First Class on Luxury Ice Breaker Cruise | Ponant

today I'm taking this luxury Icebreaker for five days from France all the way over to Iceland I'll show you exactly what it's like to live on board from my huge two-floor Suite with a private hot tub to the fine dining and opulent facilities as we explore this record-breaking vessel all this doesn't come cheap though with prices north of 13 000 but you're invited along for the journey with that let's pick up my story in northern France our Voyage today begins at the Port which is a mix of cargo hydrocarbon and of course cruise ships introducing our ship La comadon charcoal named after the French polar scientist well hello there and welcome back to the channel we're about to get on board this Icebreaker I'm super excited about this don't have any point of comparison I've never been on an icebreaker before so anyway let's go and sort out the various formalities and go and get on board check-in is dealt with in two phases firstly our passports are checked along with our tickets and health declaration we'll leave our bags here as they'll be delivered to our suite in due course as we walk up the gangway I'm surprised how large this ship seems on paper it's far from the largest I've been on at 492 feet in length two of the friendly crew warmly welcome us on board and I'm showing through a brief additional Security check and just like that we're on the world's only luxury Icebreaker the reception area is beautifully designed featuring digital artwork running from the floor to the ceiling of the entire ship to my delight I'm offered a refreshing glass of champagne as we complete some of the final formalities as with most cruises I'm leaving my credit card on file for any incidentals on board and then issued my room key encased in this beautiful leather sleeve we're currently on Deck 5 and our suite is located upper level on Deck 6. our friendly Butler will escort us to our new living quarters Suite 642 is to the stern of the ship with a rather unique app view over two floors [Music] well I'm happy to welcome you on board our cruise our ship and our home for the next I think it's five days but most importantly welcome back to the channel Millie hello how are you good thank you all right you're back for another one right and back so once I struggle to contain my excitement let's take a look around this well frankly palatial 1100 square foot residents let's start in our dining room with seats for six people I'm not quite sure who the other four people are gonna be though moving on let's continue to our living room which opens out to the full height of the duplex Suite this creates a lovely space flooded with natural light oh and do note there's even a fireplace [Music] naturally there's a mini bar with more glasses than I know what to do with an espresso machine and of course yes the drinks here are bottomless including the booze outside there's a huge balcony complete with a private hot tub which will take a proper look at shortly let's head upstairs to the master bedroom okay I'm gonna say this is not only the most insane cruise ship room I've ever stayed in but it's actually the most incredible room period you'll note our bags have already been delivered which is most efficient compare this to other cruises where I've had to wait several hours there's a bunch of Pawn and goodies waiting for us as well such as this amenity kit along with waterproof bags for any Expeditions we may take now for the bathroom I think I need to remove any preconceptions of cruise ship bathrooms from my mind this is insane [Music] Owen furnished with my favorite diptape products that's not enough there's a walk-in wardrobe oh and by the way or your laundry and pressing is included during your voyage and finally the toilet which seems a little forgotten tucked away back here it's fair to say Millie and I are speechless [Music] prior to departure we must watch the safety video which is a little different due to the Arctic itineraries that this ship embarks upon for example check out the Arctic immersion suit provided to all guests on board this will keep you alive for 24 plus hours in extreme cold conditions with that it's finally time to get on our way [Music] over the next five days we'll sell some 2 000 miles northwards up through the Irish sea and onwards up the North Atlantic to Reykjavik Iceland now we're moving it's time to get the rest of our bags unpacked before we can get ready for dinner and explore the rest of this incredible ship what is that well what are you doing oh hey Millie let's go investigate definitely gonna catch a big one yeah don't mind me I'm uh attempting to fish uh I don't think that's how fishing works yeah I don't seem to be very successful in catching any fish today however I tell you where I would be is today's video sponsor the fishing crash they've been my go-to mobile game for a while which is why you should download it today for free the cool part about it is you don't even need to leave your house or in my case the luxury of this cruise ship you can fish all around the world exploring new locations and catch different kinds of fish one tip for new players you can use the weight gain to help you catch bigger fish it certainly helped me improve you can download the game right now just hit the link in the description or scan my QR code on screen plus use code track trendy for twenty dollars of free in-game perks thanks again fishing Clash for sponsoring today's video [Music] after a quick shower it's time to get something a little more formal on I know for once there's no ripped jeans or NASA hoodies in sight [Music] doesn't really look just stunning this evening so let's kick this evening off with a date in the observation Lounge now we're still learning our way around the ship but for each stairwell and elevator there's a handy plan to consult for directions we're heading up to the top deck 9 which should also come with the ship's best views [Music] this will do perfectly right by the window and with a stunning view out over the bow now whilst locked on board is inclusive some alcohol