Category SSF - Seven Seas Suite Forward
Seven Seas Suite (Forward)
Photos are examples only. Actual cabin colors and features may vary.
This cruise has already sailed
11 Night Mediterranean Springtime in France and Italy Cruise from Nice
Ship: Le Bougainville
Cruise Line: Ponant Cruises
Sailed: Saturday, May 10, 2025 from Nice, France
Ended: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
The itinerary information below reflects the original day-by-day port of call schedule for the Saturday, May 10, 2025
departure of the Le Bougainville. If Ponant Cruises modified this itinerary for weather or operational reasons after departing
, the modified schedule would not be reflected here.
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Capital of the Cote d'Azur, Nice is surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills and mountains that protects it from the wind. You will probably want to explore the Promenade des Anglais, where you can sit on one of the famous blue chairs laid out opposite the Baie des Anges. The Chateau hill is also a very pleasant place to walk. This is the entrance to the old city, with its bustling markets and regional products along the main street, Cours Saleya.
Day 2 - Sunday - May 11, 2025
Livorno, Italy
On the Ligurian coast, Livorno invites us to Tuscany, a charming region offering archeological vestiges, Renaissance treasures, undulating landscapes, and a pleasant way of life. When the Medicis arrived in the 16th century they developed the city, which became one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean. Cosmopolitan and multireligious, Livorno has welcomed many immigrants and is a wonderful example of cultural diversity. Built during that period, Fortezza Vecchia and Fortezza Nuova attest to the city's power. At the foot of the new fort, Venezia Nuova is an enchanting district with small canals and streets to stroll along to discover a few architectural treasures, such as the magnificent Santa Caterina da Siena Church in the Tuscan Baroque style.
Day 3 - Monday - May 12, 2025
Portoferraio, Italy
In the elbow of a creek on the northern coastline of Elba Island, a small corner of paradise awaits in the form of Portoferraio. As you approach its coastlines, you will make out the powerful and majestic contours of its Medici fortresses. Napoleon Bonaparte spent many of his 300 days in exile here. The Palazzina dei Mulini, his first imperial residence, whose gardens offer outstanding views of the sea, is a must-see. Historical treasures are followed by another kind of treasure, namely white-sand beaches, and equally tempting local specialities including gurguglione and rice with cuttlefish ink.
Day 4 - Tuesday - May 13, 2025
Amalfi, Italy
The little town of Campania gives its name to the region containing the magnificent, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Amalfi coast. And for good reason. Located at the foot of Mount Cerreto, against a rock face of a gorge that opens onto the sea, Amalfi's absolutely splendid natural scenery alone is enough to feast your eyes on before making for the medieval streets to explore some of its history. The mix of cultural influences from the Mediterranean Rim is omnipresent here.
Day 5 - Wednesday - May 14, 2025
Stromboli, Italy
Like Ulysses during his odyssey, you will have the opportunity to admire the Stromboli, the capricious volcano that looms over the Aeolian Islands. Its activity, uninterrupted for thousands of years, has earned it the nickname the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean".
Lipari, Italy
Of the seven Aeolian Islands, this is the largest and the most populated. Lying off the north coast of Sicily, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Lipari is one of UNESCO's marvellous World Heritage Sites. Its lava stone quarries and obsidian flow of Rocce Rosse are indications of its volcanic nature. The town, the largest urban area in the whole archipelago, proudly houses a citadel and castle, both rooted in Antiquity. If you head further into the centre, you'll be surprised to come across a Norman cathedral, complete with a magnificent Baroque facade.
Day 6 - Thursday - May 15, 2025
Palermo, Italy
Palermo is the guardian of the Sicilian soul. Many have been attracted to this city, the largest capital of the Italian islands. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans... Palermo is a rich culmination of so many cultural influences as seen in the Moorish designs on the cathedral, and the Byzantine mosaics of the Palatine Chapel, which is itself housed within the precincts of the Norman Palace. You will fall under the spell of the palaces, Baroque splendours that grace the town with their obsolete beauty. It is thrilling to stumble upon one of those fabulous markets, high in colour and headily picturesque.
Day 7 - Friday - May 16, 2025
Trapani, Italy
Bathed in the cobalt waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Trapani is the former port of the Greek city of Erice, boasting a privileged natural position in western Sicily. As you wander through its little streets, you will discover a secular cultural heritage, bearing witness to the many influences of civilisations that came here: San Lorenzo Cathedral, Maria Santissima Annunziata Sanctuary, Fountain of Triton. On the shaded restaurant terraces, savour some fresh fish from the morning's catch. Or else you can opt for a seafood couscous, a culinary legacy from their Arab neighbours.
Day 8 - Saturday - May 17, 2025
Cagliari, Italy
The capital of Sardinia, Cagliari, like Rome, is built on seven hills. Its Sardinian name means "castle", in reference to the citadel, its historic center, which dominates the city. The old ramparts are now pleasant panoramic terraces bordering picturesque streets. The city hosted the Nuragic, Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine civilizations before the rein of the Spanish Habsburgs and the House of Savoy. The monuments of Cagliari bear the traces of these successive dominations, such as the Bastion of Saint-Remy or the Sainte-Marie Cathedral. On the sea front, Art Nouveau-style public monuments give way to the Poetto beach, a magnificent stretch of sand that is 8 kilometers long.
Day 9 - Sunday - May 18, 2025
Bonifacio, France
The spectacular town of Bonifacio located on the very tip of southern Corsica, clings to a narrow promontory of white rock overhanging the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. You can admire its limestone cliffs hewn out by the wind, before setting off on a cultural tour of its cultural treasures. From the little paved streets in the ancient Haute Ville to the promenade on the open-air medieval chemin de ronde, this stunning town will take you on a journey back in time. Frequented or secluded, there are numerous beaches to choose from, all in keeping with the high standards of the "Ile de Beaute".
Day 10 - Monday - May 19, 2025
Calvi, France
Nestled on a rocky spur in the north-west of Corsica, the port of Calvi offers its whiteness between two sapphire-coloured bays. Capital of the Balagne region, the Genoese city benefits from an exceptional natural setting between the abrupt relief of the central chain, fertile hills, and long sandy beaches. From the promontory of the Notre Dame de la Serra Chapel, built in the 19th century on the ruins of a 15th-century sanctuary, you will not miss the sublime panorama of the seaside, the mountains, and the Calvi citadel. A little further west, you will have the opportunity to discover with the Peninsula of Revellata, a wilder and more preserved part of Corsica.
Day 11 - Tuesday - May 20, 2025
Marseille, France
The oldest harbour in France, Marseille is the city where Ponant has chosen to set up its company headquarters. Heart vibrating in its setting of Mediterranean calanques, it reveals its raw and authentic beauty, made up of a thousand influences and cultures which, over the centuries, have made up its wealth. A stroll through the Old Port will allow you to discover the places corresponding to the city founded by the Greeks as well as hilltop Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica with its astonishing neo-Byzantine architecture. Close to the quays, Place de Lenche, which covers the ancient agora, will be perfect for a break in one of its lively cafes before melting into the maze of narrow streets with colourful houses in the Panier district, just a stone's throw away.
Day 12 - Wednesday - May 21, 2025
Nice, France
Capital of the Cote d'Azur, Nice is surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills and mountains that protects it from the wind. You will probably want to explore the Promenade des Anglais, where you can sit on one of the famous blue chairs laid out opposite the Baie des Anges. The Chateau hill is also a very pleasant place to walk. This is the entrance to the old city, with its bustling markets and regional products along the main street, Cours Saleya.
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