Ponant's A Symphony at Sea: The Musical Traditions of Greece

Ocean Cruise

Selected and hosted by Allan Hopper, CLIA Cruise Master and Ponant Explorations Expert.

A specially tailored voyage including transfers before and after your cruise and an included excursion in each port of call.

A program of musical performances aboard ship featuring Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart and six musicians – pianist Jihye Chang, cellist Alistair MacRae, soprano Allison Pohl, violist Scott Rawls, violinist Wendy Rawls, and violinist Benjamin Sung.

Enjoy performances of folkloric dance in Crete and traditional music in Santorini.

Stroll the medieval streets of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Rhodes Town.

Marvel at the sheer number and variety of temples and shrines on tiny Delos, another UNESCO World Heritage site.

Discover the stunning views and wonders of Bodrum and the quiet elegance of Hydra.

Relax and refresh in the cafés and shops for which Mykonos is famous.

 


From price

$12,999
Price per person, twin share
Tour Provider Transformational Travel
Number Of Days
8
Start Location
Athens, Greece
End Location
Athens, Greece
Age Range
Avg. 55+
Group Size
15 to 15
Tour Style
Luxury
Tour Themes
Small group
Physical Rating
Easy

Departure dates

Price per person, twin share
Start End Availability Price
18 Oct 2026 25 Oct 2026 3 $12,999

Itinerary details

Highlights

A specially tailored voyage including transfers before and after your cruise and an included excursion in each port of call.

A program of musical performances aboard ship featuring Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart and six musicians – pianist Jihye Chang, cellist Alistair MacRae, soprano Allison Pohl, violist Scott Rawls, violinist Wendy Rawls, and violinist Benjamin Sung.

Enjoy performances of folkloric dance in Crete and traditional music in Santorini.

Stroll the medieval streets of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Rhodes Town.

Marvel at the sheer number and variety of temples and shrines on tiny Delos, another UNESCO World Heritage site.

Discover the stunning views and wonders of Bodrum and the quiet elegance of Hydra.

Relax and refresh in the cafés and shops for which Mykonos is famous.

 


18 October 2026 - Athens

Embarkation 18/10/2026 From 4:00?pm to 5:00?pm

Departure 18/10/2026 at 8:00?pm

The Greek capital city is located on the edge of the Saronic gulf, in the east of the country. It bears a plural name in reference to the first villages that surround the Acropolis. You will be enchanted by the rocky plateau presided by its monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage. In the city below, you can visit some of the liveliest districts in Athens: Plaka, with its maze of colourful streets, and where, in the evenings the drifting aroma of moussaka and garlic prawns will tickle your taste buds. The National Archaeological museum and the Cycladic Art Museum are also some of the city’s key attractions and allow visitors to discover Athens’ cultural past.

19 October 2026 - Heraklion, Crete

Arrival 19/10/2026 midday

Departure 19/10/2026 evening

Heraklion, the capital of Crete, is the island’s most populous city. The hustle and bustle of this seaport is an integral part of its charm. It is built on a hillside overlooking the port and is encircled by impressive Venetian walls. From the top of these, you will be able to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the city. The old town is teeming with small shops, squares, cafés and vibrant architectural evidence of the city’s long history. The Palace of Knossos illustrates the wealth and power of its legendary sovereign, King Minos. The archaeological museum houses one of the largest collections of Minoan artefacts and is worth a visit.



20 October 2026 - Santorini

Arrival 20/10/2026 early morning

Departure 20/10/2026 evening

The spectacular volcanic island of Santorini stands out proud in the Cyclades. Its basalt cliffs offer particularly expansive views of the Aegean. To enjoy these views, you can head for the capital, Fira. Its floral belvederes of bougainvillea provide a bird’s-eye view of several thousand metres of coastline. Further away, the gorgeous village of Oia looks like a stairway of blue and white houses on the slopes of the volcano. In the south of the island, you will be able to visit the stunning ruins of Akrotiri, an ancient city destroyed by an eruption and covered with a thick layer of lava stone.



