World Cruise from Barcelona

One of the busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean, the seaside city of Barcelona is known for its iconic architecture, colourful culture, and world-class drinking and dining.

Explore Antoni Gaudí’s surreal Sagrada Família, the famous boulevard of the Ramblas, the medieval Barri Gótic, and the Museu Picasso. But there’s even more to discover in this sprawling Spanish city, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination: from hidden tapas bars and fabulous food markets to Europe’s biggest football stadium.

The port city of Palma, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, lies on the south coast of Mallorca. Founded in 124 B.C., Palma is celebrated for its medieval streets, jaw-dropping architecture, and ancient fortified walls. See buildings such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria which features designs by Gaudí and one of the world’s largest stained-glass windows, or the Gothic Bellver castle with its circular centre and eye-catching towers.

A journey through culture and art. With an MSC Cruise you will immerse yourself in one of the most fascinating and historical regions in Italy. Welcome to Sicily: in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by crystal clear waters, this magical and welcoming land preserves traces of ancient civilizations.
With a hike in the Val di Noto, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, you will be able to fully enjoy the sicilian baroque, on the trail of “Commissioner Montalbano”, the famous character created by the author Andrea Camilleri. Passing through Ragusa Ibla, the ancient historical center of Ragusa, with its numerous churches and many buildings of times gone by, continuing to Scicli, where you will be able to admire the Byzantine settlements in the area of Chiafura, to finally arrive in Modica, famous not only for the delicious chocolate of Aztec origin but also for the artistic value of its buildings.

Moving on to Syracuse, you will reach the island of Ortygia, the old town, connected to the mainland by the Umbertino bridge. Here, great civilizations have come and gone: from the Greeks and Phoenicians to the Romans, from the Arabs to the Byzantines, to the Normans and the Aragonese. To experience life in this city to the full you shouldn’t miss a visit to the market: lose yourself among the stalls, where the sellers of fish, meat, fruits and vegetables are all proposing their goods with the typical vanniate, screams/rhymes in the local dialect.

Or take an excursion to the archeological Park of Syracuse. In this site you will be able to admire, among other things, relics of Greco-Roman eras, like the Greek Theatre of the V century BC, where the playwright Aeschylus staged The Women of Aetna in 476 BC; The ear of Dionysus, 23 meter high artificial cave; the Roman Amphitheatre, carved into the rock and among the largest in Sicily; and the Ara of Ierone, the altar that was originally about 198 meters long and over 20 wide.

The UNESCO-protected port of Valletta, the capital of the island of Malta, is one of the must-see stops for every Mediterranean cruise of merit.

You can admire this port, constructed in the second half of the 16th century by the Frenchman Jean de la Valette and moulded by the religious and military Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, from your MSC ship even before disembarking. The over 300 monuments rising in little more than half a square kilometre make this a place with one of the greatest density of historical attractions to visit during a cruise, not mentioning other attractions such as its beaches, seaside locales and restaurants.
An excursion to the island can start right from its capital, Valletta, which enchants the cruise-goer with its famous Maltese balconies, which decorate the facades of houses in its old quarter. Surrounded by a multitude of churches, which the islanders assure are as many as the days of the year, the St. John’s Co-Cathedral is one of Malta’s biggest tourist attractions.
The National Museum of Archaeology, on the other hand, hosts prehistoric artefacts found on the island. By the Grand Harbour, one can visit the underground passages of Auberge de Castille and the beautiful Baracca Gardens, which overlook the harbour; at night, when the city gates would close, its porticoes served as shelter for travellers. To get a taste of the life of Malta’s ancient nobility, visit Casa Rocca Piccola.
A 16th century Palazzo now the residence of the 9th Marquis De Piro, it has period furnishings and has a bomb shelter built for protection against bombings during the Second World War. The set of the film Popeye can still be seen from Malta’s largest beach, as well as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha with a fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Christ; according to tradition, Saint Luke, who was shipwrecked on the island with Saint Paul, is the author of this Byzantine-style fresco.

Sitting on the stunning Cypriot coastline, Limassol makes for a fascinating MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. The city is celebrated for its medieval castle, waterfront sculpture park, and vast array of museums. Beyond Limassol lies the fascinating town of Paphos and a host of natural and archaeological wonders including Millomeri Waterfalls and Apollo’s Sanctuary.

