Le Champlain
- capacity
- 184
- year built
- 2018
- crew members
- 110
- length
- 430 feet
- beam
- 26 feet
- draft
- 15 feet
- cruising speed
- 12.5 knots
- flag
- France
- ice class
- 1C
The 184-guest Le Champlain, identical sister ship to Le Bougainville, Le Bellot, Le Dumont D’Urville and Le Jacques Cartier, features 100% private balconies or terraces, innovative and environmentally-friendly equipment, elegantly designed staterooms, spacious suites with large windows, and lounge areas that open onto the outside. A subtle blend of refinement, familiarity and comfort, presented in an ethnic-chic ambiance with luxury service, creates an inviting atmosphere on board this expedition ship. Experience the incomparable pleasure of an intimate cruise combined with the possibility of exploring an ever-increasing range of destinations.
Le Champlain Review
AdventureSmith Explorations’ Le Champlain review includes a detailed description of the small ship including deck plans and a photo gallery. Our expedition ship experts have been aboard similar luxury expedition vessels firsthand. Please read our Le Champlain review below then contact our experts to compare Le Champlain with other small cruise ships sailing on small ship cruises in Northern Europe, Arctic cruises, Canada small ship cruises, Caribbean small ship cruises and East Coast cruises or browse our small ship cruise reviews for insights into many of the ships and trips we offer.
Choose Le Champlain for her luxurious setting where the accent is on authenticity and passion for travel. Her innovative equipment, elegantly designed guest accommodations and welcoming lounge areas that open to the outside ensure adventure cruising at its finest. At each exceptional destination, Le Champlain offers exclusive tours to previously inaccessible destinations, encounters with local cultures and opportunities to chat with experienced naturalist guides.
Safety, Sustainability & Accessibility Aboard Le Champlain
Le Champlain’s mindful design offers maximum safety and luxury to both her guests and the natural environments she sails through. Le Champlain and her sister ships are the only ones in their class to be certified “Clean Ships” by Bureau Veritas, one of the world’s foremost stewards of environmentally conscious travel. Carbon emissions are cut by 40% thanks to the onboard silent electric propulsion. Le Champlain avoids using her anchor via her sophisticated GPS and propulsion system. Wastewater is treated and recycled through her advanced filtration systems. A recycling program on board ensures items are compacted for later processing ashore. Modern CFR and LED lighting uses only 10% of the electrical power required by older, more traditional systems. And the captain and officers use advanced sonar with continuous 3D views of the ocean floor, enabling Le Champlain to keep her distance from the underwater life around her. Le Champlain is fully ADA compliant, with 2 accessible staterooms, 4 elevators and lifts up and down stairways for easy access to all decks and public areas of the ship, and accessible toilets in common areas.
Common Areas Aboard Le Champlain
A swanky-yet-native decor, mixed with an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication, welcomes guests. Panoramic windows throughout the ship’s many common areas reveal the stunning locales that only a small expedition ship can access. The Lobby offers a constantly-staffed concierge lounge, including a reception/concierge desk, an excursions desk, administrative services, the Guest Relations sales office and a large boutique featuring clothing, jewelry, beauty products, postcards and various accessories.
Enjoy panoramic views from the pool deck, whether at its outdoor bar or indoor solarium, each equipped with armchairs and sofas. Maintain fitness with the infinity pool’s counter-current swimming system. The Panoramic Lounge’s library engages passengers in reference materials reflecting the global destinations called on by Le Champlain, while an Internet corner keeps guests connected. The Main Lounge accommodates all passengers to share convivial moments while hosting organized activities, including afternoon tea and live music on the dance floor. The Theater features the latest sound and lighting technology, including an LED wall as the stage backdrop for the projection of high-resolution images and videos. Finally, the ship’s infirmary is available 24 hours a day and is equipped to treat non-emergency matters. A doctor is available for a nominal fee.
