Ponant has announced valuable savings on “An Immersion in Japanese Culture,” sailing aboard Le Soleal from May 30 to June 7, 2020.

In addition to bonus savings up to 25 percent on fares, passengers will enjoy a $1,500 air credit ($3,000 per couple). The single supplement fee is also waived for all solo travelers. Travel agents also earn a $200 gift card for every booking made by February 29, 2020, according to a statement. 

The new nine-day/eight-night sailing is part of the Quintessential Collection, a series of themed cruises featuring notable onboard speakers and excursions ashore that embrace the local culture. The ship departs from Osaka and ends in Maizuru with stops in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, among other ports including a visit to Busan in South Korea. Fares start at $6,260 per person (inclusive of 25 percent savings).

Highlights of the itinerary include a private audience with the Abbot of Kofukuji Temple in the heart of Nagasaki and the elegance of a private tea-making ceremony available to all passengers.

Optional activities include a special performance of the Kagura dance at Itsukushima Shrine, a Shinto holy place; a private visit to the beautiful Yuushien Garden in Sakaiminato; a cooking class demonstrating how to cut and plate deadly puffer fish; and a guided walk through the Busan fish market in South Korea with lunch included. In addition, an optional two-night pre-cruise visit to Kyoto is also available.

Three noted experts will join the cruise to add depth and insight to the exploration in port and on-board ship: Timon Screech, Author and Professor of the History of Art at the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London; Holly H. Shimizu, Former Executive Director of the US Botanic Garden and former Host of Victory Garden on PBS; and Osamu Shimizu, an expert in contemporary Japanese gardens.