During an MSC cruise in the Mediterranean, Haifa, a large port located in northern Israel, is the perfect setting off point for excursions of great interest, especially if you would like to learn more about the world’s three greatest religions during your voyage.

In Israel, the three Religions of the Book, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, encounter each other at every angle. MSC Cruises offers, for example, a tour of places described in the Bible. After visiting places such as Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cana and Jerusalem, you will be able to truthfully say that you have tread on the same ground as the prophets, the disciples of Jesus and the Arab conquerors.
Or, if you are more interested in history and are not afraid of to get a little tired, an excursion to Massada will take you to the top of the mountain where the Jews took their last stand against the Romans. While docked at Haifa during your cruise, you will also get the chance to admire Israel’s nature at its most extreme. A short distance from Massada sits a landlocked lake that is so salty that it has been nicknamed the Dead Sea.
In Mt. Carmel Park, on the other hand, there are trails that wind between the natural beauties of the Middle East, the woods, archaeologic sites, and sacred places. A cruise in the Mediterranean Sea offers both must-see natural and historical excursions, and less demanding pass times; from Haifa, with another MSC excursion, you will be able to reach the bubbling city of Tel Aviv.
It is considered, for good reason, the most modern city in Israel, not just for its skyscrapers but also for its way of life. During a comfortable bus tour that will take you through the city’s old quarter, you will also be able to admire Tel Aviv’s architectural heritage dating to the early 20th century.

During an MSC cruise in the Mediterranean, Haifa, a large port located in northern Israel, is the perfect setting off point for excursions of great interest, especially if you would like to learn more about the world’s three greatest religions during your voyage.

In Israel, the three Religions of the Book, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, encounter each other at every angle. MSC Cruises offers, for example, a tour of places described in the Bible. After visiting places such as Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cana and Jerusalem, you will be able to truthfully say that you have tread on the same ground as the prophets, the disciples of Jesus and the Arab conquerors.
Or, if you are more interested in history and are not afraid of to get a little tired, an excursion to Massada will take you to the top of the mountain where the Jews took their last stand against the Romans. While docked at Haifa during your cruise, you will also get the chance to admire Israel’s nature at its most extreme. A short distance from Massada sits a landlocked lake that is so salty that it has been nicknamed the Dead Sea.
In Mt. Carmel Park, on the other hand, there are trails that wind between the natural beauties of the Middle East, the woods, archaeologic sites, and sacred places. A cruise in the Mediterranean Sea offers both must-see natural and historical excursions, and less demanding pass times; from Haifa, with another MSC excursion, you will be able to reach the bubbling city of Tel Aviv.
It is considered, for good reason, the most modern city in Israel, not just for its skyscrapers but also for its way of life. During a comfortable bus tour that will take you through the city’s old quarter, you will also be able to admire Tel Aviv’s architectural heritage dating to the early 20th century.

Port Said is an Egyptian city at the northern end of the Suez Canal, on the Mediterranean Sea. A concrete lighthouse dates from the canal’s opening in 1869. On the waterfront is the former department store Simon Arzt. Now disused, the art deco building offers a glimpse into the past, to when Port Said was a cosmopolitan trading hub.

Discover the ancient history of this cultural, intellectual, political and economic metropolis famous for its temperate winters, white sand beaches and magnifi cent scenery.

Sharm el-Sheikh is an Egyptian resort town between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea. It’s known for its sheltered sandy beaches, clear waters and coral reefs. Naama Bay, with a palm tree-lined promenade, is filled with bars and restaurants. Ras Muhammad National Park is a major diving destination, with marine life around the Shark and Yolanda reefs and the Thistlegorm wreck.

Port Safaga (Bur Safaga in Arabic), where your MSC cruise ship awaits your return, is a village on the Red Sea coast.

The town, whose economy is driven by the nearby phosphate mines, consists of a single windswept avenue running straight on, past concrete boxes with bold signs proclaiming their function.
Silos and cranes identify the port, which runs alongside (but remains out of bounds) for most of this distance. However, inland from Port Safaga, a shore excursion on your MSC Grand Voyages cruise can be the opportunity to discover Luxor and the overwhelming concentration of relics in the area.

