Swan Hellenic has introduced two “Grand Voyages” for 2026, each exploring the West Coast of Africa and beyond onboard SH Diana. The first departs Cape Town on March 25, 2026, combining five northbound cruises to create a 51-night "Grand Voyage," sailing the entire West Coast of Africa to Casablanca and on to Lisbon. The second is a 35-night "Grand Voyage" sailing south from Lisbon to Luanda from September 7, 2026.
The five northbound cruises in the first half of 2026 range from seven to 13 nights and are all still available separately or daisy chained as desired. In chronological order, these include:
- The 11-night “Cruising in Namibia: the Skeleton Coast,” departing Cape Town on March 25, 2026 and arriving in Luanda on April 5, 2026
- The 13-night “Southwest Africa Cruise,” departing Luanda on April 5, 2026 and arriving in Tema (Accra) on April 18, 2026
- The 13-night “Cruise West Africa: The Slavery Coast,” departing Tema on April 18 and arriving in Dakar on May 1, 2026
- The seven-night “Cruise from Senegal to Morocco,” departing Dakar on May 1, 2026 and arriving in Casablanca on May 8, 2026
- The seven-night “Morocco to Portugal Cruise,” departing Casablanca on May 8 and arriving in Lisbon on May 15, 2026
The three southbound cruises in the second half of 2026 include:
- The nine-night “Atlantic Cruise from Portugal to Senegal,” departing Lisbon on September 7 and arriving in Dakar on September 16, 2026
- The 13-night “The Slavery Coast: from Senegal to Ghana,” departing Dakar on September 16 and arriving in Tema on September 29, 2026
- The 13-night “West Africa Cruise from Ghana to Angola,” departing Tema on September 29 and arriving in Luanda on October 12, 2026
Both "Grand Cruises" are offered at a 15 percent savings compared to the combined individual fares. Each cultural expedition cruise will be enriched by the knowledge of experts and expedition guides, who socialize with the guests onboard. Highlights include coastal elephants, landscapes and forts of the transatlantic slave trade, to the lakeside dwellings of Benin, the Bijagos Archipelago, the cobbled streets of ancient medinas to exploring Lisbon, Europe’s second oldest capital city after Athens.
The 192-guest SH Diana has 96 staterooms and suites, the majority with large balconies, plus a gym, spa, panoramic sauna, club room, swimming pool with poolside grill and three dining venues. In addition, there is a dedicated presentation and lecture theater overlooking the lounge, and onboard Tender boats to take guests ashore as well as the customary expedition Zodiacs.
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