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Louvre Museum experts to enrich a pair of Ponant cruises

louvre museum by ©olivier ouadah
Experts from the Louvre will help Ponant passengers discover the ancient lands that have inspired the museum's collections PHOTO: ©Olivier Ouadah
Two Ponant cruises will carry curators and department directors from the Louvre to help passengers discover the ancient lands that inspired the museum's collections.

An Adriatic cruise will sail in August 2020, while a Persian Gulf voyage is set for November 2020.

'The Cultural Jewels of the Adriatic'

History buffs will discover the cultural and artistic treasures of ancient Greece and the Adriatic as they sail from Piraeus (Athens) to Venice. Highlights of the new itinerary 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.

The nine-night Le Lyrial cruise will sail Aug. 14 next year and is priced starting at $4,440.

'The Treasures of the Persian Gulf'

Cultural and artistic riches of the Persian Gulf will be highlighted in a sailing from Muscat, Oman, to Dubai with calls at Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The  cruise aboard the new Ponant Explorer ship, Le Jacques-Cartier, will examine the mingling of tradition and modernity in Islamic culture.

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.

On board, Yannick Lintz, director of the Department of Islamic Art at the Louvre, will share her expertise.

The eight-night voyage sails Nov. 19 and is priced starting at $4,410.