Treasures of the Mediterranean World: A Family Learning Adventure
* Subject to availability.
Special offer(s) :
FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENT *
*The supplement for single usage of a double cabin is waived, according to availability and staterooms categories.
Highlights
QUINTESSENTIAL FAMILY THEME
Quintessential Family voyages are designed to create opportunities for shared learning and discovery across generations. Grandparents, parents, and children learn together about the history, literature, mythology, and culture of a destination while experiencing firsthand the monuments left behind.
Young Explorers™ Program
Experienced counselors will lead groups of children and young adults in the Young Explorers™ Program, a series of educational and recreational activities designed from a youthful perspective. This is the perfect opportunity to inspire young minds with stories of the gods and heroes of Greek and Roman mythology, the grandeur of ancient art and architecture, and the special natural beauty of the Mediterranean.
Accompanied by their parents or grandparents, Young Explorers™ will enjoy guided excursions designed to provide experiences of the natural world – beach walks, forest hikes, boat rides, and more. And they will participate in carefully crafted explorations of ancient sites – Pompei, Zeus’s Temple at Olympia, the Palace of Knossos on Crete, the Parthenon – where history and legend will come alive. And lectures inform and entertain the entire family.
A note on ages: We welcome Young Explorers™ ages 8 – 17. In our experience, children younger or older than this do not reap the full benefit of the program. We are, however, willing to make exceptions on a case by case basis.
- Staterooms & Suites
- LE LYRIAL
- Port of call & excursions
- Formalities
- QUINTESSENTIAL FAMILY THEME
- Theme
- Guest(s) Lecturer(s)
Staterooms & Suites
There are no staterooms available for booking. Please contact our cruise advisors.
LE LYRIAL
LE LYRIAL
Fourth ship in this superb series loyal to the PONANT spirit, Le Lyrial like her sisterships embodies the subtle alliance between luxury, intimacy and wellbeing which is PONANT’s signature. The elegance of her exterior and interior lines and her intimate size (only 122 staterooms and suites) make this a rare and innovative yacht on the cruise market.
Interior Design
We have been inspired by the destinations we visit and decided to create a subtle variation around a palette of blues. Ranging from the luminous delicate grey-blue of the Polar ice to splashes of the vivid turquoise blue found in Mediterranean coves, it also includes the blue light of the future pole star.
Port of call & excursions
Civitavecchia (Rome)
Embarkation 15/07/2019 from 16H00 to 17H00 . Departure 15/07/2019 at 18H00 .Built on an Etruscan site, between the Tyrrhenian sea and the Monti della Tolfa, Civitavecchia respires the dolce vita. This very modern and easy going town combines art and history with panache. You can also visit superb historical sites like Fort Michelangelo or the Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi. Just 80 kilometres from Rome, the town is a beautiful first step to the Italian capital.
16 July 2019 – Salerno
Arrival 16/07/2019 early morning. Departure 16/07/2019 late afternoon.Generating a veritable explosion of intense emotions, the province of Salerno fascinates and enchants travellers. Its fascinating history will lead you to the extraordinary archaeological site of Pompeii, whose sprawling ruins provide a grandiose and moving vision of what a Roman city looked like in Imperial times. The city which was frozen in time under the ashes from the eruption of Mont Vesuvius offers you its peerless historical and cultural wealth, as well as the unique beauty of its location, which has earned it classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
17 July 2019 – At sea
Arrival 17/07/2019. Departure 17/07/2019.During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.
18 July 2019 – Katakolon
Arrival 18/07/2019 early morning. Departure 18/07/2019 early afternoon.This picturesque village stretches along the Ionian sea in the west of the Peloponnese. Its main harbour offers a vast panorama of the coastline’s wooded hillsides. Dazzling white, the church of Saint-Nicolas houses a selection of sumptuous icons. You can also pay a visit the archaeological site of Olympus on the slopes of Mount Kronos.
19 July 2019 – Rethymno, Crete
Arrival 19/07/2019 early morning. Departure 19/07/2019 early evening.Between the Sea of Crete and Libya, appears the island of Crete with its unimaginable beauty. Discover Rethymnon, home of Zeus, king of the Gods. With a huge fine sandy beach to the east and a rocky coastline to the west, this small town enchants visitors with its natural beauty and its fascinating history. The cradle of the Cretan Renaissance, a town of letters and intellectuals, from its rich past it has retained Venetian buildings from the 16th century, which cohabit harmoniously with the many minarets, testimony of the Turkish presence. Do not fail to admire its old Venetian port as well as its historical district offering a maze of narrow streets, before you head to the famous site of Cnossos, birthplace of the Minotaur.