A tourist mecca ever since Nile steamers began calling in the nineteenth century, visitors come to view the remains of Thebes, Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom capital, and its associated sites. The town itself boasts Luxor Temple, a graceful ornament to its waterfront and “downtown”, while a mile or so north is Karnak Temple, a stupendous complex built over 1,300 years. Across the river are the amazing tombs and mortuary temples of the Theban Necropolis, an attraction not to be missed on your holiday in Egypt.

When you disembark from your MSC cruise in Aqaba, you can enjoy its idyllic, sunny setting on the shores of the Red Sea, at the country’s southernmost tip.
From something of a dowdy backwater, in the last decade or so Aqaba has transformed itself into a pleasant, if still under-resourced, leisure destination. Hotels at all grades are springing up in the town as well as at luxury waterfront developments up and down the coast; investment is coming in to improve the city’s infrastructure and facilities. Some of the best diving and snorkellingin theworld is centred on the unspoiled coral reefs that hug the coast just south of the town – an engaging contrast with the nearby desert attractions of Petra and Wadi Rum.
The city centre forms a dense network of streets and alleys clustered just behind the beach road (called the “Corniche”). A shore excursion on your MSC Grand Voyages cruise can also be the opportunity to discover Petra. Tucked away in a remote valley basin in the heart of southern Jordan’s Shara mountains and shielded from the outside world behind an impenetrable barrier of rock, Petra remains wreathed in mystery.
Since a Western adventurer stumbled on the site in 1812, it has fired imaginations, its grandeur and dramatic setting pushing it – like the Pyramids or the Taj Mahal – into the realms of legend. Today, it’s almost as if time has literally drawn a veil over the once-great city, which grew wealthy enough on the caravan trade to challenge the might of Rome: two millennia of wind and rain have blurred the sharp edges of its ornate classical facades and rubbed away at its soft sandstone to expose vivid bands of colour beneath, putting the whole scene into soft focus.

Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea, is a modern commercial hub and gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina. Resort hotels, beaches and outdoor sculptures line the Corniche, a seafront promenade anchored by the iconic King Fahd’s Fountain. The city’s Al-Balad historic district dates to the 7th century and retains traditional homes built from coral.

Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea, is a modern commercial hub and gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina. Resort hotels, beaches and outdoor sculptures line the Corniche, a seafront promenade anchored by the iconic King Fahd’s Fountain. The city’s Al-Balad historic district dates to the 7th century and retains traditional homes built from coral.

Mombasa is a coastal city in southeast Kenya along the Indian Ocean. The city is known as the white and blue city in Kenya.

Unguja, also known as Zanzibar Island, is the main island in the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar. Stone Town, part of Zanzibar City, is an old trade center, with mosques and winding lanes. The 1883 House of Wonders is a former sultan’s palace with a clock tower.

Port of Victoria, is located in Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. Port-Victoria has no fixed handling equipment. Ships are handled through ship’s gear by the private stevedores.

A holiday in the Mauritius with an MSC cruise means disembarking at Port Louis. It is the capital of this island nation off the cost of Madagascar, which together with its twin Réunion, represents a must-see stop for an MSC cruise to Southern Africa.

Port Louis has taken its role as the country’s first city seriously and has expanded over time with new streets, buildings and a beautiful promenade. After our cruise ship has docked, you will be able to take a stroll along the Caudan Waterfront, lined with some old cannons and numerous shops. Traces of Port Luis’s colonial past can be seen on Place D’Armes, where the statue of Bertrand François Mahé, the count of La Bourdonnais and a former governor of the island, observes passers-by surrounded by palm trees.
A short distance away, stands the Government House. Dating from 1738, it is shaped like a horseshoe and protected by an iron fence guarded by the statue of a grave-looking Queen Victoria. In the same neighbourhood, there are also the central market and the city park, the Jardins de la Compagnie. However, it is a former property of the Count de La Bourdonnais to house an even more spectacular garden, the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden.
An MSC excursion to this garden should not be missed for any reason on earth. This garden is almost three hundred years old. Over the centuries, it has been lovingly tended by expert gardeners, who have slowly enriched it with plant species from three different continents, Asia, Africa and Oceania. If you prefer the sea to vegetation, another highly recommended MSC excursion will allow you to pass a day on the other side of Mauritius, on the splendid beaches of Ile aux Cerfs (so called because of the deer imported here for hunting).

