Cool Vacation Education: Smithsonian Institution Launches Education Program on Cruises Around the World

The renowned Smithsonian Institution offers a high-quality educational program and exclusive access to renowned historical and cultural sites. AFAR.

Travel can become a form of education. For those of us who are lifelong learners, the world-famous Smithsonian Institution has created a collection of cruises. It was complemented by lectures from in-demand experts designed to give passengers a deeper and richer understanding of the destinations the ship is visiting.

Cruises Smithsonian Journeys were developed in cooperation with the French forwarding company Ponant. And as a result, a specially designed list of cruises has been compiled that will help you immerse yourself in discussions of destinations both on board and off the ship.

The program, originally announced in 2021, has been delayed due to COVID. But this year it launched with cruises to Iceland, Norway, Southern Spain, Portugal, the Arctic Fjords, Tahiti and the Great Lakes.

Smithsonian Journeys will fly 2023 cruises to destinations around the world in 21. Here is some of them.

Arabian Coast Cruise from Dubai to Muscat

This eight hour route stops at seven ports in January 2023. Passengers will visit places like the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and explore the Louvre Abu Dhabi, with more than 600 works housed in 23 galleries. They will also go to a place where sheer limestone cliffs meet aquamarine water in the fjords of Oman's Musandam Peninsula. It is called the Norway of the Middle East. The cost of this cruise is from $7290 per person.

Education: Carl Eikenberry, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, will host discussions on Middle East affairs to help passengers better understand the region.

On the subject: Eight Things You Should Know Before You Go on Your First Cruise

Solar Eclipse: From Indonesia to Australian Kimberley

On this cruise in April 2023, you can witness a total solar eclipse off the northwest coast of Australia. This is the only place in the world where the eclipse will be 100% visible. The 15-day voyage takes place from Bali to the Komodo Islands, home to the famous dragons. And then the ship will head to the Australian region of Kimberley. The cost of such a trip starts from $20.

Education: On board will be Alex Young, a solar astrophysicist who is the associate director of science at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, located outside of Washington, DC.

Cruise from Morocco to the Andalusian coast of Spain

Explore the Portuguese, Moroccan and Spanish coasts in April 2023 by sailing from Casablanca to Lisbon. Highlights on the shore include a trip to Granada for a private visit to the Alhambra after hours. From Cadiz, guests will travel to Seville, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Real Alcázar de Seville, a former royal palace. Price seven hours sailing starts at $4530.

Education: Alia Keith, expert on international relations in North Africa and founder of Kantara, a design business specializing in Moroccan carpets from women's weaving cooperatives, and Rafael Chacon, an art historian who twice walked the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route, will cover cultural aspects space for cruisers.

Travel around the world in Sicily

Spend a week seeing Sicily through the eyes of a renowned archaeologist. The tour will include a visit to the well-preserved Greek ruins at Agrigento, one of the oldest cities in Sicily, dating back to 581 BC. Then the path leads to Segesta, where there is an unfinished Doric temple. Passengers will also be able to visit the ancient Greek theater in Taormina and see the Byzantine Arabic mosaics in Palermo. During an evening swim, admire the lava flowing from the active Stromboli volcano. The cost of this eight day voyage is from $5370.

Education: Passengers will have the opportunity to discuss the places they visit with Albert Leonard. This is an archaeologist who has led excavations throughout the Mediterranean during his 30-year career.

Symphony on the Saint Lawrence River: From Quebec to the Canadian Seaside

Leave Toronto for Gloucester, Massachusetts in October 2023. And spend 14 nights exploring eastern Canada and northern New England with a musical twist. This cruise visits Canadian coastal cities, including Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island and Arcadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. As an added bonus, legendary Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart will perform on board. Fare from $11.

Education: The music program, curated by Lockhart, includes four exclusive performances by six musicians, conducted by the maestro himself.