This week, Ponant announced a series of itineraries in the winter season, ahead of their inaugural voyage in the summer of 2022. The British company is a new entrant to the long-haul cruise industry, and their inaugural voyage will include a number of ports around the globe, including the United States, South Africa and India. The itinerary is based on the company’s popular museum and monument tours, but with a twist.
Great news! Ponant is pleased to announce two new itineraries for Winter 2022 with Smithsonian Journeys. In the first one, Ponant will sail the Inside Passage in Alaska from June through September. In the second itinerary, Ponant will sail the coasts of Chile and Peru in South America. These itineraries are described as “Cruise to see the beauty of Alaska, Chile & Peru.”
WHY? Travelers can book new Smithsonian Institution cultural events at Ponant in Antarctica, Costa Rica and Panama, the Caribbean and Japan. –Jaynen Kristoff, senior editor.
Ponant has announced new itineraries for winter 2022 in partnership with Smithsonian Journeys, a tourism program of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. Based on 175 years of the Smithsonian Institution, the new flights include lectures by renowned experts and experiences that integrate local culture and provide insight into the history, cuisine, language, environment and wildlife of the destination. Ponant and Smithsonian Journeys share common values of cultural immersion and discovery to further inspire guests to become global citizens through travel.
On your trips to Antarctica, Costa Rica and Panama, the Caribbean and Japan, you will have the opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts, from geologists and scientists to astrophysicists and historians. The full list of flights can be found here. The highlights are as follows:
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Antarctica: White continent, L’Austral
This 11-day itinerary takes you to the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula. Travelers begin by crossing the Drake Passage, considered a badge of honor for Antarctic travel, before boarding the Zodiac ship to explore the icy continent. During the cruise, guests can see Gentoo and Adelie penguins and seals, and pause the cruise to watch humpback whales pass by. The cruise will be guided by PONANT’s team of nature guides and two experts from Smithsonian Journeys: astrophysicist Michelle Taller, deputy director of science communications at NASA’s Goddard Space Center, and geologist Wayne Ranney, who has more than 40 years of experience leading tours of Earth’s most spectacular landscapes. They will accompany the clients on visits to research stations, volcanic beaches and along icebergs and ice caps. Departure 22. January 2022. Prices start at $9,830 per person.
Panama and Costa Rica at sea: Natural wonders of Central America, The Champlain
Take an eight-day cruise from Colón, Panama, to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, through the Panama Canal. Stopovers include Darien National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can walk among the wildlife; an exclusive tour of the Punta Culebra Nature Center at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City; and Carara National Park, home to more than 10,000 plant species, 300 bird species and 200 butterfly species. Guests will participate in fascinating onboard discussions with two Smithsonian Journeys experts: Matthew Larsen, director emeritus of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, on the importance of ecosystems, and Ralph Nurnberger, historian and expert on international relations. Departure 24. January 2022. Prices start from $4,410 per person.
Caribbean Windward Islands Cruise, Le Dumont d’Urville
Join Smithsonian Journeys’ experts, Caribbean historian Franklin Knight and geophysicist Carola Stearns, with her expertise in climate geomorphology, as they explore the Caribbean’s most fascinating islands. From St. Lucia, home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pitons, the ship visits ports that larger ships cannot reach: Portsmouth, Dominica; Les Saintes, Guadeloupe; and scattered islands and uninhabited bays in St. John’s. St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Along the way you will have the opportunity to snorkel and dive in crystal clear waters to see turtles, barracudas and parrot fish, bird watch on nature trails and spend a few days on private beaches. Departure on the 13th. February 2022. Prices start at $3,900 per person.
Treasures of Japan at sea, The Soleal
Departure from Kobe, one of the first ports in Japan built in the 19th century. The city of Osaka, Japan’s second largest, where a rich cultural heritage meets the country’s industrialization and modernization, was opened to international trade in the 19th century. Smithsonian Journeys experts Jonathan Hall, a specialist in Japanese film and literature with 20 years of experience translating Japanese into English, and Timon Screech, an expert on the art and culture of early modern Japan, will guide the trip. Highlights of the trip include a master class on udon noodles at the Takamatsu Culinary School, a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and a tour of the Korakuen Garden, one of Japan’s three great gardens, in Okayama. Departure on the 15th. April 2022. Prices start at $6,500 per person.
SOURCE: Ponant press release.
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