Cruise ships rarely visit the port of La Possession, on the splendid Punta des Galets. This makes it one of the most unique stops of an MSC cruise to Southern Africa. As soon as you disembark, you can head off on an excursion to the so-called Circus of Salazie, the remains of an enormous volcanic caldera located a few kilometres from La Possession.

Instead of geysers of lava, extinguished centuries ago, you will find an explosion of life, where marvels of nature live side by side with small towns scattered throughout a lush forest. The view you will enjoy as you ascend along the windy road is indescribable. However, not all of the fire has gone out. In the Piton de la Fournaise, you can still admire two active volcano craters, the Dolomieu and the Bory, which filled with lava in 2007.
During your holiday with MSC Cruises, another excursion offered by MSC will introduce you to Saint-Denis and its impressive examples of Creole architecture. Its houses, a product of the woodworking skills of the local boat builders going back to the 1800s, stand side by side with the bold architectural works of the 20th century.
In Saint-Denis, the Central Post Office, which is reminiscent of some Algerian cities, and the unique building housing the Department of Agriculture and Forestry are worth a visit; both were designed by Jean Bossu, a student of Le Corbusier. Don’t miss out on the markets of Saint-Denis, where you will be able to find spices, vegetables, fruit, flowers, the famous smoked meat boucané and a wide variety of local craftworks, such as vases, baskets and pestles for preparing the rougail, a condiment served with cari, a dish typical of the island.

Set between the African coast and the Indian Ocean, Portuguese Island is a small, uninhabited island: one of the enchanting destinations of an MSC cruise to Southern Africa. It is located at the external limit of Maputo Bay, host to the capital of Mozambique, under the cover of Inhaca Island, the chosen location for some of the most luxurious resorts of the entire continent.

During your holiday, take some time between dips in the warm, crystalline ocean waters to stroll around this island. It is six kilometres long, about an hour walk on sand that caresses the soles of your feet (during the central hours of the day, it is best to wear open sandals because the sand becomes very hot), with only the blue of the water and the green of the low vegetation for company.
The mild effort involved will be repaid in kiosks serving refreshing beverages and local food. If you like rum, try the Tipo Tinto, which is distilled from local sugar cane. There is also no lack of beach activities: in addition to all the services available for those who just want to lay in the sun undisturbed, such as beach umbrellas, deckchairs and sunbeds, there is equipment for playing beach volleyball and beach tennis.
However, a piece of advice for all: don’t stop as soon as you get off the tender t that brings you to the island, look for a more secluded bay; they are just a short, pleasant stroll away. For those who wish it, it is also possible to circumnavigate the island and admire the coast and the bay of Maputo in a traditional dhow: boats with a triangular sail of Middle-Eastern origins that have sailed the waters of the Indian Ocean for centuries.
From Portuguese Island, it is possible to reach the nearby main island of Inhaca, where, in addition to fantastic beaches,there are restaurants, bars, a market and even a Marine Museum and old lighthouse.

When you alight from your MSC cruise in Durban – South Africa’s third-largest city and the continent’s largest port – you will be captured by its tropical colours and holidaying people.

A shore excursion on your MSC South Africa cruise can be the opportunity to discover Durban’s second-largest ethnic group, its Indian population, whose mosques, bazaars and temples are juxtaposed with the Victorian buildings of the colonial centre.
The pulsing warren of bazaars, alleyways and mosques that makes up the Indian area around Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street is ripe for exploration, and there are some excellent restaurants around Durban’s photogenic harbour area. Durban’s city centre grew around the arrival point of the first white settlers, and the remains of the historical heart are concentrated around Francis Farewell Square.
Durban’s expansive beachfront on the eastern edge of the centre has one of the city’s busiest concentrations of restaurants, a surfeit of tacky family entertainment. Durban’s beachfront, a high-energy holiday strip just east of the centre, is South Africa’s most developed seaside. MSC South Africa cruises also offer excursions to the 6km-stretch of the beach from the Umgeni River in the north to the Point in the south, traditionally called the Golden Mile.
The big draw of Addington Beach – and the only really worthwhile attraction along the beachfront – is instead uShaka Marine World. This impressive water adventure wonderland is a tropical African theme park, complete with palm trees, fake rock formations and thatched bomas. The most appealing section is uShaka Sea World, designed in and around a superb mock-up of a wrecked 1920s cargo ship. The complex also includes a dolphin stadium and a seal pool, where daily shows (three a day) feature these creatures, as well as uShaka Wet ’n Wild, a series of pools and water slides, including The Drop Zone, the highest water slide in Africa.

