There are journeys that redefine what it means to travel—and then there are voyages like this.
Tesa Totengco aboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot on the Frozen St. Lawrence River, Photo by Cindy Miller Hopkins
When Travel + Leisure asked me to experience PONANT’s Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker, I said yes without hesitation. I didn’t fully realize how adventurous this would be—or how profoundly it would move me. We’d just returned from Antarctica less than a month earlier, yet here I was packing for another polar adventure—this time trading penguins for maple sugar, glaciers for boreal forests, and the deep blue of the Southern Ocean for the frozen silver of the St. Lawrence River.
The itinerary—The St. Lawrence River in the Heart of the Boreal Winter—promised snow-covered villages, Indigenous encounters, and days spent gliding through ice. When sign-ups opened for activities, I checked every box for experiences I’d never done before: snowshoeing, dogsledding, and ice fishing. When would I ever do this again?
Québec City: A Prelude in Frost
Our adventure began in postcard-perfect Québec City, where we checked into the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, that grand dame perched above the river. Dinner at Auberge Saint-Antoine set the tone—elevated, local, quietly elegant.
The next morning, we visited the Hôtel de Glace, North America’s only ice hotel—an ephemeral sculpture of snow arches and crystalline walls. From there, we continued to Wendake, home of the Huron-Wendat Nation, where we shared lunch at La Traite and listened to stories inside the National Longhouse Ekionkiestha. It was a grounding prelude—a reminder that travel, at its best, connects us to people, not just places.
The World’s Only Luxury Icebreaker
Then came the moment we’d been waiting for: embarkation aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the first and only Polar Class 2 luxury icebreaker ever built—a feat of French engineering and imagination. With just 123 staterooms and suites, she carries no more than 245 guests and a crew of roughly 215, giving an almost one-to-one service ratio.
This hybrid-powered, LNG and battery-assisted vessel was designed to navigate regions where few ships can go, yet it feels every bit like a floating Relais & Châteaux: warm woods, soft leathers, panoramic lounges, and a spa complete with sauna, snow room, and indoor pool. Every stateroom has a private balcony (yes, on an icebreaker!), and every detail—from the scent of cedar to the hush of carpeting—reminds you this is exploration wrapped in elegance.
The ship’s captain, Patrick Marchesseau, is something of a legend himself—a real-life hero whose calm leadership during a 2009 Somali pirate hijacking of PONANT’s yacht Le Ponant ensured his entire crew’s safety. His story was among the events that inspired the Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips. Knowing that our expedition was under his command added a quiet sense of reassurance—and awe.
Moments of Wonder
Each day revealed a new face of winter. In Jacques-Cartier National Park, I strapped on snowshoes and followed our guide through a forest so still I could hear my own breath. In La Baie, I howled along with eighty huskies as we dogsledded through the boreal forest—a flurry of snow, fur, and laughter. Then came ice fishing in the Saguenay Fjord, inside brightly painted huts warmed by wood stoves and camaraderie.
In Sept-Îles, we were welcomed by the Innu Nation, sitting on fir-covered floors inside a traditional Shaputuan as elders shared stories of land and lineage. In Gaspé, the Mi’kmaq offered bannik bread, maple syrup, and tea—simple, profound acts of generosity that cut through the cold.
Somewhere between the silence of snowshoeing and the laughter of shared meals, I realized this voyage wasn’t about conquering the Arctic—it was about listening to it.
The Magdalen Islands: Red Cliffs, White Snow, Blue Sea
Toward journey’s end, the Magdalen Islands appeared like a painter’s dream—red sandstone cliffs against cobalt water, dusted with white. We hiked the Fatima Cliffs, where the red earth met the frozen sea, then followed a tasting trail that told the story of island ingenuity:
the Pied-de-Vent dairy, whose artisanal cheeses embody the spirit of the islands,
the Fumoir d’Antan smokehouse, where herring has been cured for generations, and
À l’Abri de la Tempête, a brewery transforming seaweed and wild herbs into beer.
It was local, authentic, and delicious—a testament to how creativity flourishes even in isolation.
Life Aboard: A Floating Sanctuary
If the adventures ashore were exhilarating, life aboard Le Commandant Charcot was pure indulgence. Every evening felt like returning to a sanctuary—heated floors, quiet corners, soft jazz echoing through the Observation Lounge.
And the cuisine? Quite simply, the best I’ve ever had at sea. With the Alain Ducasse imprint guiding the culinary program, each meal was a celebration: perfect French bread with salted butter, exquisitely plated entrées, and desserts that could hold their own in Paris. The French Toast—golden, crisp, and custardy—became my morning ritual, and the Sunday Brunch with its gleaming fruits de mer spread was an event unto itself.
What made it even more special was learning that the Executive Sous Chef and most of the kitchen team were Filipino—a moment of immense pride for me, knowing how much talent and heart they bring to global hospitality.
with the Entire Kitchen Staff of Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot
Through a New Lens
Traveling alongside Photo Ambassador Cindy Miller Hopkins added another dimension. “She was like a friend who just happened to be incredibly talented,” I told Travel + Leisure. Her thoughtful coaching helped me see the ice not as emptiness, but as light, texture, and story. Thanks to her, I came home with images that feel alive—tiny frozen miracles of reflection and stillness.
Cindy Miller Hopkins and Tesa Totengco
What I’ll Remember Most
In a place defined by ice and snow, it was the warmth that stayed with me—the human warmth, the quiet acts of kindness, the shared joy of discovery. This wasn’t a checklist trip; it was a reminder that exploration isn’t about how far you go, but how deeply you feel.
As I wrote in my Q&A:
“There’s no sound quite like ice cracking beneath an Arctic sunrise. It’s nature reminding you who’s in charge—and how lucky you are just to witness it.”
PONANT calls this exploration with elegance. I call it the future of travel.
Because some journeys don’t just take you somewhere new—they change the way you see everything.
Ready to chart your own uncharted path?
Let’s plan your adventure to Antartica, Arctic, Geographic North Pole and the full circumnavigation of Antarctica (in 2028) aboard Le Commandant Charcot.
📧 tesa@travelswithtesa.com | 🌐 travelswithtesa.com
Follow along on Instagram @travelswithtesa