Ponant Expeditions has expanded its 2027 offerings with the Smithsonian Institution travel program, adding departures like a new solar eclipse itinerary.

The company said in a press release that the 10-night “Baja and the Sea of Cortez: In Search of the Great Whales” will depart on February 10, roundtrip from Cabo San Lucas, and feature lectures by marine biologist and whale specialist Heidi Dewar, as well as conservation biologist Monica Franco, as Smithsonian Journeys experts.

Departing roundtrip from Lisbon on July 30, 2027, “A Solar Eclipse at Sea: Voyage Along the Iberian Peninsula on Le Boréal” will feature two Smithsonian Journeys experts onboard. Stops include Portugal’s Portimão and Figueira da Foz as well as Spain’s Marbella and Cadiz.

Among the experts on board will be Jim Zimbelman, senior geologist emeritus from the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Newly announced voyages also include returning favorites, each featuring two experts.

Highlights include the following:

Eight-night “Treasures of Japan and South Korea by Sea”

• Departing: May 1, 2027, from Busan, South Korea, to Osaka, Japan
• Highlights: Visits to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial; Itsukushima Shinto Shrine; and Bulguksa Temple.

 Seven- or eight-night “Mediterranean Island Voyage: Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Elba”

• Departing: May 18, 2027, and June 7, 2027, from Nice, France, to Valletta, Malta
• Highlights: Five Mediterranean islands with the addition of Gozo on the May 2027 voyage; UNESCO World Heritage sites; Byzantine-Arab mosaics in the Cappella Palatina in Palermo and the Norman Cathedral of Monreale; and the ruins of Syracuse, Taormina and Sardinia.

 Seven-night “Cruising the Historic Cities of the Baltic Sea”

• Departing: June 11, 2027, and August 5, 2027, between Helsinki, Finland, and Copenhagen, Denmark
• Highlights: A presentation aboard with former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize-laureate Lech Wałęsa while in Gdansk; and four UNESCO World Heritage sites.

 Eight-night “Voyage Along the Great Lakes”

• Departing: August 13, 2027, and August 21, 2027, between Toronto, Canada, and Milwaukee, United States
• Highlights: Five Great Lakes of North America; the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation; Niagara Falls; and Mackinac Island.

 10-night “Antarctica: The White Continent”

• Departing: January 17, 2027, from Ushuaia, Argentina roundtrip
• Highlights: A pre-voyage, one-night stay in Buenos Aires; an opportunity to see vast wildlife; visits to research stations and former whaling stations as conditions allow; and hiking and kayaking.

 Seven-night “Cruising Southern Spain and Portugal”

• Departing: May 1, 2027, from Barcelona, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal
• Highlights: Southern Spain; UNESCO World Heritage sites in Andalusia; Palma de Mallorca; Cadiz; and Algarve wine tasting.