MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ponant cruises operating Antarctic expeditions from Ushuaia

Twin vessels LÁustral and Le Boreal are already docked in Ushuaia ready for Antarctic expeditions

French cruise company Ponant, specializing in Antarctic expeditions has two of its vessels in the port of Ushuaia, extreme south of Argentina. L'Austral and Le Boreal twin vessels are 142 meters long with a capacity of 246 passengers and 140 crew.

For several seasons now, Ponant has chosen Ushuaia as its operational base for Antarctic expeditions, and was the first to resume such tours in 2021/22 following on the prolonged Covid 19 pandemic hiatus.

A third cruise vessel, Le Lyrial is expected in Ushuaia as well as Le Commandant Charcot, Norwegian built, which possesses an icebreaking capacity (Class PC2) and is powered with a hybrid mix of LNG and electric batteries.

Abiding by the strict sanitary measures both in Chile and Argentina, Ponant cruise applies the green bubble, and passengers spend a night in Santiago de Chile, plus a Santiago/Ushuaia charter, transfer to the port for boarding and on the return trip are also flown on a charter Ushuaia/Santiago.