At the western end of Algoa (aka Nelson Mandela) Bay, your MSC cruise ship will await your return in Port Elizabeth, normally visited for the Addo Elephant Park. So it may come as a surprise as you sail on your MSC cruise to South Africa that this has long been a popular holiday destination for families – but then the town beachfront, stretching for several kilometres along Humewood Road, has some of the safest and cleanest city beaches in the country.

As a city, Port Elizabeth is pretty functional. Although the town has been ravaged by industrialization and thoughtless modernization, one or two buildings do stand out in an otherwise featureless city centre, and a couple of classically pretty rows of Victorian terraces still remain in the suburb of Central, sliding into a revamped street of trendy cafés and restaurants.
Holidaymakers head for the beachfront suburbs of Humewood and Summerstrand where there are places to stay plus bars and restaurants. There is little to draw you away from the beachfront, but further afield in New Brighton, you’ll find Port Elizabeth’s most important museum, the Red Location Museum of the People’s Struggle, housed in an award-winning building, and there are also some excellent tours around Port Elizabeth and into the townships.
A Big Five reserve, Addo Elephant National Park is just 73km north of Port Elizabeth, and should top your excursions list. Addo is currently undergoing an expansion programme that will see it become one of South Africa’s three largest wildlife reserves. Elephants remain the park’s most obvious draw-card, but with the reintroduction in 2003 of a small number of lions, in two prides, as well as the presence of the rest of the Big Five – buffalo, rhino and leopards – it has become a wildlife reserve to be reckoned with.

On your MSC South Africa cruise you can admire Walvis Bay, which, thanks to its rich marine life, is one of the places of most outstanding natural beauty in Namibia. Its gourmet delights are not to be missed either.

Before leaving the port you have to eat homegrown Walvis Bay oysters in one of the many restaurants that have sprung up in recent years. Today, maybe it’s harder to see whales in these waters but the highlight of Walvis Bay (aka Whales Bay) is still its natural lagoon with its abundance of seabirds, including flamingos and pelicans, which are joined every year by thousands of migratory birds.
As this is an area of outstanding natural beauty, there are many options for spending your time away from the ship. Due north of Walvis Bay along a coast road, the Atlantic harbour town of Swakopmund is just waiting to be discovered on an MSC South Africa excursion.
Offering a vivid reminder of Namibia’s colonial past, the older architecture is Germanic in style, German is widely spoken and the restaurants delight in serving bratwurst. There’s even an annual Oktoberfest, a jolly knees-up featuring locally brewed lager and Bavarian-style bands in lederhosen. Swakopmund is a safari and backpacker hub with some great shops selling souvenirs including beautiful, locally made jewellery, crafts and curios.
This is also Namibia’s extreme sports capital, with several operators offering quad-biking, dune buggy racing and sandboarding. Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are the southern point of the Skeleton Coast where, on nature trails across the sands and gravel plains, you can observe ancient desert-adapted plant species such as welwitschia (an endemic, trunkless tree which sags raggedly on the ground and can live for over 2500 years), lithops and delicate lichens.

On your MSC South Africa cruise you can admire Walvis Bay, which, thanks to its rich marine life, is one of the places of most outstanding natural beauty in Namibia. Its gourmet delights are not to be missed either.

