My First Expedition Cruise: Greenland on Le Commandant Charcot

The buffet Grill Restaurant Sila, in beautiful grey and white muted tones, looks out onto the Blue Lagoon, a heated outdoor swimming pool surrounded by heated seats, known as the Inneq outdoor bar. Here the Ponant team offer everything from curries, woks dishes and noodles to fresh fish and sushi, beef carpaccio and poke bowls, as well as traditional French desserts such as mille-feuille, pear tarte tatin and much more.

The second restaurant Nuna's menu on deck 5 is curated by none other than Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse, offering a more refined atmosphere with an à la carte menu and a smarter dress code and multi-course, fine French dining and again, beautiful décor with large windows perfect for taking in the outside scenery. There were three stunning Gala Dinners held here, during which everyone took the chance to dress up a little, as well as a lavish brunch - think seafood, champagne and foie gras - and in both restaurants, as well as throughout the ship, house wine, champagne, cocktails, spirits, and all other alcohol except the premium list is included.

We were told by the Expedition Team to be prepared for a fluid itinerary, repeated each day by Eli, "if the weather, ice and wildlife allows!" and that the captain may wake us if something exciting arises - which we experienced at 4.45am as we heard a gentle voice over the speakers say "dear guests, sorry to wake you up, but you simply must look outside - we are arriving in the Ammasalik region to a most beautiful sunrise. Welcome to paradise." We stepped outside on our private balcony and were faced with giant ice floes framed by huge snow-topped mountains, gently glowing from the sunrise - a moment that'll stay with me for a long time!

The following days were a blur of activity, the ship's helicopter scouting ahead to prepare for our stops. We arrived at our first top Tasiilaq, the 'capital' of east Greenland, home to just 2,000 people, with some guests disembarking in Zodiacs to explore on two-hour guided walks or taking a 'polar hike' which we opted for. This was our first taste of the incredible landscapes of the Ammasalik region as we traversed across snowy glaciers and up gently ascending mountains, spotting brown skuas and ptarmigans. Throughout the cruise, even when the weather was rainy (though we were blessed with three days of glorious sunshine), simply being out on deck witnessing the ship crush enormous ice floes and bergs is just spectacular, before warming up with a dip in the warm saltwater Blue Lagoon - very atmospheric surrounded by fog and ice!

In Qenertervartivit the expedition team put down hydrophones to listen under the ice. We had a couple of hours to walk on the floe surrounded by the vast landscape of snow-topped mountains with not a gust of wind under a bright blue sky, it was simply incredible. Then, in the distance, we heard the yelp of three packs of Greenland dogs which marked the chance for us to go sledding, our musher leading the dogs over the ice, the only sound their panting and the gentle guiding of our Inuit guide for a magical hour I'll never forget. The good weather allowed us an amazing one-and-a-half hours of kayaking - all explained by the two guides who accompanied us - weaving between icebergs and floes, the water like a lake and edged by mountains that reflected off the mirror-like surface of the fjord. Later in the voyage we even spotted 10 orcas including young feeding, incredible - and of course partook in the infamous polar plunge, complete with Bailey's hot chocolate to warm up! What makes this trip so extraordinary is this juxtaposition - guests can go kayaking before enjoying a glass of champagne on the ice, sled with huskies before indulging in truffle fondue on heated seats at the Inneq outdoor bar, or perhaps enjoy an ice-cold vodka shot and caviar accompanied by a pianist in the intimate onboard bar - all while wearing your parka and boots! All the while choosing to be as adventurous or laid-back as you like.

The highlight of our Greenland cruise came towards the end, as we sailed to our penultimate destination, the Blosseville Coast, a place that few people ever get the chance to visit. Here, under a clear blue sky, the mountains crystal clear in the reflection of the water and an enormous 24km-wide glacier beyond - we saw a polar bear. Off we went in our groups in Zodiacs, slowly approaching the polar bear from the water but remaining 100 metres away. Later, incredibly, he slowly walked towards the ship and ended up right next to us, curiously sniffing and even reaching out and touching the hull!

Throughout, the luxury of Le Commandant Charcot was truly at odds with the hostile nature of the outside environment - on a particularly sunny day we enjoyed champagne and caviar accompanied by a saxophonist on the ice, while the local culture was brought on board with a stirring performance from a Greenlandic choir singing accompanied by traditional drumming.

The memories of the wildlife, the landscapes, and the sense of utter remoteness - all juxtaposed with the ultra-luxurious and yet incredible technological innovations of the ship - are something I won't ever forget, and I can't recommend it more for someone looking for their first taste of expedition, with an abundance of luxury alongside.