Jetsettersblog

Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Levant will sail the Black Sea and the Mediterranean from April 27 through October.

The seven- and 10-night voyages visit ports in 13 countries — Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Carrying 90 guests in 45 outside staterooms, the 330-foot Le Levant features two restaurants, a lounge, several bars, a library, a swimming pool, a 4,300-square-foot Sun Deck, and a beauty and fitness area with sauna.

The Le Levant has a staff-to-guest ratio of 1:2 as the company wants to help guests feel like they are sailing on their own yacht.

Le Levant will kick off its European season on April 27 with three “Magical Black Sea” cruises sailing to and from Istanbul and calling at ports in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

On Aug. 26 and Sept. 2, Le Levant will offer the same itinerary. The seven-night “Eastern and Western Civilizations” will depart May 18 and Sept. 9 from Istanbul to Rome through Greece’s Corinth Canal. The 10-night “Mediterranean Circle” itinerary will depart May 25, June 24, Sept. 27 and Oct. 7 from Venice to Livorno, Monaco, Barcelona, Mallorca, Tunis, Naples and Palermo.

The seven-night “Dolce Vita and the Greek Islands” cruise departs June 24 while “Secret Islands of the Aegean Sea” departs July 1, July 8 and Aug. 19.

These voyages visit Capri, Taormina, Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, Delos, Patmos, Chios and Limnos.

The seven-night “From the Corinth Canal to the Grand Canal” departs July 15 and Aug. 12 while “Dalmatian Colours” departs July 22, July 29 and Aug. 5.

These voyages visit five UNESCO World Heritage sites and off-the-beaten-track islands in Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia such as Dubrovnik, Hvar, Kotor, Trogir, Sibenik, and Split.

The six-night “Bridge” itinerary departs Sept. 16 to Amalfi, Positano, Elba and Corsica.

The seven-night Rome-to-Nice “Discoveries in the Tyrrhenian Sea” cruise departs Oct. 17 while “Arts of Italy” departs Oct. 24 and is a Nice round-trip calling at popular Italian ports.

Le Levant’s Zodiacs allow guests to explore coves and islets, and they can jump into the Mediterranean for a swim from the vessel’s marina platform. On Nov. 15, Le Levant will depart Nice for Cayenne in French Guyana on a 15-day repositioning voyage. Highlights of the winter schedule are: a 12-day Amazon River itinerary (Nov. 28), four cruises along the Orinoco River departing from Fort de France (Dec. 13, Dec. 20, Feb. 22 and Feb. 29) and six Panama Canal sailings in January.

Ranging from 205 to 161 square feet, staterooms are air-conditioned with king size or twin beds, a desk, dressing table and marble and teak baths with showers and L’Occitane amenities.

The staterooms have flat-screen satellite TVs, DVD/CD players, satellite direct-dial telephone, Wi-Fi and mini bar.

From April 27 to Oct. 24, all but eight cruises are seven-day itineraries.

Starting at $2,915 per person, double occupancy, for a Champlain Deck stateroom and ranging up to $6,000 per person, double for a stateroom on Bougainville Deck, cruise prices include all wine, beer, mineral water, soft drinks and specialty coffees served with meals. Compagnie du Ponant offers travel agent commissions ranging between 10 and 15 percent.

For more information, call 888-400-1082 or visit www.ponant.com