After its first cruising season in Cuba, PONANT is preparing for its second season in the destination with space available on two sailings: March 18-25 and April 1-9, 2018.
The seven-and eight-night "People to People Cultural Exchange" voyages will take place aboard the 64-guests Le Ponant, a three-masted sailing yacht. Ports of call include: Santiago de Cuba, one of the island's oldest cities; and Casilda, a small fishing village. An option two-night pre-cruise extension is available in Havana, where guests can partake in tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Guest lecturer Franklin W. Knight, professor of history at the Johns Hopkins University—who has been organizing educational travel programs to Cuba since the 1970s—will join the April sailing.
Le Ponant has 32 rooms, all equipped with ocean views. Staterooms average 160 square feet and offer amenities including: European-style outlets, individual heat/air conditioning controls, a mini bar and complimentary bottled water. Other ship highlights include: four decks of guest facilities, the Sun Deck, Antigua Deck, St. Barth Deck and Marie Galante Deck; onboard library, a fleet of Zodiacs, and laundry services available for an additional fee.
Additionally, Ponant is offering another Cuba itinerary for an 11-day voyage sailing December 6 to December 16, 2018. The voyage embarks from St. Martin to Cuba calling in the Dominican Republic, Virgin Gorda, Antilla and Havana.
In the coming months, Ponant will embark on numerous voyages to other destinations in the Caribbean including:
- Tee-time in the West Indies: This golf cruise sails from Fort de France to Pointe-a-Pitre and offers an optional golf package and visits to the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Saint Lucia.
- Christmas in the Grenadines: The 10-day cruise visits Saint Lucia, Tobago Cays National Park, Bequia, and multiple exclusive diving locations. An experienced diving monitor is on the cruise for those who wish to scuba dive or snorkel.