made in zodiac®, sometimes « wet feet », accompanied by your naturalist guides. Steps from easy to more « sporty » can also be proposed.
Zodiac® stopovers, landings and sorties depend on weather conditions, ice conditions, winds and sea state. These may at any time force the Commanding Officer oe the expedition leader to cancel, or interrupt any activity or even completely change the route. The final route will be confirmed by the Commanding Officer of the ship, with prerogatives of tourist quality and passenger safety. His decisiion will be in line with that of the authorities.
Given the remoteness of any complete medical structure, any external medical intervention is most often airborne and extremely expensive. Without insurance coverage, you will have to support financially and immediately all the expenses of the medical actors and the special transport to be envisaged. We strongly advise you to take out comprehensive insurance and invite you to carefully choose your cancellation / assistance / repatriation insurance policy, especially if you are insured via your credit card.
Clothing recommendations :
- 1 – Waterproof parka available on board (not available for children sizes, in case of a series of different cruises, only 1 parka offered) on cruise ship dates with the « Parka Offert » logo.
- 2 – Rising boots (up to half of the minimum calf) waterproof rubber and non-slip soles (for hiking and visits on undeveloped land, sometimes unstable, and to land in 20 centimeters of ice cold water without getting wet). A free rental will be offered on board (only for adults) on cruise ship dates with the logo » Boot rental offered ». Book your boots up to 7 days before your departure.
- 3 – Soft pants: classic winter pants, warm cotton tracksuit or wool leggings
- 4 – Waterproof and windproof over-pants – MANDATORY
The combination of winter trousers and waterproof pants is ideal: the waterproofness and flexibility of trousers are essential and imperative combinaison pantalon d’hiver et sur-pantalon étanche est idéale : l’imperméabilité et la souplesse des pantalons sont indispensables et impératives.
5 – Sweater, sweatshirt or fleece jacket
6 – Technical underwear or underwear made of wool or « thermolactyl »
7 – Scarf and hat covering ears wool or fleece (avoid scarves that do not hold in place) – MANDATORY
8 – Wool or silk under-gloves, soft and waterproof technical gloves
9 – Warm thick socks (preferably wool)
Accessories :
- 10 – Sunglasses with a strong protective index
- 11 – Binoculars highly recommended for wildlife observation
- 12 – Small waterproof backpack to protect your camera
- 13 – walking sticks (strongly recommended)
Télécharger ici les brochures Ponant
Expéditions polaires & Tropicales 19-20