Ponant

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Valletta

   Depart 18:00

   Malta

   

   Valletta, Europe's smallest capital, is a fortress city of exceptional grandeur raised from bare limestone in just fifteen years after the Knights of St. John repelled the great Ottoman siege of 1565 — its rigid Renaissance grid of sun-drenched streets concealing a density of baroque palaces, gilded oratories, and subterranean World War II shelters unrivaled anywhere in the Mediterranean. The Grand Harbour, framed by golden bastions plunging into startlingly blue water, offers one of the most dramatically photogenic arrivals in the world for arriving vessels. Spring and autumn deliver the most comfortable temperatures for exploring this UNESCO-listed gem.

2. Day 2

   Trapani (Sicily)

   Arrive 12:00Depart 18:30

   Italy

   

   Trapani is western Sicily's sickle-shaped port city where ancient salt flats, cloud-wrapped medieval Erice, and the crystal-clear Egadi Islands converge at the Mediterranean's cultural crossroads. Visit April through October via Seabourn or Windstar for cable-car ascents to Norman-era pastry shops, sunset salt-flat reflections, and the Arab-influenced seafood couscous that distinguishes this coast from anywhere else in Italy.

3. Day 3

   Palermo

   Arrive 07:00Depart 18:00

   Italy

   

   Palermo is the Mediterranean's most intoxicating crossroads of civilisations — Arab arches meet Byzantine gold mosaics beneath Norman royal chapels in the extraordinary Palatine Chapel, a monument to 12th-century multicultural brilliance that is Sicily's single greatest work of art. The Ballarò and Capo street markets, among southern Italy's most atmospheric, tumble through the ancient city in a sensory barrage of swordfish, blood oranges, jasmine, and street food improvised across centuries. Do not leave without tasting arancini and sfincione, Sicily's gloriously thick street pizza. Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the ideal climate — warm enough for the sea, cool enough for extended walking.

4. Day 4

   Cagliari

   Arrive 12:30Depart 20:00

   Italy

   

   Cagliari, Sardinia's sun-drenched capital overlooking the Gulf of Angels, has absorbed three thousand years of Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Pisan, and Spanish ambitions into a layered and deeply compelling Mediterranean city — where the flamingo-fringed salt lagoons stretching to the city's western edge create one of Europe's most surreal urban vistas. The Castello quarter's medieval ramparts enclose a cathedral, Pisan towers, and panoramic terraces that survey the entire city and coastline, while the Marina district below offers some of the finest bottarga pasta and fresh tuna in Italy. Visit May through September for beach perfection; the prehistoric Nuraghe Su Nuraxi at Barumini, a UNESCO Wonder, is an hour's drive north.

5. Day 5

   At Sea

   

6. Day 6

   Mahon

   Arrive 07:00Depart 19:00

   Spain

   

   Mahón commands one of the Mediterranean's deepest natural harbours, a fjord-like inlet on Menorca that captivated British admirals, Phoenician traders, and Roman generals in turn — its Georgian townhouses and gin distilleries speaking eloquently to centuries of contested heritage. Explore the clifftop old town's baroque Santa María church with its 3,200-pipe organ, then cross the water to the imposing fortress of La Mola for sweeping harbour views. The island's prized caldereta de langosta, a slow-simmered lobster stew, is best savoured at the fishing village of Fornells. Visit between May and June or September and October for warmth without the summer crowds.

7. Day 7

   Palma de Mallorca

   Arrive 08:00Depart 19:00

   Spain

   

   Palma de Mallorca announces itself with one of the most spectacular Gothic cathedrals in the world — La Seu, its honey-coloured sandstone buttresses rising directly from the bay, its interior modified by Antoni Gaudí and illuminated by the world's largest Gothic rose window. The old town behind it is a quarter of Arab baths, Renaissance palaces converted into boutique hotels, and the Passeig del Born — a plane-tree-shaded promenade where Balearic life conducts itself with unhurried grace. The local ensaïmada pastry and fresh sobrasada sausage from the island's black pigs are essential breakfast rituals. Visit May, June, or September: warm, brilliant, and measurably calmer than the July–August peak.

8. Day 8

   Barcelona

   Arrive 07:00

   Spain

   

   Barcelona is the city where Roman history, Gothic grandeur, and Gaudí's delirious Modernisme collide in a Mediterranean coastal capital of astonishing energy and beauty. The Sagrada Família — still under construction after 140 years — continues its audacious ascent toward completion, while the Gothic Quarter's Roman-era foundations and the Passeig de Gràcia's extraordinary concentration of Modernisme masterpieces reward days of exploration. For a complete sensory experience, lose an afternoon in the covered labyrinth of La Boqueria market before descending to the waterfront for Catalan seafood at its finest. May through June and September through October offer the most pleasant weather; the city connects directly to Paris by overnight train.

Cabin Categories

Deluxe Stateroom

balcony

D

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: One king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A bathroom with shower A private 4 m² balcony A window and panoramic glazed swing door

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Prestige Stateroom Deck 4

balcony

1

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: One king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A bathroom with shower A private 4 m² balcony A panoramic sliding bay window

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Prestige Stateroom Deck 5

balcony

2

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: One king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A bathroom with shower A private 4 m² balcony A panoramic sliding bay window

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Prestige Stateroom Deck 6

balcony

3

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: One king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A bathroom with shower A private 4 m² balcony A panoramic sliding bay window

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Deluxe Suite Deck 6

suite

DS

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: Priority boarding (depending on port of embarkation) Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival Butler service An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and fruit basket every day One king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) An armchair and sofa (167 x 70 cm) A bathroom with shower and small bathtub A private 5 m² balcony A panoramic sliding bay window

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Owner's Suite

suite

OS

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: Private return transfer Priority boarding (depending on port of embarkation) Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival Butler service An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and fruit basket every day A bedroom with one king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A living/dining room with a sofa, armchair, second TV, 4-seater table, and sliding courtesy door A bathroom with shower and Balneo bathtub A one-hour spa treatments per person (for 2 people) in the well-being space, chosen from the facial and body treatments on offer Included premium pass: access to a selection of premium spirits at the bar A private 9 m² balcony Two panoramic sliding bay windows

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Prestige Suite Deck 5

suite

4

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and fruit basket every day A bedroom with king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A lounge with convertible sofa to a king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm), armchairs, second TV, and sliding courtesy door Two bathrooms with showers A private 8 m² balcony Two panoramic sliding bay windows

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Prestige Suite Deck 6

suite

5

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: Priority boarding (depending on port of embarkation) Champagne and fruit basket upon arrival Butler service An assortment of sweet or savoury canapés and fruit basket every day A bedroom with king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm) A lounge with convertible sofa to a king-size bed (180 x 200 cm) or two single beds (90 x 200 cm), armchairs, second TV, and sliding courtesy door Two bathrooms with showers A private 8 m² balcony Two panoramic sliding bay windows

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Superior Stateroom Deck 3

suite

6

In addition to the common services provided to all our suites and staterooms: One king-size bed or two single beds (180 x 200 cm) A bathroom with shower A window (except for stateroom 300: a round porthole only)

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