The French luxury line Ponant Cruises will be enriching its upcoming Dubai cruise itinerary with the inclusion of curators and department directors from the Louvre to help passengers discover the ancient lands that inspired the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collections.
The experts will be featured aboard two separate Ponant Cruises, one in the Mediterranean and the other in the Arabian Gulf, the cruise line said in a release. The Adriatic cruise will sail in August, 2020, while the Arabian Gulf voyage is set for November, 2020.
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The 8-night ‘Treasures of the Arabian Gulf’ itinerary will be special for three reasons. First, it will feature Yannick Lintz, director of the Department of Islamic Art at the Louvre, to share her expertise with passengers.
Secondly, the cruise, departing November 19th, 2020, will be aboard the cruise line’s new explorer ship Le Jacques-Cartier, an entirely new class of cruise ship in the cruise line’s Ponant Explorer’s series. Third, this will mark Ponant’s first-ever homeporting season in the Middle East.
With prices starting at $4,410, the 8-night cruise will highlight the cultural and artistic riches of the Arabian Gulf from Muscat in Oman to Dubai in the UAE. Port calls include Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Qatar, Khasab, Sur, and of course Muscat and Dubai.
Passengers can learn about maritime traditions in Sur that date back a thousand years; visit the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, designed by I.M. Pei, architect of the Louvre pyramid; and tour the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first universal museum in the Arab world.
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The over-riding theme of the voyage will be the mingling of tradition and modernity in Islamic culture.
The other itinerary is a 9-night cruise from Piraeus (Athens) to Venice aboard the beautiful yacht-like luxury cruiser Le Lyrial, departing August 14th, 2020. Prices start at $4,440.
History buffs will discover the cultural and artistic treasures of ancient Greece and the Adriatic, with highlights that include transiting the narrow Corinth Canal and sailing through Montenegro’s fjord-like Bay of Kotor.
Passengers will be able to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Acropolis of Athens; the sanctuary of Delphi, where excavations have unearthed settlements dating as far back as the Neolithic era; and the well-preserved 1,700-year-old Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia.
On board, the Louvre’s Jannic Durand, director of the Department of Decorative Arts, and Ludovic Laugier, curator in the Department of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, will host lectures and conferences about the destinations and cultural sights.
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