by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 2:30 PM ET, Wed October 14, 2026
PONANT EXPLORATIONS has announced its 2028-2029 Antarctica season, featuring nearly 30 departures across 12 itineraries, including a 59-night circumnavigation and special voyages offered in alliance with Smithsonian Journeys and The Explorers Club.
The itineraries range from 10 to 59 nights and explore destinations across the southern polar region, including the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea. Fares start at $15,450 per person.
Four ships will operate the season: Le Boréal, Le Lyrial, Le Soléal and Le Commandant Charcot, the world's only luxury icebreaker. Expedition teams and naturalist guides will lead activities such as Zodiac excursions, shore landings, kayaking, hiking and snowshoeing, depending on weather and ice conditions.
“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,” says Samuel Chamberlain, chief executive officer of PONANT EXPLORATIONS Americas.
One of the season's most ambitious itineraries is the 59-night Antarctica Circumnavigation aboard Le Commandant Charcot, departing roundtrip from Ushuaia, Argentina, on January 11, 2029. The voyage covers approximately 14,300 miles (23,000 kilometers) of coastline, crossing the Bellingshausen, Amundsen, Ross and Weddell seas. Highlights include the Ross Ice Shelf, the Balleny Islands and remote areas such as Marie Byrd Land, with opportunities to spot penguins, seals, whales and other polar wildlife. The itinerary will include a one-night stay in Hobart, Tasmania, on February 9, 2029, and will be offered in two segments.
The season will also feature two voyages with specialized enrichment programs. A 12-night Weddell Sea expedition aboard Le Commandant Charcot departs November 6, 2028, in alliance with The Explorers Club. Guests will have access to onboard lectures from an Explorers Club member and a science grantee conducting research aboard the ship.
Meanwhile, a 10-night Antarctic Peninsula voyage aboard Le Lyrial, departing January 28, 2029, will operate in alliance with Smithsonian Journeys. Two Smithsonian Journeys experts will lead lectures and discussions covering the region's wildlife, history and environment.
For travelers seeking a shorter introduction to the continent, PONANT will offer 13 departures of its 10-night Emblematic Antarctica itinerary aboard Le Boréal and Le Lyrial between November 2028 and February 2029. The voyages include a pre-cruise hotel night in Buenos Aires, round-trip flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, and transfers. Special departures include a Christmas sailing on December 19, 2028, and a New Year's sailing on December 29, 2028.
Additional itineraries will explore the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Patagonia and New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands. Options include a 17-night Great Austral Loop, a 12-night Weddell Sea and Larsen Ice Shelf expedition, a 14-night voyage beyond the Antarctic Circle, and a 21-night Ross Sea expedition retracing routes associated with polar explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton.
The program also includes an 18-night voyage through the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Valdés Peninsula, departing February 27, 2029. Across the season, travelers can explore penguin colonies, glaciers, icebergs and remote coastlines while learning about the region's wildlife, scientific research and history of exploration.
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