Expedition cruises

The great cities of Barcelona and Rome bookend this journey from the white sand beaches of the Balearic Islands to the French and Italian rivieras. Fuel your exploration of colorful seaside villages by dining on paella in Menorca, fresh seafood in Saint-Tropez, and Ligurian pasta with pesto in Portofino.

From Lisbon to Honfleur, PONANT invites you aboard Le Boréal for a 12-day cruise, that will take you along the Portuguese, Spanish and French Atlantic coastlines.

Throughout your journey, you will benefit from an excursion included per person per port of call, to choose from a selection offered by PONANT. On this cruise, you visit the Carteret lighthouse, a structure over 85 meters high built in 1839, from Cherbourg, set out from Vigo to see the legendary city of Santiago de Compostela, the world’s third most important Christian pilgrimage site, and admire iconic works of art at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.The diversity of xpériences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

From the port of Leixões, you will visit Porto. The capital of Portugal's northern region, this “city of granite” is renowned for its wine but also for its remarkable historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Your journey will continue to Galicia and the city of Vigo, the biggest fishing port in Spain. Not far from here, Santiago de Compostela awaits you. This unmissable pilgrimage destination is home to a number of monuments from the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque periods, testimony to its illustrious past.

Le Boréal will then head for the capital of the Spanish Basque Country, Bilbao. Between daring architecture and the continuation of its ancestral traditions, you will be able to witness the city’s unique energy.

After a special moment in the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux, you visit the beautiful fortified town of Talmont-sur-Gironde before saluting the Cordouan lighthouse, a guardian of light designed to guide sailors at the entrance to the Gironde estuary.

You then head for the Quiberon peninsula. Here, you will discover a dreamy setting between two seas with breathtaking scenery: on one side, the Atlantic Ocean and its wild coastline; on the other, Quiberon Bay and its sandy beaches. 

Le Boréal then sails to Douarnenez, Finistère's most westerly town. The striking wild coastline and sandy beaches make a magnificent natural backdrop to the ocean's crystal waters.

After stopping off in Cherbourg, you head for the pretty Normandy port of Honfleur, where you disembark.

Journey into the enthralling culture and unmatched natural beauty of Japan with a 17-day circumnavigation of this remarkable country.Discover Japan’s compelling history, enchanting natural beauty and long-held traditions on a voyage around this unique country. Taking in 16 enthralling destinations, become deeply acquainted with the culture, people and striking geography of Japan as you visit incredible ports from Hokkaido’s southern city of Hakodate to the serene and less-travelled Kochi on the island of Shikoku. Explore the ancient castles of powerful feudal lords and uncover the singular lives of dedicated samurai at Sendai and Hofu; revel in intricate crafts at artful Kanazawa; revive in Akita’s hot springs; and sip the country’s best sake in Niigata. Your journey of a lifetime is made in the unrivalled ultra-luxury of Scenic Eclipse II, allowing for complete immersion in the elevated elegance and world-class amenities of The World’s First Discovery YachtsTM.

Cruise the Rhône and Saône rivers, enjoying the region's incomparable wine and cuisine and discovering its many treasures. Stroll the very streets of Arles made famous by Van Gogh. Visit Avignon's majestic Palace of the Popes. Experience "Village Day" in enchanting Viviers. And for those who wish for a more active exploration of the area, you can hike the vineyards of the Rhône and pedal through Lyon, a city designed with bike riders in mind. Explore unforgettable "Burgundy & Provence" where tradition is as deeply rooted as the historic grapevines on the hills.

Diverse French landscapes highlight this voyage, from a helicopter tour over castles in the Pyrenees to kayaking the canals of Séte to a cable car ride up Mount Faron for panoramic views of Toulon. You may choose to admire the equally scenic Menorcan coast from a seaside café while trying the island’s famous cheese, fresh fish and local gin. 

In alliance with Smithsonian Journeys.

This cruise is part of a collection of PONANT voyages that are specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers who want to engage with the world. In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, the listed price for these voyages includes transfers to and from the ship, talks and discussions aboard ship by world class experts, and a shore excursion or activity in each port of call that encourages guests to embrace the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the local environment and culture.

Join us for this 9-day cruise aboard Le Bellot exploring the rich history and culture that thrives on either side of the Irish Sea.

Begin with a night aboard ship docked near London Bridge, then set sail in the early morning down the Thames to discover historic Dover Castle, perched high on the emblematic White Cliffs, and perhaps visit the nearby UNESCO Heritage site of Canterbury Cathedral.

Enjoy a morning on the Isle of Wight visiting Osborne House, Queen Victoria's favorite residence, before a relaxing afternoon cruising along the shores of the English Channel. Arrive the following day some 30 miles off the southwest coast of Cornwall in the Isles of Scilly, where you visit the world-famous Tresco Gardens.

Crossing the Irish Sea, you call in Kinsale, Ireland, your gateway to proudly Irish Cork and its iconic Jameson Distillery. Holyhead, Wales, on the Isle of Anglesey, is where you may visit medieval Caernarfon Castle, built in the late 13th century by Edward I as the architectural capstone to the English conquest of Wales, or you may choose to explore the National Trust's Bodnant Garden.

Belfast, Northern Ireland's dynamic capital, is home to Titanic Belfast, a state-of-the-art museum on the site of the yard where the ill-fated ship was built. It is also your opportunity to experience the spectacular unspoiled scenery of the Antrim Coast and the famed Giant’s Causeway of over 40,000 interlocking, hexagonal columns, formed by the cooling of molten lava some six million years ago.

Your final full day is spent exploring the fabled Hebrides, beginning in the charming fishing port of Tobermory, whose distillery produces a renowned single malt scotch whisky, before proceeding to Duart Castle, ancestral home of Clan Maclean on the Isle of Mull, and ending with the mystical abbey of the Isle of Iona, home to the first Christian settlement in Scotland.

Your voyage comes to an end in Fairlie, gateway to Glasgow, Scotland's modern cultural capital.