Before leaving the port you have to eat homegrown Walvis Bay oysters in one of the many restaurants that have sprung up in recent years. Today, maybe it’s harder to see whales in these waters but the highlight of Walvis Bay (aka Whales Bay) is still its natural lagoon with its abundance of seabirds, including flamingos and pelicans, which are joined every year by thousands of migratory birds.
As this is an area of outstanding natural beauty, there are many options for spending your time away from the ship. Due north of Walvis Bay along a coast road, the Atlantic harbour town of Swakopmund is just waiting to be discovered on an MSC South Africa excursion.
Offering a vivid reminder of Namibia’s colonial past, the older architecture is Germanic in style, German is widely spoken and the restaurants delight in serving bratwurst. There’s even an annual Oktoberfest, a jolly knees-up featuring locally brewed lager and Bavarian-style bands in lederhosen. Swakopmund is a safari and backpacker hub with some great shops selling souvenirs including beautiful, locally made jewellery, crafts and curios.
This is also Namibia’s extreme sports capital, with several operators offering quad-biking, dune buggy racing and sandboarding. Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are the southern point of the Skeleton Coast where, on nature trails across the sands and gravel plains, you can observe ancient desert-adapted plant species such as welwitschia (an endemic, trunkless tree which sags raggedly on the ground and can live for over 2500 years), lithops and delicate lichens.

Jamestown is a historic site in east Virginia. Historic Jamestowne is home to the ruins of the first permanent English settlement in North America. It includes the remains of 18th-century Ambler Mansion. Artifacts from the region’s settlers are on display in the Archaearium archaeology museum. Nearby, the Jamestown Settlement is a living-history museum with recreations of a 1610s fort and a Powhatan Indian village.

As you’ll be able to appreciate when you cruise the Atlantic Ocean with MSC Cruises, in its position on the southern shore of the magnificent Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro has, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most stunning settings in the world.

Extending for 20km along an alluvial strip, between an azure sea and forest-clad mountains, the city’s streets and buildings have been moulded around the foothills of the mountain range that provides its backdrop, while out in the bay there are many rocky islands fringed with white sand.
The aerial views over Rio are breathtaking, and even the concrete skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline add to the attraction. As the former capital of Brazil and now its second-largest city, Rio has a remarkable architectural heritage, some of the country’s best museums and galleries, superb restaurants and a vibrant nightlife – in addition to its legendary beaches. A shore excursion on your MSC South America cruise can be the opportunity to visit the Pão de Açúcar.
The Sugar Loaf Mountain rises where Guanabara Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its name may simply reflect a resemblance to the moulded loaves in which sugar was once commonly sold. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of the indigenous Tamoya word Pau-nh-Açuquá, meaning “high, pointed or isolated hill”. On the top of Corcoavado Mountain instead the Art Deco statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), arms outstretched in welcome, stands 30m high and weighs over 1000 tonnes. It was supposed to be completed for Brazil’s centenary independence celebrations in 1922, but wasn’t actually finished until 1931.
In clear weather, fear no anticlimax: climbing to the statue is a stunning experience, with the whole of Rio and Guanabara Bay laid out before you.

As you’ll be able to appreciate when you cruise the Atlantic Ocean with MSC Cruises, in its position on the southern shore of the magnificent Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro has, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most stunning settings in the world.

Extending for 20km along an alluvial strip, between an azure sea and forest-clad mountains, the city’s streets and buildings have been moulded around the foothills of the mountain range that provides its backdrop, while out in the bay there are many rocky islands fringed with white sand.
The aerial views over Rio are breathtaking, and even the concrete skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline add to the attraction. As the former capital of Brazil and now its second-largest city, Rio has a remarkable architectural heritage, some of the country’s best museums and galleries, superb restaurants and a vibrant nightlife – in addition to its legendary beaches. A shore excursion on your MSC South America cruise can be the opportunity to visit the Pão de Açúcar.
The Sugar Loaf Mountain rises where Guanabara Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its name may simply reflect a resemblance to the moulded loaves in which sugar was once commonly sold. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of the indigenous Tamoya word Pau-nh-Açuquá, meaning “high, pointed or isolated hill”. On the top of Corcoavado Mountain instead the Art Deco statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), arms outstretched in welcome, stands 30m high and weighs over 1000 tonnes. It was supposed to be completed for Brazil’s centenary independence celebrations in 1922, but wasn’t actually finished until 1931.
In clear weather, fear no anticlimax: climbing to the statue is a stunning experience, with the whole of Rio and Guanabara Bay laid out before you.

