Jazz at Sea from Quebec to the Big Apple

In partnership with the Marseille Jazz des cinq continents festival and with the participation of iconic artists such as the Oscar Peterson Centennial Trio, the Papasoff Quintet with Dawn Tyler Watson, Camille Thurman with the Darrell Green Quartet. Not to mention prestigious guests Maurin Auxéméry, Artistic Director of the Montréal Jazz Festival, Jason Olaine, Vice-President of Programming at the Jazz at Lincoln Center and Ashley Khan, musicologist and writer. Find out more by clicking here.

Fall under the spell of the timeless elegance of jazz music as you sail along captivating and enchanting North American shores. From Montreal to New York, PONANT, in partnership with the Marseille Jazz Festival of the Five Continents, proposes an exceptional musical cruise aboard Le Lyrial for a 14-day itinerary discovering the immense preserved spaces and cultural treasures of Canada and the American East Coast. A journey with the presence of exceptional guests aboard – two American and Canadian quintets – punctuated by many performances and exchanges.

Throughout your journey, you will benefit from an excursion included per person per port of call, to choose from a selection offered by PONANT. During this cruise, explore the exceptional Old Quebec district, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site; fall under the spell of the pretty and lively little streets of the Beacon Hill district and wander around the aisles of the famous Quincy Market in Boston; or be charmed by the Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park, renowned for the abundance of its unique flora and fauna, in particular for its enormous colony of gannets, from Percé. The diversity of experiences on offer promises you intense and varied moments (to discover the full range of excursions, go to the itinerary tab).

Departing from Montreal, famous for its energy and cultural vibrancy, and Quebec, capital of Canada’s Beautiful Province, located on the St Lawrence estuary and founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608. Do not miss this charming and lively city where the historic neighbourhood of Old Quebec, with its ramparts and fortifications, is listed asWorld Heritage by UNESCO.

At the mouth of Saguenay River, you will reach Tadoussac. This National Park is also an unmissable site for whale watching as the mammals gather to feed before winter.

Percé awaits you further on, on the Gaspé Peninsula. It is one of Quebec’s most beautiful villages and borders a national park with incredible natural, historic and geological heritage. The majestic Percé Rock and Bonaventure fortress are among the unmissable sites of this destination.

Lying in the middle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, The Magdalen Islands offer an unusual variety of landscapes, from the white of the sandy beaches to the red of the sculpted cliff faces. You will be captivated not only by the natural setting but by the hospitality of the inhabitants.

Le Lyrial will then cruise along the coasts of Nova Scotia, home to great historical towns and villages of unrivalled cachet.

You will continue your journey towards the American East Coast in Boston, considered as the birthplace of the United States because of the key role it played during the American Revolution.

At the end of the Cape Cod peninsula, the East Coast atmosphere is reminiscent of the chic and discreet charm of the Western Coast of France, with beautiful houses, sea spray and gentle way of life.

As a grand finale, Le Lyrial will enter the port of New York as the majestic Statue of Liberty reveals itself from the sea: an unforgettable port of call in a city that is second to none.