Swan Hellenic will explore the West Coast of Africa on two new Grand Voyages aboard SH Diana, with the cruise line already reporting strong interest.
The first departs Cape Town on 25 March 2026, combining five northbound cruises to create a 51-night Grand Voyage, sailing the entire West Coast of Africa to Casablanca and then on to Lisbon. The second is a 35-night Grand Voyage sailing south from Lisbon to Luanda from 7 September 2026.
Experts and expedition guides will join each cultural expedition cruise, socialising with the guests on board and helping them discover each destination. Among the sights are coastal elephants and unspoiled landscapes, forts of the transatlantic slave trade, the lakeside dwellings of Benin, and the pristine Bijagos Archipelago.
With interest in these cruises already “very strong”, Swan Hellenic advised travellers to book early to avoid disappointment.
Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.
“We’re proud and delighted that our expert-designed African cultural expedition cruises have met with such an enthusiastic response,” Patrizia Iantorno, Chief Commercial Officer of Swan Hellenic said. “Combining in-depth encounters with pristine nature, extraordinary wildlife and unique cultures, they each offer exceptional experiences. Which is why we’re delighted to respond to guest demand and offer the opportunity to combine them all into unique Grand Voyages of a lifetime for an equally unique price”.
The five northbound cruises in the first half of 2026 range from 7 to 13 nights long and are all still available separately or connected as desired. These include: the 11-night Cruising in Namibia: the Skeleton Coast, departing Cape Town on 25 March 2026 and arriving in Luanda on 5 April 2026; the 13-night Southwest Africa Cruise, departing Luanda on 5 April 2026 and arriving in Tema (Accra) on 18 April 2026; the 13-night Cruise West Africa: The Slavery Coast, departing Tema (Accra) on 18 April and arriving in Dakar on 1 May; the 7-night Cruise from Senegal to Morocco, departing Dakar on 1 May 2026 and arriving in Casablanca on 8 May 2026; and the 7-night Morocco to Portugal Cruise, departing Casablanca on 8 May 2026 and arriving in Lisbon on 15 May 2026.
The three southbound cruises in the second half of 2026 are: the 9-night Atlantic Cruise from Portugal to Senegal, departing Lisbon on 7 September 2026 and arriving in Dakar on 16 September; the 13-night The Slavery Coast: from Senegal to Ghana, tdeparting Dakar on 16 September 2026 and arriving in Tema (Accra) on 29 September 2026; and the 13-night West Africa Cruise from Ghana to Angola, departing Tema (Accra) on 29 September 2026 and arriving in Luanda on 12 October 2026.
SH Diana accommodates 192 guests in 96 staterooms, with a gym, spa, panoramic sauna, swimming pool with poolside grill as well as three dining venues.
