It’s a labor of love for us at PONANT to reinterpret what cruising can be. In countless ways, it’s an art form. And we’re committed to bringing the careful hand of a painter, a sculptor, or a writer to your every moment. In that spirit, we’ve invited scholars of the art world on select departures of our luxury Mediterranean small-ship journeys.
At PONANT, we strive to make every cruise a truly sublime experience. It begins, of course, on board our ships. The pinnacle of luxury, our artful interiors are elegance personified – refined, sleek, and polished, every detail tended to like a fine gallery. Our cuisine lifts you to new gastronomic heights – thoughtfully prepared, creatively presented, and paired with finely aged wines that elevate a dish’s distinct flavors. We embrace the fine art of service, too – always attentive and intuitive, never intrusive.
Meanwhile, off the bow, the stunning canvases of the world unfold: oceans a thousand shades of blue, breathtaking coastal contours sculpted by surf, the haunting remains of lost civilizations and timeless warrens of medieval cities.
We invite you to join us – along with curators from international museums – on two illuminating itineraries that reveal the places where art and travel converge.
The Artistic Adriatic & the Pinault Collection – Palazzo Grassi
On this thrilling itinerary, you begin in Valletta, the epicenter of the Knights of Malta. Make your way to the capital of the Republic of Ragusa, and call on ports in Italy and Montenegro, all of them sources of some of Europe’s greatest artistic and historical treasures.
The Adriatic has inspired painters, writers, architects, sculptors, and countless other artists for centuries. And it’s little wonder: UNESCO has declared several destinations you’ll visit as World Heritage sites. Valletta, Dubrovnik, Kotor, the plains of Stari Grad on the island of Hvar, and the lagoon of Venice have all been recognized for their beauty and cultural significance.
It’s especially exciting for art lovers to experience the sumptuous grand finale of this cruise, Venice, home to the renowned galleries of the Pinault Collection. French businessman François Pinault is a prolific art collector and purchased the city’s Palazzo Grassi and Punta Della Dogana to exhibit his thousands of pieces. You’ll have the pleasure of private visits to both locations, each gorgeously perched along the waters of the Grand Canal. Your Venice sojourn will also take you to view the contemporary art of Biennale di Venezia. Founded in 1895, it’s the oldest international cultural exhibition in the world.
Along the Mediterranean Sea with the Mucem
For a more expansive view of the Mediterranean, we invite you to cruise with us and the chief curator of the Mucem, Vincent Giovannoni. Located in the French port city of Marseilles, Mucem – the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations – is only ten years old. Its opening was buoyed by the 2013 designation of its host city as that year’s European Capital of Culture. Today, this remarkable repository of the past is a jewel in the crown of Marseilles.
Mucem sheds light on the pivotal historical moments and cultural exchanges that have shaped the Mediterranean that we know today. Its location is as stunning as its collection. The cube-shaped building rests at the entrance to the harbor and is linked to the famed 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean by a 430-foot-long footbridge.
We’re so proud to have Mr. Giovannoni along for our comprehensive cruise of Mediterranean ports. We can think of no better companion to help us understand these fragile and historic shores. Before taking the curating helm at Mucem, his work as an Art Anthropologist took him throughout the Mediterranean, to the Indian Ocean region, and into West Africa. He has an eye for artifacts and artistic representations of historic fisheries, drawing specifically on the ways they help us glimpse history’s coastal cultures. He succinctly shared his observations in his exhibition on the seafaring communities from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean between the 7th and 17th centuries.
Travel meets art on these enriching and insightful itineraries. We look forward to sharing them with you.