The ship was built at Fincantieri shipyards in Ancona, Italy, and was launched on Dec. 6, 2012, christened by Kiki Tauck Mahar, and began its maiden voyage on July 1, 2013. Le Soléal became the first French merchant ship to cross the Northwest Passage. The ship left Kangerlussuaq in Greenland on August 26, 2013, and arrived in Anadyr, Russia, on September 16, 2013.