such as champagne is not but that's not gonna stop us oh my goodness would you look at that for the sake of the bingo card we simply must get some caviar for um 65 Euros I say we Millie is not a fan of caviar so Ops for a passion fruit Martini [Music] I've decided to up the ante further and complement the caveat order with some 2012 Dom also in FYI it's commonplace in France for champagne to be served in a wine glass now for caviar it's the perfect accompaniment for the champagne and a wonderful start to an evening of Fine Food now to continue this trend we must head back down to deck 5 to the restaurant Nuna this is the ship's main formal venue offering contemporary French cuisine by three Michelin starred Chef you see it's not like a traditional Cruise where you're seated with others or indeed you're not restricted by a dining time we're asked our preference for seating and naturally we'd prefer to be by the window so they'll ensure this or a similar seat is reserved for each night the menu is extensive with options too for vegetarians you can also mix and match between the set menu should you wish [Music] to begin we'll kick things off with a gin and tonic these are also not inclusive by the way we're initially served a sweet potato salad with Citrus coconut milk and hummus I do believe I've spotted Jack Sparrow I'm captain Jack's now for the lobster tail green asparagus and almonds [Music] next up neither of us fancied the foie gras though for reference this is what it looked like thanks to another passenger instead we'd both choose the eggplant tart with truffled fresh tomato dressing and black garlic surprisingly we're both going strong still it's time for main course the veal tenderloin which comes with truffled vegetables and potato gratan [Music] one word phenomenal well we've made it through the five courses and now it's dessert time would you look at this a miniature of our ship made out of chocolate cake aside from being delicious the attention to detail with this menu has been outstanding with the Sun finally beginning to set it's time for this evening's entertainment at the theater towards the front of the ship on the same deck five given the ship is small I wasn't expecting this level of entertainment provision especially when comparing to the larger Ritz Carlton Yachts which has very limited entertainment space [Music] come alive [Music] we've just come back from Gala night yeah it's been a lot of fun hasn't it yeah it's been delicious food followed by jazz music and dancing all right I've really enjoyed it and to be fair some real sophistication for once on the channel so I think we've done pretty well fall to the brim with food and happiness I make it bedtime it's been quite the eventful first day and tomorrow we have lots more exploring to do around the ship thank you [Music] foreign [Music] well a very good morning to you from the Irish sea we've made Solid progress throughout the night and I make it time for breakfast located back on Deck 5's Noona restaurant [Music] the menu is again extensive with anything from avocado on toast to French crepes and truffled eggs benedict to placing our order I'll start with the obligatory caffeine hit before heading over to investigate the other option provided for breakfast the buffet it's again Mighty impressive and comparable to an upmarket luxury hotel with the addition of champagne let's return to our table then and see how our orders have turned out Millie is gone for the French toast with a rich caramel sauce and I've chosen the avocado on toast a personal favorite with breakfast out of the way it's time we take a proper look around the ship Promenade on Deck 5 wraps around the entirety of the ship I love this and provides some much needed space to walk off all that food when it's colder such as in the Arctic where the ship is heading there are these incredible thermal benches basically it's like sitting on a radiator up to deck 6 and you'll get access to the helipad albeit quite windy it provides an awesome perspective of our ship especially right at the front here in fact we can see the Isle of Man in the distance lastly we must check out the stern and whilst we can get a similar view from our balcony this doesn't come with access to the secondary Bridge so for background this secondary control center provides two purposes one as a backup in case the main bridge is compromised however this is actually used frequently when in the polar regions it allows full flexibility in operation and the ability to break ice from both directions in contrast this is the main bridge on Deck 8. it's actually nearly always open to pop in and take a look unlike a recent Royal Caribbean cruise where I was charged 200 for the privilege that's a story for another day though did you know there's a world-class Spa facility on board so let's hot foot it up to deck 9 and indulge now access to the spa is complementary which is unusual as most cruise lines make this a paid facility what's not complementary are the treatments however for an onboard Spa I think these are priced pretty fairly we'll be maximizing the facilities though first up the sauna this is on the larger side and offers fabulous views out over the ocean [Music] I think it's fair to say this is one of my favorite saunas I've ever been in next up the snow room this is a facility I'd never tried before but seeing as this is a polar Expedition ship it seems fitting [Music] sprayed the freezing temperatures let me just say Millie is dealing with this a lot better than I to warm up let's hit the indoor pool I always find it bemusing swimming on a ship it seems like the definition of irony but hey it's warm and we have the pool to ourselves so why not there's also another outdoor pool called the Blue Lagoon and thankfully this is heated so we'll check that out a little later on back pull side I think it's time we make the most of this extensive tea and coffee menu with a cappuccino albeit it's iced but I'm so predictable [Music] I make it lunchtime and this is served in the Sila restaurant on the same deck deck nine like Nuna on Deck 5 it's a