The New York Times has launched Times Journeys, a branded educational travel program that connects readers and lifelong learners with The New York Times journalists.

The initial program is a 12-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise on Holland America Line’s ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam, Oct. 5-17. The ship will sail round-trip from Venice, Italy, making stops in Montenegro, Greece, Turkey and Croatia.

Journalists Joe Nocera, op-ed columnist, and A.O. Scott, film critic, will engage participants in conversation and analysis during seminars covering current events, film, science, music and technology. More journalists will join the speaker program in the coming months.

The New York Times Knowledge Network, an online education program that offers a wide range of distinctive adult and continuing education courses and Webcasts, supplements the event.

“Times Journeys provides our readers and like-minded travelers an opportunity to learn from and interact with some of The Times’s most celebrated journalists,” says Alice Ting, executive director, brand development and licensing at The New York Times. “Our first event provides an intimate setting where guests can absorb and explore The New York Times’s perspectives on relevant issues, events and pursuits while contributing to the exchange of ideas.”