Musée du Louvre teams up with Ponant for cultural cruises
The French cruise company Ponant has partnered with the Musée du Louvre to create two new cruises in 2020 that will encompass a range of cultural attractions.
The itineraries of the cruises see the voyages interspersed with on-board talks by curators and department directors from the Louvre, as well as shore visits to sites such as the Acropolis in Athens and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The first cruise – scheduled to sail from Athens to Venice, Italy, between 14 and 23 August 2020 – is called The Cultural Jewels of the Adriatic. It will enable guests to discover the cultural and artistic treasures of Ancient Greece and the Adriatic region, taking in Kotor Bay and the Corinth Canal, as well as visits to the Acropolis, the Delphi archaeological site and Diocletian's Palace in Split.
Onboard, to share their knowledge through a series of conferences, will be Jannic Durand, director of the Department of Decorative Arts at the Louvre, and Ludovic Laugier, curator in the Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities.
In November 2020, the second cruise – The Treasures of the Persian Gulf – sets sail, leaving from Muscat in Oman on 19 November, and arriving at Dubai, via Qatar and Abu Dhabi, on 27 November.
Guests will be able to discover natural sites such as the fjords of Arabia and Sir Bani Yas Island, see the futuristic architecture of the area's fast-growing metropolises, alongside mosques "worthy of the Arabian Nights". A trip to the Louvre Abu Dhabi is scheduled in.
Yannick Linz, director of the Department of Islamic Art at the Louvre, will be on board to inform cruise-goers.
Ponant is currently offering the two cruises at a special promotional price, which is likely to increase over time. These are €3,560 (Adriatic) and €3,550 (Persian Gulf) per person (approximately US$3,960 and £3,170).
Ponant Musée du Louvre Louvre Abu Dhabi AcropolisAcropolis Museum to open 2,400-year-old ruins as it marks its 10th birthday
Museum Index: Louvre breaks attendance record as Europe continues to lead global museum market
Louvre claims 'world record' visitor number for museums
Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi finally gets opening date


Therme appoints UK CEO as £250m Therme Manchester gets planning approval

Construction work to begin on Universal Resort Beijing's second phase 'by 2025'

Sparcstudio gives Center Parcs' Aqua Sana concept an extensive forest-inspired makeover

Studio Apostoli plans wellness oasis in Mongolian national park

Soho House to expand with new properties in UK, North America and Latin America

Art Processors win Fast Co Design Award for Sydney Opera House 50th anniversary synchronised show

September reopening for Britain's oldest lido following £9m transformation

Rixos to open Turkish-inspired beachfront spa resort in Dubai Islands

Rosewood’s second Austrian Asaya spa to open in restored 15th-century castle

1 Hotel Mayfair launches with Bamford Wellness Spa and biophilic design by GA Group

Otherworld Philadelphia is a place where 'anything is possible'

Mandarin Oriental opens first retreat in Greece and announces upcoming Sardinian property and spa

Third Space joins Six Senses at luxury development The Whiteley

GymNation – owned by JD Gyms – opens latest club in Dubai and plans Middle East expansion

Entertainment resort and waterpark planned for Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Plans revealed for US$2bn Oklahoma theme park

Nike gets into the health club market with the launch of group exercise studios

Canyon Ranch receives additional US$150m investment from VICI Properties to fund expansion

Communal bathhouses and self-care inspire LA's upcoming wellness club, Hume

Foster + Partners slated to design Equinox Resort Amaala

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios' Eden Project Dundee will celebrate myth-makers and alchemists

Noa* creates elemental spa for alpine eco-resort in Austria

Meow Wolf opens The Real Unreal psychedelic experience in Grapvine, Texas

Boutique Greek island retreat unveils new spa with waterfall treatment rooms

PLP Architecture's Mandarin Oriental Bankside will be part of UK's first operationally fossil fuel-free mixed-use development

Fletcher Priest creates new design for Therme Manchester

Buro Happold hosts active transport event at World Congress of Architecture in Copenhagen

Aardman Animation and design studio, Katapult, launch new attraction concept

Anotherform and Fluxprojects create immersive fitness concept for Blok in London
