The founders of Latitude Blanche met while studying at ENSM (the French National Maritime Academy).

On July 22, 2015, during a reunion in Marseille, they discussed their polar voyages, their discoveries, their good moments, the difficulties they encountered, their feelings… and mentioned a travel model that would reflect who they are. At the same time, in France, the press reported that the unemployment figures were not good. The idea of creating a French company then began to take shape.

This was followed by a year of brainstorming to define the project’s main outlines: the travel concept and destinations, the specifications for the ideal vessel, the target clientele, the regulatory framework, the ship’s flag, financing, and more.

In January 2017, everything accelerated. The project appealed to people, and some clients wanted to book for the summer of 2018! But there was still no ship… Several had been studied, but none precisely matched the needs of the future company. Although there were concerns about not being able to meet the 2018 deadline, the search continued actively. In February 2017, a Norwegian broker introduced Polarfront, her features and her history. The vessel was moored in Blomvåg, a fjord north of Bergen, Norway. She matched the specifications, so a visit was quickly arranged. After a few hours on board inspecting every space, it was love at first sight—confirmed!

A race against time then began: multiple vessel surveys in Norway, creation of the company, securing financing, insurance, architects, shipyards, outreach to future clients, and more…