Dining Aboard Le Champlain
Every day, the Panoramic Restaurant invites guests into an exquisite main dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner highlighting both French and international gourmet cuisine, including local specialties of the various places that the ship visits. The Ducasse Conseil-trained chefs concoct an exclusive menu for Le Champlain, including customized menus for special diets and groups. Designed uniquely for Le Champlain, this dining area, which opens onto the outside, features a buffet of salads, desserts and cheeses. A broad selection of fine wine, champagne, beer and top-shelf liquor completes the experience. The Outdoor Grill Restaurant, with its relaxed poolside location, provides a casual eating venue for breakfast, buffet lunch, and dinner, including grilled meats, salads and desserts. The Main Lounge and Panoramic Lounge, each with access to an outside terrace, creates a space for afternoon tea and specialty drinks from their cocktail bars.
Activities Aboard Le Champlain
Le Champlain is equipped for daily adventures aimed at discovery, intimacy and polished leisure. A plethora of onboard activities are available daily, engaging passengers while the ship moves to its next excursion site. Music and theater lovers can enjoy live jazz, piano melodies, karaoke and dance performances in the Theater. Fitness enthusiasts can partake in hosted workout, yoga and dance classes. Card players will appreciate organized games. Photographers can learn more in focused workshops. And foodies can relish in opportunities for wine, spirits and specialty foods tasting.
On board, the Main and Panoramic lounges entice guests to celebrate the day with refreshments, cocktails and conversation. Deck 6’s central art gallery and Kid’s Club entertains passengers of all ages, with photo and video experts available to answer questions and provide memorable images. The Fitness Center on Deck 7 features sweeping views from state-of-the-art exercise machines, including ellipticals, stationary bikes, treadmills and a Kinesis wall. And with its hair salon, two massage rooms, hammam (Moroccan steam spa), relaxation room and herbal tea bar, the SOTHYS™ Spa/Beauty Corner provides opportunities for respite and rejuvenation during each cruise departure. Provided stationery in each stateroom and suite can be mailed via the reception desk. The open Bridge policy invites passengers to observe navigations by the captain and crew (weather permitting), and learn about Le Champlain’s advanced navigation tools.
The Blue Eye underwater lounge, located within the ship’s hull, encourages guests to immerse in the marine environment. Two large portholes shaped like the eye of a cetacean look out upon the subaquatic world. Non-intrusive underwater projectors designed expressly for Le Champlain and her sister ships, reveal marine life captured from various points on the ship. Onboard hydrophones create an aural experience reflecting a three-mile radius, brought to life by the feel of vibrating acoustic waves within Body Listening sofas. These sounds of the sea can be heard during subaquatic concerts and by the ship’s swimming pool.
Le Champlain is equipped with a fleet of comfortable Zodiacs to discover the wildlife and surrounding coastal landscapes in which the ship cruises. Zodiac excursions explore coastlines and access shallow water ports. The ship’s hydraulic marine platform, which lowers into the water with an adjacent staircase, enables easy boarding for Zodiacs, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.
Crew & Guides Aboard Le Champlain
Discriminating travelers will appreciate Le Champlain’s impeccably trained staff members who focus on guest comfort with discreet yet attentive service. Cruising aboard Le Champlain is enhanced by her sophisticated crew who help create the feeling of being aboard a private yacht. Multi-lingual guides offer lectures on various specialty topics throughout each departure.
Cabins & Deck Plan Aboard Le Champlain
All 92 staterooms and suites aboard Le Champlain are spacious, with touches of luxury throughout. Each cabin features the option of one king-size bed or two twin beds, a private balcony, individually-controlled air-conditioning, minibar, flat-screen satellite TV, desk with stationery, Ipod™ players, on-demand video, a safe, hairdryer, bathrobes, a 110/220-volt outlet, French bath products, 24-hour room service, complimentary WiFi Internet access and added-cost satellite direct-line telephone. Laundry and ironing service is available for a fee.
