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That included sailing into frigid gusts and plowing through ice floes.

As the ice grew thicker, we entered a cove known as Ha!

Aerial view of Le Commandant Charcot

Aerial view of the Le Commandant Charcot ship sailing through Quebec.Credit:Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure

Bay, the edges of which were frozen solid.

The crew of theCharcotdrove the ship firmly into thefast icewe came to a stop about a mile from shore.

The expedition cruise company Ponant is banking on travelers embracing the coldas long as theyre comfortably looked after.

View from Le Commandant Charcot

Icy views of Quebec from a guest room balcony.Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure

Not that we expected anything like that in Quebec.

Huot’s family has run a silk scarf shop in Petit Champlain for more than 40 years.

The crew lowered a gangway and local port staff came to greet us on electric snowmobiles.

bedroom on board Le Commandant Charcot

Other passengers were equally awed.

“I’ve been getting Instagram pings from engineering geeks because there’s nothing else like it.

This feels like a once in a lifetime experience.

bathroom on board Le Commandant Charcot

From our base in Ha!

I’d come north expecting wild landscapes and mountains of snow and ice.

The Staterooms

TheCharcothas 123 staterooms in seven categories.

bedroom on board Le Commandant Charcot

More opulent are choices like Prestige and Grand Prestige suites.

Near the spa, theres a Detox Bar that serves smoothies and teasbut no spirits.

Shore Excursions

Nice asCharcotmay be, this is why you’re aboard.

bathroom on board Le Commandant Charcot

It was exactly everything I had hoped for when I signed up for the trip.

(Speaking of, internet on board is included and powered by Starlink.)

That’s in addition to a smaller indoor pool with a lap-swimming feature.

dining room on board Le Commandant Charcot

Interior of the main on board dining room.Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure

A theater plays host to evening concerts and talks from the ships team of naturalists and other visiting experts.

One behind-the-scenes amenity is a fully functioning science lab on deck three.

That may work for some mature teens, but I wouldnt call theCharcotparticularly family friendly.

main lounge on board Le Commandant Charcot

Interior of the main lounge.Courtesy of PONANT

And that was before we strapped on snowshoes.

Among its features are three wheelchair-accessible cabins: 626, 628, and 818.

In terms of traveling in Quebec, many places I visited appeared to be readily accessible.

Excursion with Le Commandant Charcot

Passengers who disembarked in Quebec headed to an on shore excursion.Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure

indoor pool on board Le Commandant Charcot

Lounge chairs lay around the on board indoor pool.Gilles TRILLARD/Courtesy of PONANT

sauna on board Le Commandant Charcot

Scenic views of Quebec from the sauana.Paul Brady/Travel + Leisure