PONANT Partners With Smithsonian Journeys

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Tue May 4, 2021

PONANT has announced that it will offer select specialty cruises beginning in 2022 in partnership with Smithsonian Journeys, the Smithsonian Institution's travel program.

With the world's largest museum, education and research institution, the small-ship cruise line will feature deep dives into destinations' cultures, food, language and environment, as well as host notable experts like archaeologists to wildlife biologists to enhance guests' learning experiences.

The cruise line will offer nineteen different cruises in partnership with Smithsonian Journeys, exploring remote locales like Antarctica or other dream destinations like Japan, the Mediterranean, the Norwegian fjords and more.

Guests traveling aboard Le Soléal's Treasures of Japan by Sea expedition will sail from Kobe on April 15, 2022, one of Japan's first ports to open to international trade to Osaka. Guests will spend their time learning how to make Udon noodles at a Takamatsu school, visiting Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and touring Korakuen Garden on this 8-day cruise, which begins at $6,180 per person.

Guests aboard Le Bougainville or Le Champlain's Cruising Southern Spain and Portugal itinerary will sail from Lisbon, Portugal and end in Barcelona. Guests will enjoy visiting Europe's oldest royal palace, the Alcázar de Sevilla, the Alhambra, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia, where they will discover the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Lonja de la Seda. The cruise departs on May 3 or October 30, 2022 and is 8 days long. It starts at $4,280 per person.