DeSalvio Travel's new partnership

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We are pleased to announce two new additions to DeSalvio Travel's growing expertise in luxury cruising. Robert Poortinga has successfully completed PONANT's specialist training and is now officially designated a PONANT EXPLORATIONS EXPERT, while DeSalvio Travel has also become an accredited partner of Paul Gauguin Cruises.

For us, these relationships are about more than adding two luxury cruise brands to our portfolio. They reflect the type of travel we increasingly want to offer our clients: smaller-scale experiences, meaningful cultural encounters, excellent gastronomy and the opportunity to explore destinations with a greater sense of context.

Why PONANT caught our attention

There are many luxury cruise companies, but PONANT has always presented exploration somewhat differently. What attracted us was not simply the destinations or the ships, but the intellectual side of the brand.

PONANT brings together exploration, scientific research, cultural discovery and expert knowledge, including collaborations with explorers and specialists. There is an emphasis on understanding the places being visited and giving travellers access to ideas and perspectives that can make a destination much more interesting. That approach is particularly relevant to the way we work at DeSalvio Travel.

Our clients are often looking for more than a beautiful hotel or an attractive itinerary. They may be interested in the history of a region, its art and architecture, its food, its music or the people who have shaped it. A voyage can become much more meaningful when there is an opportunity to understand what lies behind the destination. This is one of the reasons we want to develop a strong relationship with PONANT.

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Paul Gauguin Cruises and a different side of cruising

Our new partnership with Paul Gauguin Cruises adds another particularly interesting dimension to our cruise expertise.

With its strong connection to French Polynesia and the South Pacific, Paul Gauguin Cruises offers a more focused approach to this part of the world. The smaller scale of the experience is important for travellers who may not be interested in the atmosphere of a large cruise ship, but still want the convenience and depth that a carefully designed voyage can provide.

For clients who have already travelled extensively, this can be an appealing way to explore a destination from a different perspective. It is also a natural fit with our interest in gastronomy, culture and the arts. These are not simply subjects we use to describe travel; they are areas in which we have genuine professional experience and curiosity.

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A natural connection with our work

Robert's background is an important part of this relationship. As a professional classical pianist, he has spent much of his career immersed in music and the performing arts, while his work with DeSalvio Travel has expanded into luxury travel, gastronomy, cultural experiences and destination planning.

That combination influences the way we look at travel.

A voyage is not only about where the ship goes. We also look at the quality of the cultural programming, the people who contribute their expertise, the food and wine, the history of the places being visited and the opportunities for travellers to engage with them.

PONANT's emphasis on exploration, knowledge and cultural discovery particularly resonates with that perspective. Its relationship with the worlds of classical music and gastronomy also creates some very natural connections with our own work.

We are genuinely excited to develop these new relationships and to continue learning more about both companies.

More to come from DeSalvio Travel

Over the coming months, we will be publishing a series of in-depth articles about PONANT and Paul Gauguin Cruises. Rather than simply listing itineraries, we want to look at what distinguishes the different voyages, destinations and styles of travel, and who each experience is really suited to.

Becoming a PONANT EXPLORATIONS EXPERT and an accredited Paul Gauguin Cruises partner gives us another layer of specialist knowledge when advising our clients. Ultimately, that is what matters most to us: understanding the experience well enough to know when it is the right recommendation for a particular traveller.

Exploring with DeSalvio Travel

Considering an expedition voyage, French Polynesia or a smaller-scale cruise to somewhere you've never visited? We can help you look beyond the itinerary and understand the experience itself — from the ship and destination to culture, gastronomy and the style of exploration. Our new PONANT expertise and Paul Gauguin Cruises partnership add to the specialist knowledge we bring to planning meaningful luxury travel. Contact DeSalvio Travel to start the conversation.

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Book your call here.

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Marisa DeSalvio

CEO DeSalvio Travel
Travel design specialist
Adventure Travel Specialist
Asia/Pacific specialist

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