An icebreaking cruise ship commenced its inaugural winter voyage along the St Lawrence River on Friday, January 17th, offering passengers a unique opportunity to explore the Canadian winter landscape. The journey marks a milestone in winter tourism, as the vessel becomes the first international passenger cruise ship to navigate the waterway during the colder months.
The vessel, Le Commandant Charcot, owned by Ponant, has a capacity of up to 245 passengers and 215 crew members. Known for its polar expeditions to destinations such as Antarctica, this marks the ship's first winter cruise along Quebec’s waterways. Approximately 150 passengers, primarily from francophone European countries, the UK, and the USA, embarked from St Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory near Newfoundland. The itinerary visits Cap-aux-Meules in Quebec's Iles-de-la-Madeleine archipelago.
Promoted as an immersive Canadian winter experience, the voyage features activities such as snowshoeing in Forillon National Park on the Gaspe Peninsula, ice fishing, and snowmobiling in La Baie (Saguenay). Passengers will also have the chance to skate in Old Quebec City and engage with traditional Mi’kmaq and Innu cultures through curated excursions.
Through March, Le Commandant Charcot is scheduled to operate four additional winter voyages. Its final itinerary of the season will include stops in Greenland before concluding in Iceland. To minimize its environmental impact, the ship employs battery power when navigating environmentally sensitive areas.
The current voyage is set to visit the Gaspe Peninsula on Tuesday, followed by Sept-Iles in the Cote-Nord region and La Baie in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean by Thursday. The journey will conclude in Quebec City at the end of January.