20 July 2019 – Santorini
Arrival 20/07/2019 early morning. Departure 20/07/2019 late afternoon.The spectacular volcanic island of Santorini stands out proud in the Cyclades. Its basalt cliffs offer particularly expansive views of the Aegean. To enjoy these views, you can head for the capital, Fira. Its floral belvederes of bougainvillea provide a bird’s-eye view of several thousand metres of coastline. Further away, the gorgeous village of Oia looks like a stairway of blue and white houses on the slopes of the volcano. In the south of the island, you will be able to visit the stunning ruins of Akrotiri, an ancient city destroyed by an eruption and covered with a thick layer of lava stone.
21 July 2019 – Kusadasi
Arrival 21/07/2019 early morning. Departure 21/07/2019 early afternoon.The attractive seaside resort of Kusadasi is located in a gulf on the western coast of Turkey. You can bathe there in clear waters or stroll along the coastal walk, in the shade of palms. In the historical district, you can take a mosey down the narrow streets and explore the colourful shops in the bazaar. Close by, the Ephesus archaeological site in the hillsides provides an opportunity to discover the ruins of one of the most famous cities of Antiquity.
Athens
Disembarkation 22/07/2019 at 07H00 .The Greek capital city is located on the edge of the Saronic gulf, in the east of the country. It bears a plural name in reference to the first villages that surround the Acropolis. You will be enchanted by the rocky plateau presided by its monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage. In the city below, you can visit some of the liveliest districts in Athens: Plaka, with its maze of colourful streets, and where, in the evenings the drifting aroma of moussaka and garlic prawns will tickle your taste buds. The National Archaeological museum and the Cycladic Art Museum are also some of the city’s key attractions and allow visitors to discover Athens’ cultural past.
Formalities
The information below is current but subject to change at any time without advance notice from government authorities. Please consult your respective government agencies for visa and health information.
Passport valid for at least six (6) months beyond the completion of your trip. Passport must contain at least two completely clear, blank, unused visa pages for each visa required, not including any amendment pages. Visa pages with stains or ink from other pages in the passport are not usable. Guests who deviate from the scheduled embarkation or disembarkation port should research the foreign entry requirements for the port country. Due to government regulations, regrettably, Ponant will have to deny boarding to any guest who fails to obtain the appropriate travel documentation for this trip.
Warning about the use of drones: the use of drones aboard PONANT ships, whether they are sailing at sea, at a port of call or anchored, is strictly forbidden. The use of drones on land in the Arctic and Antarctic regions is also strictly forbidden by international polar regulations. In other regions, it may be possible to use drones on land if permission has been obtained from the relevant authorities of each country and each region travelled through, as well as a pilot’s licence that should be obtained from your home country. Passengers are responsible for obtaining these permits; they should be able to present them at all times. Passengers who do not obtain these authorisations expose themselves to the risk of legal proceedings.
QUINTESSENTIAL FAMILY THEME
QUINTESSENTIAL FAMILY THEME
Quintessential Family voyages are designed to create opportunities for shared learning and discovery across generations. Grandparents, parents, and children learn together about the history, literature, mythology, and culture of a destination while experiencing firsthand the monuments left behind. Our signature Young Explorers™ Program, led by experienced educators, involves groups of children and young adults in recreational learning activities designed from a youth perspective. Onboard activities and shore excursions are specifically aimed at inspiring young minds. And lectures inform and entertain the entire family.
Theme
Quintessential Collection
PONANT Quintessential Collection voyages are designed for travelers who want to engage with the world in order to understand it.
In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, these voyages include lectures and performances aboard ship by world class experts and musicians and one or two exceptional activities ashore that encourage guests to embrace the sights and sounds, tastes and smells of the local culture. They also offer pre- or post-cruise stay with excursions relevant to the theme. We believe that travel approached in this way has the power ato transform us and to make us better citizens of the world.
Guest(s) Lecturer(s)
Kathleen M. Lynch
Kathleen M. Lynch is Professor of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. She teaches courses in Greek archaeology and mythology. Her book, The Symposium in Context, published in 2011, won the James R. Wiseman Award for best publication in Archaeology in 2013. At Cincinnati she won the Cohen Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014. In 2016 she won a Dean’s Award for Faculty Excellence for her leadership as Head of the Classics department (the first female head, ever). As an archaeologist, Kathleen has studied pottery from archaeological sites in Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Albania. She serves as a trustee of the Archaeological Institute of America, the American Research Institute in Turkey, and as Vice-Chair of the Managing Committee of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. She is a riveting lecturer and a wonderful travel companion.
Languages spoken: English
Jason Weiser
Jason Weiser is a storyteller, the writer and host of “Myths and Legends,” a weekly podcast he and his wife started in 2015 that adapts world folklore and mythology for the modern audience.
He has published more than 100 episodes that have been downloaded over 60 million times worldwide. Stories he will tell on this voyage include: Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, and the founding of Rome; The Labors of Heracles; Theseus and the Minotaur; and Jason and the Argonauts.
Languages spoken: English
