There’s the North Pole… and there’s the “North Pole of Inaccessibility.” Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot has done something no ship of any kind has ever done before. In the 21st century, it’s hard to imagine there’s a place on earth humans have never been, but close to the end of the 2024 Arctic cruise/ sailing season, the polar expedition cruise ship pulled off a ‘Star Trek’ of an accomplishment, going “where no man had ever gone before.” 

That place was the “North Pole of Inaccessibility,” one of the most elusive and remote points on Earth. It’s the farthest point in the Arctic Ocean from any land or accessible water. 

During her expedition from Nome, Alaska, to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Le Commandant Charcot not only conquered the North Pole of Inaccessibility but also crossed two additional historic markers: the Magnetic North Pole and the Geographic North Pole.

But both of those points on the globe have been previously achieved by humans. In a monumental achievement – especially for a cruise ship with guests on board – French-flagged Le Commandant Charcot carved its name into the world’s exploration history books and marked a new chapter in the history of polar navigation. 

The North Pole of Accessibility is a place few dared to imagine reaching – and certainly not guests of a cruise ship – no matter that it’s a Polar Class 2 icebreaking ship. 

According to Ponant, the guests, crew and an international team of 20 scientists on board were all equally awed by the momentous occasion – a feat “many believed impossible.”

“Reaching the North Pole of Inaccessibility is a moment of rare intensity. Above all, it is a collective adventure, made possible thanks to Ponant’s passion and expertise,” said the ship’s Captain Étienne Garcia.  

How Many North Poles Are There?

Geographers describe 3 North Poles: 

1. The geographic North Pole is the North on maps. It lies in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.
2. The magnetic North Pole is the point that attracts the needle of a compass. It was discovered in 1831 in the Canadian High Arctic. It’s apparently moving towards Russia at a rate of 25 miles a year!
3. The North Pole of Inaccessibility is even harder to pin down. It is located on constantly-moving Arctic Ocean pack ice at a distance farthest from any landmass. Its coordinates are 85°48’ North, 176°09’ East and it’s over 600 miles from the three closest landmasses. 

While attempts have been made for over a century, no human has ever set foot on that spot on the planet, although, almost a century ago, in 1927, Hubert Wilkins flew over this Pole of Inaccessibility for the first time in a plane.

This incredible feat obviously isn’t easy. And only a very specific kind of ship could ever hope to nail it. Le Commandant Charcot isn’t just specifically designed for polar expeditions, as are other polar expedition ships. While one of a fleet of elegant, French-flagged 14 Ponant ships, she is the only vessel of her kind, an actual icebreaker, equipped with a Polar Class 2 (PC2) hull, which enables her to navigate the most extreme conditions with minimal environmental impact. Powered by a cutting-edge hybrid electric engine and fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the vessel exemplifies sustainable exploration in the modern age. 

This expedition not only opened a new frontier in polar exploration and expedition cruising but also set a precedent for future scientific endeavors. During the stop at the North Pole of Inaccessibility, the team of international scientists onboard collected critical data from these uncharted waters, furthering our understanding of this remote region’s ecosystems and climate. 

It’s extraordinary to think that not only did humans just in 2024 achieve this monumental moment of exploration, but that it was achieved by an expedition cruise ship with guests on board who literally have bragging rights even professional explorers can’t match! 

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Images courtesy of Ponant.

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