Ponant Plots an Italy Sailing With Rare Access to 5 Luxury Houses
The September 2027 itinerary layers behind-the-scenes access to Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Pomellato, and Ginori 1735 onto a coastal route from Tuscany to the Venetian Lagoon.
Photo: Courtesy of Ponant
Ponant is taking its fashion partnerships to a new level with an Italy-themed voyage built around access normally reserved for brand insiders. The line has teamed up with Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Pomellato, and Ginori 1735 for an 11-day September 2027 sailing from Livorno to Venice aboard Le Boréal, framing the itinerary around Italian craft, atelier culture, and rarely granted behind-the-scenes experiences.
Rather than a trend piece about fashion going to sea, this one is unusually embedded in the places that shaped these houses. In Florence, guests will step inside the Gucci Archive housed in a 15th-century palazzo, a space the brand keeps closed to the public. Gucci is also curating an onboard exhibition dedicated to the “Art of Travel,” a nod to the house’s luggage heritage. Ginori 1735, whose porcelain has defined Italian tableware for nearly 300 years, is opening its historic Manifattura for a private visit, followed by an onboard demonstration from one of its painters and a Café Ginori takeover in the ship’s observation lounge.
In Venice, Bottega Veneta is offering something similarly off-menu: an inside look at its signature Intrecciato leatherwork and a private reception at the brand’s residence in Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel, paired with a guided walk through some of the quieter corners of the city. From Brioni, there will be a live presentation by one of the house’s master tailors, while Pomellato’s gem expert Stefano Cortecci will lead an intimate session on stones, craftsmanship, and the brand’s distinctive Milanese aesthetic.
Le Boréal will sail through Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, and Campania before gliding into the Venetian Lagoon, with stops in Otranto, Sorrento, Taormina, and Elba. The pacing allows for museum visits, palazzi, winetasting, and the kind of slow wandering that makes these destinations feel personal rather than programmed.
For guests who want deeper immersion, the cruise can be bookended with multi-day extensions: a Gucci-centric stay in Florence, a Ginori 1735 program combining workshops and Chianti vineyard visits, and a post-cruise itinerary in Verona focused on palaces, gardens, and private-access cultural sites.
With only 10 nights and a ship known for its intimate scale, Ponant is marketing the sailing as a limited-edition Italian capsule—more akin to a traveling atelier than a traditional Mediterranean cruise. The voyage runs September 8–18, 2027, with rates from around $14,000 per person.