High above the enormous bay of Todos os Santos (All Saints), where your MSC cruise ship awaits your return, Salvador de Bahia has an electric feel from the moment you arrive.
This is the great cultural and historical centre of Brazil, where Afro-Brazilian heritage is strongest and where capoeira, candomblé and samba de roda were created.
MSC South America cruises offer excursions to the centro histórico of this magical place, a melange of narrow cobbled streets, peeling purple walls, grand Baroque churches, kids kicking footballs, rastas, locals sipping bottled beer on plastic chairs, the wafting aroma of herbs and the almost constant beating of drums, especially as the sun sets. Beyond the old town Salvador is a vast, sprawling city, with a vibrant beach life, modern skyscrapers and plenty of favelas.
The centro histórico is the traditional heart of Salvador; it’s built around the craggy, 70m-high bluff that dominates the eastern side of the bay, and is split into upper and lower sections. Cidade Alta (or simply “Centro”) is strung along its top, linked to the less interesting Cidade Baixa (the old commercial centre, aka “Comércio”) by precipitous streets and the towering Art Deco lift-shaft of the Elevador Lacerda. Cidade Alta is the cultural centre of the city, and the section known as the Pelourinho is the groovy old district with colourful and hilly winding streets, its most vibrant and beguiling neighbourhood.
The best spot to begin a walking tour of the city is at the Praça Municipal, the square dominated by the impressive Palácio do Rio Branco, the old governor’s palace which was in use until 1979. The fine interior is a blend of Rococo plasterwork, polished wooden floors and painted walls and ceilings.

Travel on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise to St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles to see magnificent white-sand beaches, lush rainforests and the prized Pitons. These are spectacular twin volcanic peaks that are protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and appear as symbols on the nation’s flag.

Initially founded by the French in the 1664, St. Lucia changed hands between French and British rule so many times over the years that it was called the “Helen of the West Indies,” until the British took definite control in 1814. From architecture to cuisine, you’ll still find hints of French and British inspired heritage throughout the island, which declared its independence in 1979. This is particularly evident in Castries, its capital.

MSC excursions in St. Lucia offer something for everyone. Take a trolley through the busy streets of the city of Castries. Cruise by catamaran to the Pitons for scenic views of Petit Piton and Gros Piton, at an altitude of around 2,500 feet. Or breeze past banana plantations and visit picturesque Marigot Bay, named the most beautiful bay of the Caribbean by the late American novelist James Michener.

For something truly special, explore the world of batik prints at Caribelle Batik, then see the Pitons from land during a beautiful drive to the 18th-century Soufriere Estate for a lesson on coconuts and cocoa. When you get there, find out how coconuts are opened, roasted in a traditional oven and turned into copra (dry coconut) before being processed into everyday items such as soap, sun tan lotion and cooking oil. And learn how cocoa is fermented, dried on racks in the sun and crushed into powder to make cocoa sticks before being turned into chocolate.

Thirsting for adventure? Then get your adrenaline running and enjoy a bird’s eye view while you zip from tree to tree. Drive past pools of bubbling lava and into the world’s only drive-in volcano at the Sulphur Springs or snorkel within the marine reserve to discover a plethora of vibrant wildlife featuring a variety of corals, urchins and more.

When you arrive in Barbados on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise, begin your exploration with the capital, Bridgetown. There are many attractions in this small Caribbean city, but by all means pause to admire its many colonial buildings, the Parliament Building and the statue of Lord Nelson standing in what is currently called the National Heroes Square.

Barbados has retained somewhat of a British feel, with its place names, cricket, horse-racing and polo, Anglican parish churches and even a hilly district known as Scotland. But the Britishness can be exaggerated, for this is a distinctly West Indian country, covered by a patch-work of sugarcane fields and dotted with tiny rum shops.

The Garrison Historic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with magnificent 18th- and 19th-century buildings, is a must-see stop, featuring one of the world’s finest collection of cannons. It also includes the George Washington House, where the American patriot spent six weeks of his life.

The current St. John’s Church, in the eastern parish of the same name, is the fifth reconstruction of the oldest local church, in Barbadian Gothic style. Perched on a cliff 800 feet above the sea, it dates back to 1836. Its interior hosts a sculpture by 18th-century British artist Richard Westmacott, while its churchyard contains the tomb of Ferdinando Paleologus, a direct descendant of the brother of Constantine XI, the last Byzantine emperor.

