ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

 The Arctic may be off limits to humans for the most part, but when Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot comes gliding over frigid waters, the unexplored wilderness feels compelled to reveal itself in its full resplendence.

- KIRSTIE CLEMENTS

As the world resumes international travel after a two-and-half-year hiatus, there seems to be a renewed sense of adventure in the air to seek the unknown and experience the unfamiliar. What, then, could be more spirited than unravelling the mysteries of the two poles, the most isolated territories on the planet? Ponant's Le Commandant Charcot is the world's first luxury polar exploration vessel and polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the heart of these remote regions, crossing icy seas and oceans that were hitherto inaccessible. For intrepid travellers aboard this expansive and lavish receptacle, it's almost like walking in the footsteps of history's great polar explorers-albeit without the physical dangers-while clinking a glass of the house pour, Veuve Clicquot.

Ponant's Arctic cruise, which traces the secluded shores of East Greenland, takes off from the port of Reykjavík, the friendly, picturesque capital city of Iceland worth lingering in for a few days. Le Commandant Charcot is an elegantly understated ship with creamy, neutral interiors boasting chic cocktail bars with glimmering fireplaces, two restaurants (one of them offering an à la carte menu designed by the decorated French chef Alain Ducasse), and indoor and outdoor heated pools. Envisioned by architect Jean-Philippe Nuel, the interiors feature roomy, well-imagined cabins fitted with balconies and plenty of storage space: for cold-weather clothes. For the first two days, the boat is at sea and passengers spend time mingling with the crew and guests, debating whether they should sign up for kayaking, hiking or polar plunging, and practising how to change into polar-appropriate outerwear and boots in exactly 15 minutes. The weather conditions and ice floes are highly volatile and the possibility of participating in off-ship activities is assessed minute by minute via state-of-the-art navigational software and an on-board helicopter for scouting ahead.