Welcome to our top 10 Luxury icebreaker cruises, curated by our team of polar experts with firsthand experience.
Would you like to explore the deepest polar regions beyond the limits of a regular expedition ship and witness the most remote places only before seen by explorers?
Luxury icebreaker cruises allow unique access to the Arctic and Antarctica’s deepest, least-explored regions. These specialist ships are purpose-built with mighty hulls capable of crushing through thick sea ice and opening up routes off limits to all other ships.
Imagine navigating the pack ice deep inside Antarctica’s Weddell Sea and encountering the same sights that met Ernest Shackleton and his men: towering icebergs, Emperor Penguins, and never-ending sea ice. Or picture crushing through the Arctic sea ice, fulfilling a dream only realized by a few and standing on the North Pole.
From the deep south of Antarctica to the remote regions of East Greenland only seen by Inuit hunters and the geographic North Pole, icebreaker cruises have made these once-inaccessible places safe and comfortable to explore.
You can witness sights previously reserved for the most daring explorers and scientists thanks to Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s inaugural luxury icebreaker specifically engineered for navigating these extreme environments.
To fulfil your inner explorer and help you plan your voyage, we’ve curated a list of our Top 10 Luxury Icebreaker Cruises in 2025:
(New For 2025)
This new icebreaker cruise for 2025 gives travelers a unique insight into the frozen world of the Weddell Sea, a place of mystery that has been seen by incredibly few people at this time of year. Antarctica’s Weddell Sea is impenetrable to ships in October and November due to the thick sea ice that forms during the harsh winters.
Thanks to Le Commandant Charcot’s icebreaking hull, this voyage promises to take you deep into areas only seen by explorers such as Shackleton, whose ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the pack ice. If you want to encounter towering icebergs locked in by sea ice and remote colonies of Emperor Penguins, this is the icebreaker cruise for you.
Prices start from £19,050, $24,395 per person based on two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 13-day cruise departing from Ushuaia in Argentina onboard Le Commandant Charcot with three sailings between late October and early December 2025. If you are a solo traveler, this cruise offers a select amount of no-single supplement staterooms. Please enquire to find out more.
Reaching the North Pole is a goal of many explorers, but only a few people realize it yearly. The Geographic North Pole Icebreaker Cruise offers travelers a chance to stand on the sea ice at 90 degrees north, the most northerly point on Earth. Embarking from the most northerly town on Earth, Longyearbyen in Svalbard, this icebreaker cruise navigates the pack ice extending from Svalbard to the North Pole. Enjoy spending time on deck watching for polar bears that hunt on the pack ice, learn about this mesmerizing region from the ship’s onboard naturalist and guides or observe the ice navigation from the comfort of the ship’s heated lagoon.
Prices start from £33,160, $43,395 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 16-day cruise, which departs from Longyearbyen to the North Pole onboard Le Commandant Charcot. Four sailings will take place between July and early September 2025. The package also includes return flights between Paris and Longyearbyen.
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(New For 2025)
Launching in 2025, this luxury icebreaker cruise offers a unique opportunity to explore East and West Greenland during springtime when it is impassable to regular ships due to the vast sea ice volumes. Commencing from Reykjavik in Iceland, Le Commandant Charcot will sail east into the sea ice of East Greenland before navigating Prins Christian Sound and sailing up the West coast to reach the towering icebergs of Disko Bay with eight days of polar exploration. The ship will then sail south to Nuuk, Greenland’s colourful capital city.
Prices start from £17,290, $23,500 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 16-day luxury icebreaker cruise from Reykjavik in Iceland to Nuuk in Greenland onboard Le Commandant Charcot. There are two sailings between late March and early May 2025, one from Reykjavik and one from Nuuk. This package also includes a flight between Nuuk and Paris. If you are a solo traveller, this cruise offers a select amount of no-single supplement staterooms. Please enquire to find out more.
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This epic 21-day expedition offers you a chance to become a true polar explorer and embark on a daring passage to cross the entire frozen Arctic ocean across the top of the world on a luxury icebreaker cruise. Sailing from Svalbard, Le Commandant Charcot will head North, navigating through the pack ice to reach the Geographic and Magnetic North Pole before continuing to Nome in Alaska. Very few people have crossed the Arctic Ocean, and this one-of-a-kind voyage allows you to become one of them.
Prices start from £38,570, $49,995 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 21-day luxury icebreaker cruise commencing in Longyearbyen, Svalbard and arriving in Nome, Alaska onboard Le Commandant Charcot. The package includes a flight between Paris and Longyearbyen and Nome and Seattle. The ship offers one sailing each year in September.
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This intrepid luxury icebreaker cruise offers travellers the chance to explore the sea ice of East Greenland and Svalbard on the same voyage. Commencing in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Le commandant Charcot will sail north, exploring the sea ice of East Greenland before turning east and following the ice edge to Svalbard, where five days of exploration will take place, visiting iconic sites such as the North-East nature reserve and Hornsund before arriving at the most northerly town on Earth, Longyearbyen. This luxury icebreaker cruise is the perfect choice for travellers who want to see East Greenland and the highlights of Svalbard on the same voyage.
Prices start from £21,590, $28,335 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 17-day luxury icebreaker cruise onboard Le Commandant Charcot, which starts in Reykjavik and ends in Longyearbyen. The price includes a flight between Longyearbyen and Paris. The ship offers one sailing per year in June.
