This winter and spring, 17 cruises onboard
Compagnie du Ponant’s
Le Diamant will sail to
Asia, including ports in
India,
Sri Lanka,
Malaysia,
Thailand,
Vietnam,
Cambodia, the
Philippines,
China,
South Korea and
Japan.
Reminiscent of the line's
Song of Flower, the 226-guest ship's 113 state rooms and suites all have panoramic ocean views. While only a few have private verandas, all guests rooms feature individually controlled air conditioning, a choice of king or twin beds, as well as
L'Occitane amenities, a flat-screen satellite TV, DVD/CD players, a direct-dial satellite telephone, Wi-Fi, a mini-bar and a safe.
Ship amenities include three restaurants with a 1:2 staff-to-guest ratio, two lounges, four bars and a theatre. Guests can unwind in the library, peruse the boutique and enjoy the beauty and fitness area with a massage room. Then, passengers take a dip in the swimming pool and stroll along the full-circle promenade deck. Once docked, passengers can take the ship's zodiacs (inflatable boats) along the bay or nearby beach.
From November 8, 2010 to May 4, 2011, "
Indian Flavors" will take passengers on an 11-night voyage around the Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka. Departing from
Mumbai, the ship will visit
Goa, home to 16th and 18th Century colonial churches, then
Kochi, featuring
St. Francis, the oldest
European church in India, a 16th Century synagogue and the Dutch
Mattancherry Palace. Three ports in Sri Lanka will introduce passengers to the natural bays, beach and 17th century Dutch fortress at
Galle. Pre-cruise, guests will have three days in Mumbai to visit the
Jain temple,
Dhobi Ghaat and the
Gandhi museum. Post-cruise, disembarking in
Chennai, passengers can visit
Kanchipuram and the Ninth Century temple of
Ekambaranathar, dedicated to
Shiva, during a two-day post-cruise extension.
Departing Phuket November 23, "
Diamonds of Siam and Pearls of Malacca" takes passengers on a nine-night voyages to Singapore through five ports in Malaysia,
Belawan on
Sumatra and
Singapore. First sailing to Malaysia's
Langkawi archipelago, the ship next stops in
Penang before crossing the straight to Belawn, home of the
Bataks, before stopping in
Kuala Lumpur and disembarking in
Malacca. Pre-cruise, guests can see
Bangkok's
Grand Palace,
Emerald Buddha,
Wat Po and the city’s floating markets. Post-cruise, travelers can take advantage of the over-nights itinerary to sight-see.
Five itineraries take voyagers along the coast of vietnam, including optional side-trips to
Cambodia's
AngkorWat. Departing December 2, "
From the Mekong Delta to Halong Bay,"
Le Diamant departs Singapore on a 14-night cruise to Hong Kong through six ports in Vietnam. Stopping first in
Ho Chi Minh City, guests will a cruise up the
Mekong River, visit
Nha Trang, featuring
Hindi and
Buddhist Temples, before going towards
Quy Nhon, to see the
Cham Temples. Afterwards, passengers can walk through the 18th Century architecture in
Hoi An and through the
Imperial City of Hue, dating back to the
Ngyuen Dynasty. Finally,
Le Diamant will sail around
Halong Bay's tall limestone rocks and quiet coves, then tour
Hanoi, "city of lakes," featuring ancient temples,
pagados and French colonial architecture, before disembarking in
Hong Kong. There, guests will have two days to explore the city, including its harbor, shopping and restaurant scene. Similar trips will be available December 16 and 28, January 9 and February 26.
Four China itineraries (January 21 and 31 and February 8 and 16) will take visitors along the coast from Hong Kong to
Shanghai, two of which will include a visit to
Seoul. Departing
Haiphong, the 10-night "
Secrets of Vietnam and the Chinese Empire" starts with an optional trip to Hanoi, then through Halong Bay and Hong Kong to
Xiamen in
Fujian Province. Alternatively, passengers can choose instead to take a three-day trip to see
Xian, including the island of
Gulang Yu, lined with cobblestone streets, featuring 19th century British colonial architecture. Next, the ship will stop at the island of
Putuoshan in the
Zhoushan archipelago, populated by fishing villages and sprinkled by Buddhist temples throughout the mountain area. Concluding the trip before Shanghai is
Ningbo, one of China's oldest cities, home to the
Tian Tong Buddhist temple, first built in 300 AD. In an optional extension, passengers can stay in Shanghai and Beijing to visit the
Forbidden City and the
Great Wall. Similarly, the 10-night "
Cities of Vietnam and Chinese Dynasties" is offered, leaving February 16.
On January 31, the eight-night "
Chinese New Year in the Land of the Dragon" depart from Shanghai to
Tianjin. Heading up the
Yangtze River to
Janjing, chosen capital by the founder of the
Ming Dynasty,
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, where guests can visit his tomb at
Purple Mountain, before arriving at the seaside town,
Qingdao, home to
Taoist temples. Next,
Le Diamant will cross the
Yellow Sea to
Inchon in South Korea, before arriving in
Seoul, where guests can see the city's ancient palaces, fortress gates and traditional markets. Coming back to China, the ship will stop at
Tianjin that features 19th century English, French and German colonial mansions, as well as antique shops. In a similar eight-night itinerary, "
From the Great Wall to the Yangtze," departs February 8, which guests can choose to extend, pre- and post-cruise in Shanghai and
Beijing.
Heading out of Shanghai towards Japan are the two 10-night itineraries, "Land of the Rising Sun," visit seven ports. Departing March 23, the ship's visits include Inchon
, Nagasaki,
Kagoshima,
Umajima,
Hiroshima,
Unoko and
Himaji to end in
Osaka. The April 2 itinerary is the same program, reversed, from Osaka to Shanghai.
Wrapping up next spring,
Le Diamant will sail through Asia, stopping in the Philippines and
Borneo. Cruises start at $2,820 per person, including double occupancy for a
Category E stateroom on the 10-night Haiphong to Shanghai cruise (January 9), and up to $8,995 per person, for a double in the
Owner’s Suite on the 14-day Singapore to Hong Kong cruise December 2. All prices include all wine, beer, mineral water, soft drinks and coffees accompanying meals. Agent commissions offered by
Compagnie du Ponant range between 10 and 15 percent.
Visit
www.ponant.com.
