The final cruise ship call of the season at Lerwick has been cancelled due to adverse weather, despite the vessel's classification as a luxury polar exploration ship.
Le Commandant Charcot, operated by French cruise line Ponant, had been slated to call at Lerwick (Mainland Shetland, Scotland) on Monday during her 14-day Autumn Splendours itinerary. This voyage spans from the Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle to Norway’s fjords.
The cruise, priced at EUR 14,000+ per passenger, is among the more exclusive offerings to include a stop at Lerwick. However, it is modestly priced compared to the ship’s high-end expeditions, such as those to Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, where ticket prices can exceed US$90,000.
Designed for polar exploration, Le Commandant Charcot features luxury amenities, including a cigar lounge, spa, and outdoor pool. It is also notable as the first luxury hybrid-electric polar exploration vessel powered by liquefied natural gas.
The cancelled visit would have concluded a record-breaking cruise season for Lerwick Port Authority, which hosted 134 vessel calls during 2024. These arrivals brought a total of 6.9 million gross tonnes of shipping and 138,537 passengers.