See the full itinerary and dates here
(New For 2026)
New for the 2026 Antarctica season, this luxury icebreaker cruise retraces the route of French Explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot into the seldom-explored Bellingshausen Sea far south of the Antarctic circle. Commencing from Ushuaia in Argentina, over 15 days, travellers will get to explore some of the least visited parts of the Antarctic Peninsula, such as Charcot Island, which is only accessible by icebreaker.
Prices start from £18,700, $23,951 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 15-day luxury Antarctica icebreaker cruise starting and ending in Ushuaia onboard Le Commandant Charcot. The ship offers three sailings between December 20205 and January 2026. If you are a solo traveller, this cruise offers a select amount of no-single supplement staterooms. Please enquire to find out more.
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East Greenland is known for its inaccessible sea ice, which creates a fortress around the coast and prevents normal ships from accessing it for most of the year. This pioneering luxury icebreaker cruise takes guests with an interest in polar exploration deep into the sea ice of East Greenland at a time when no other ship is allowed. Departing from Reykjavik, this expedition sails through the sea ice to North East Greenland, a captivating region of endless ice and a single remote community virtually unexplored at this time of year.
Prices start from £18,900 and $24.590 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 15-day luxury icebreaker cruise, which starts and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland, onboard Le Commandant Charcot. The ship offers two sailings each year between May and June. If you are a solo traveller, this cruise offers a select number of no-single supplement staterooms. Please enquire to find out more.
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(New For 2025)
In the spirit of pioneering exploration, this new luxury icebreaker cruise for 2025 explores the frozen expanse of the Saint Lawrence River in Canada in the depths of the winter. Commencing from Québec, this unique voyage sails along the Saint Lawrence River to Saint Pierre Island when it is inaccessible to regular ships. Anticipate a journey into the frozen beauty of Canada’s enchanting wilderness and enjoy winter activities, including snowshoeing.
Prices start from £17,590, $22,700 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 13-day luxury icebreaker cruise starting in Québec and ending in Saint Pierre Island onboard Le Commandant Charcot. The ship offers four sailings each year between January and February. The cost includes a one-way flight between Saint Pierre Island and Montreal. If you are a solo traveller, this cruise offers a select amount of no-single supplement staterooms. Please Enquire to find out more.
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This exciting luxury icebreaker cruise explores the Ammassalik region of East Greenland when it is locked by impenetrable sea ice as the region awakens from winter. Previously only seen by Inuit hunters, this cruise explores remote parts of the coastline and offers the chance to participate in activities such as Nordic Ski Trekking, Dog Sledding, and Ice Fishing in otherwise inaccessible regions. This is a great option for travellers looking for a true polar expedition.
Prices start from £13,500, $18,050 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 11-day luxury icebreaker cruise starting and ending in Reykjavik, Iceland. The ship offers 2-3 sailings each year between April and May. If you are a solo traveller, this cruise offers a select amount of no-single supplement staterooms. Please enquire to find out more.
This one-off luxury icebreaker cruise explores Saint Pierre Island in Canada before sailing to Southern Greenland to visit remote communities as they emerge from the winter. After sailing through the icy Cape Farvel Passage, the expedition will reach Reykjavik in Iceland. It offers a unique opportunity to explore Canada and Greenland on the same itinerary about Le Commandant Charcot.
Prices start from £18,560, $24,500 for two guests sharing a Prestige Stateroom on this 16-day luxury icebreaker cruise starting from Saint Pierre Island and ending in Reykjavik. The ship offers one sailing in March. The price includes a one-way flight between Montreal and Saint Pierre Island at the start of the voyage. If you are a solo traveller, this cruise offers a select number of no-single supplement staterooms. Please enquire to find out more.
Luxury icebreaker cruises are perfect for guests looking to explore further and deeper. You may have already visited the polar regions and want to return to see more or have a keen interest in exploring seldom-visited places such as the North Pole.
An icebreaker’s massive advantage over a conventional expedition ship is that it can access areas locked by sea ice that are off-limits to all other types of ships for most of the year. Destinations such as the North Pole are only accessible by icebreakers.
Luxury icebreaker cruises offer the ultimate exploration with all the creature comforts of a modern expedition ship. Expect luxurious suites with balconies, an outdoor heated lagoon and a choice of fine dining in two restaurants.
The difference between a luxury icebreaker and a regular expedition cruise ship is their capability to navigate through heavy sea ice. An icebreaking ship is built with a super-strengthened scoop-shaped hull that uses the ship’s weight to crush through sea ice up to 3 meters thick. Regular expedition cruise ships are ice-strengthened, which allows them to explore open-pack ice, but they don’t have the strength to break the ice, so their range is more limited.
When launched in 2021, Le Commandant Charcot became the world’s first luxury icebreaker and the first built-for-purpose cruise ship to reach the Geographic North Pole. The ship is one of the most advanced ever built and can remain autonomous for up to 8 weeks, allowing it to explore the furthest reaches of the polar regions.
Are you curious to learn more about the pioneering Icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot? See more about ship highlights, cabins, galleries, cruises, and deck plans. You can also learn more about Icebreaker Cruises and North Pole Cruises through our in-depth guides.
North Pole Cruises specialises in icebreakers, small ships, and luxury expedition cruises. Would you like to learn more about one of our luxury icebreaker cruises? Please enquire here to get started.
All prices quoted are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change.
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