21 October 2026 - Rhodes

Arrival 21/10/2026 early morning

Departure 21/10/2026 late afternoon

With its particularly agreeable climate, the island of Rhodes invites you to walk its pathways and discover its immaculate villages and sumptuous medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. At the centre of the island the mountains are covered in forest and on the western slopes we find vineyards and crops. Rhodes also owes much of its charm and its character to the Knights of St John who reigned over the island from 1310 to 1522 and built impressive defensive walls punctuated with majestic gateways. Do not miss this delightful island with its peaceful beaches and its large walkways, perpetuating the myth of the famous Colossus, the legendary statue that is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

22 October 2026 - Bodrum

Arrival 22/10/2026 early morning

Departure 22/10/2026 mid afternoon

Bodrum is located one of the bays of Mugla on the west coast of Turkey. At the harbour entrance, you’ll can’t miss The Bodrum Castle of The Knights of St. John, the town’s emblem. Here you will be able to visit the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology housed within the castle precincts. In the centre, the passages shaded by arbours abound with diverse craft shops and ice-cream cafés where you can sit out and enjoy refreshing citrus fruit sorbets. A few streets away, the archaeological site of the Halicarnasse mausoleum invites you to experience the old town’s past, just as the old theatre ds, built on the slopes of the hillside looking out over the bay of Bodrum.

23 October 2026 - Delos

Arrival 23/10/2026 early morning

Departure 23/10/2026 midday

This legendary Cyclades island of Delos stands just a few miles southwest of Mykonos. The ceremonial solemnity of this ancient holy sanctuary will not leave you indifferent. The sheer size and importance of this UNESCO World Heritage site which covers over half of the island is thrilling in itself. From the Stoa of Antigonos, the Terrace of the Lions, to the carved marble animal statues, you will make discovery after discovery, against a backdrop of the Aegean stretching to the horizon. The theatre steps on the hillside are a particularly good place from which to enjoy the expansive view.

23 October 2026 - Mykonos

Arrival 23/10/2026 early afternoon

Departure 23/10/2026 late evening

Nicknamed “little Venice”, Mykonos is famous for its Alefkandra district where houses are built right on the water’s edge. Their multi-coloured loggias are emblematic of this Cyclades island, as are the pelicans and windmills. You can get close up to the birds on the quaysides of the old port. Up on the hillside, you can see the windmill sails turning. In the cobbled streets of the pedestrian centre, bougainvillea bedeck immaculate facades. As you weave in and out of the little streets, snatches of coastline will undoubtedly call you to the island’s beaches, the quietest of which can be found on the northern coast.

24 October 2026 - Hydra

Arrival 24/10/2026 early morning

Departure 24/10/2026 late afternoon

This unusual gem belonging to the Saronic islands is located to the east of the Peloponnese. There are no cars here. Named after the island, the harbour town is layered up the slopes of a mountainous bay. You may be surprised to see beautiful stone mansions. These are traditional here, as are the multi-coloured caïques along the quays. Further along the shore, you will discover the Historical Archives Museum. Collections from Athens National History Museum are exhibited in the elegant villa Koundouriotis.

25 October 2026 - Athens

Arrival 25/10/2026 early morning

Disembarkation 25/10/2026 at 8:00?am

The Greek capital city is located on the edge of the Saronic gulf, in the east of the country. It bears a plural name in reference to the first villages that surround the Acropolis. You will be enchanted by the rocky plateau presided by its monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage. In the city below, you can visit some of the liveliest districts in Athens: Plaka, with its maze of colourful streets, and where, in the evenings the drifting aroma of moussaka and garlic prawns will tickle your taste buds. The National Archaeological museum and the Cycladic Art Museum are also some of the city’s key attractions and allow visitors to discover Athens’ cultural past.

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