beautiful modern space however this is more of a buffet than a la carte setup this is by no means a drop in quality though personally I love the outdoor grill offering a selection of made to order items with my order placed I'm momentarily distracted tempted by a freshly shucked oyster again this is no ordinary cruise ship Buffet so what have I gone for well my arm got Twisted by the beef burger with sweet potato fries perhaps one of the juiciest and most delicious burgers I've ever had whilst Millie goes for the surf and turf selection the ribeye fried prawns with thick cut chips for review purposes I simply must sample dessert now this is something we all know the French do superbly this chocolate mousse has totally ruined store-bought mooses for Life Rich creamy with large chunks of chocolate wow foreign [Music] was all plain sailing but of course we are dealing with Mother Nature and her unpredictability when at Sea so uh yeah needless to say unfortunately it's not quite what it was earlier on today but need not worry we've still got plenty to do on board so let me show you some of the things that you can do when you've got a bit of a rainy yucky sea day now one of the facilities you may not have seen on a cruise ship before is a laboratory and our ship has multiple given that sailings go to some of the most remote parts of the planet namely Antarctica and the North Pole Bonnet had scientists on board for such trips the labs are located on Deck 3. alongside the Expedition rooms this is where your board attender like one of the 16 Zodiacs for a closer look ashore in the polar regions oh and this odd Contraption is a boot warmer I could do with one of these for the colder days back home anyway the labs there's a wet one for well as it says in the name experiments conducted with instruments from the water and ice and then there's a dry one where we got to see a tardy grade this micro animal can survive super harsh environments from the extreme cold to Extreme Hot and even the vacuum of space [Music] with the weather showing no signs of improvement I think it's finally time we check out our in-room hot tub this is perhaps our favorite part of our duplex suite and whilst we don't quite have the sun on our side it's certainly something which you can enjoy whatever the weather [Music] true you may be wondering if you don't have a duplex Suite is there a communal outdoor hot tub well I can do one better for you the aforementioned Blue Lagoon on Deck 9. which is kind of a wraparound pool kept at a constant hot tub like temperature however in rough Seas like this afternoon it's probably not the most popular of Pursuits with that I think it's time to head back to our room and get ready for this evening's plans rather than a shower this evening I've opted for a relaxing bath and movie water combination [Music] so it's back down to deck 5 and to our usual table by the window [Music] foreign what's on the menu tonight then as with last night it's pretty extensive do let me know what you choose down below after placing our order we served some fresh bread along with a couple of refreshing gnts to start we're offered at a moose Bouche of red quinoa watermelon feta and green asparagus [Music] and I've chosen the broccoli soup which is divine [Music] now for a personal favorite The Beef Carpaccio with black truffle and Parmesan the main I opt for something a little lighter and maybe not to everyone's taste the Tandoori cauliflower slice it's surprisingly really filling and super tasty for dessert I'm served the forest Noir or well black forest chocolatey fruity and wrapping up another delicious meal now for tonight's entertainment albeit a little low-key compared to last night's production we're invited to the main Lounge for an evening of dancing something else has really caught my eye in here and that's some of the drinks on offer aside from the wide selection of champagne and wines there's some Louis XII cognac which retails at three thousand dollars a bottle this is nothing compared to the 1904 armaniac serve which retails at thirteen thousand dollars a bottle [Music] not quite ready for bed we have a brain wave the 50-inch TV in our living room would be the perfect Mario Kart setup [Music] for Grudge to report I lost before turning in for the night let's get some room service breakfast ordered the next day well good morning from Iceland despite setting my alarm for 6am we've arrived early into Port it's certainly exciting to wake up here though I wish I'd been able to see our arrival with a knock at the door our room service is delivered let's see what we've gone for aside from the obligatory caffeine hit of a cappuccino Millie's ordered her favorite French toast complete with caramel sauce i instead opt for the buttermilk pancakes not usually the one for a sweet breakfast but this was absolutely spot on [Music] sadly this marks the end of our Icebreaker cruise and yes I know we didn't exactly break any ice but that's a reason to come back and try one of their North Pole or Antarctica voyages those are at an entirely different price point though which brings me nicely onto our costs for five days full bored in the duplex suite cost us thirteen thousand five hundred and seventy dollars now whilst that's super expensive when you compare this to other cruises and give them the space attention to detail and experience I think this demonstrates a good price overall but do let me know what you think down below [Music] well just like that welcome to Iceland we have arrived here in Reykjavik after the last five days at Sea Nelly how's your experience been oh it's been wonderful it's been the best cruise yet it really has isn't it we've absolutely loved every second of it so anyway thank you again so much for watching and we'll catch you all again next time bye

Channel: Trek Trendy

Views: 1,738,042

Keywords: first class cruise, le commandant charcot, ice breaker cruise ship, cruise ship, first class, luxury travel, first class review, cruise ship review

Id: doqu7e2iCVM

Length: 21min 35sec (1295 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 18 2023