Book an MSC excursion to discover the island’s history at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society in the St. Michael neighbourhood. And tour Sunbury Plantation House, located in the tranquil St. Philip countryside. Dating back to 1650, it’s a living monument to plantation life and a bygone era.

Harrison’s Cave, in St. Thomas district, is a wonder of nature with its stalactites, stalagmites, streams, lakes and waterfalls. In one of the caverns, the play of light on the rocks is so in-tense that it has been nicknamed “The Crystal Room”.

For some fun at the beach, head to Pirates Cove, one of the best beaches on Barbados. Featuring palm trees and chickee huts, white sand and crystal-clear water, it’s the perfect place to relax, just a stone’s throw from Bridgetown.

If you’re brave enough to dive into the deep, set out on an MSC excursion inside a real submarine, the Atlantis, to explore the coral reef and discover the beauty that the depths reveal.

Thanks in large part to its French and West Indian influences, Martinique, a lush mountainous island in the Lesser Antilles with its dormant Mount Pelée volcano in the backdrop, exudes a cosmopolitan flair with a sophisticated culinary and cultural scene that draws travellers not only to its natural wonders, beautiful bays and beaches, but also to its heart at Fort-de-France, the capital. While French is the official language, most islanders also speak Antillean Creole. As part of the European Union, the island uses the euro as its currency.

When you arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise in Fort-de-France, you immediately notice the island’s steep hills, colourful colonial architecture, ornate balconies and tropical flowers. Book an MSC excursion to the Balata Cathedral, a miniature replica of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, Paris, which offers a spectacular view of Fort-de-France and the bay.

Before Martinique came to be known by its current name, it was once called Madinina, the island of flowers. At Balata Botanical Gardens, discover 300 types of palm trees, take in views from the garden’s suspension bridge and enjoy the tropical flowers in bloom across 16 acres of lush landscape.

Or try the island’s best rum distilleries. MSC excursions will take you to the Depaz Distillery, in business since 1651, or the St. James Rum Distillery & Museum, where you will learn about the process of making rum and taste the traditional Rhum Agricole, made by using freshly squeezed sugarcane juice rather than the conventional molasses.

Afterwards, visit the ruins of the theatre in St. Pierre, the former cultural capital of Martinique that was tragically destroyed by the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée. The modern-day town of St. Pierre is France’s 101st “City of Art and History.”

San Felipe de Puerto Plata is the capital of the Puerto Plata province on the Dominican Republic’s Atlantic north coast. The city is best known for its beaches. Playa Dorada’s lengthy beachfront is backed by resorts and an 18-hole golf course. The city’s old colonial-era center is dominated by the 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe, a Spanish fortress that now houses historical and military artifacts.

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.

New York is a wonderful port of call for MSC cruise liners on Grand Voyages cruise itineraries. Hidden gardens next to postmodern skyscrapers; priceless art tucked away in medieval-style cloisters; a revamped waterfront you can stroll along to take in the view.

Wandering through the patchwork of neighbourhoods is as great a thrill as any single sight. Frantic Chinatown edges stylish Soho , which is but a stone’s throw from the quiet, angled lanes of the once-bohemian West Village . A perfect espresso in a shabby-chic Williamsburg café, a rooftop view from Chelsea’s High Line or a ride on the “A” to Far Rockaway is worth much more than an “I Love New York” handbag. Cheaper, too, and the memory will last longer.

New York City officially comprises the central island of Manhattan and four outer boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. For many, Manhattan simply is New York; indeed, when your MSC cruise takes you to New York, you’ll probably spend most of your time here. Understanding the intricacies of Manhattan’s layout, especially beyond its grid pattern , and getting a grasp of its transport network should be top priorities during your MSC excursion.
New York is very much a city of neighbourhoods, most compact enough to be explored on foot (at least below 59th Street). On your Grand Voyages cruises to New York, of all America’s symbols, none is more enduring than the Statue of Liberty, looming over the harbour from its pedestal on tiny Liberty Island.
Indeed, there is probably no more immediately recognizable profile in existence than that of Lady Liberty , who stands with torch in hand, clutching a stone tablet. Measuring some 305ft from her pedestal base, she has acted as the figurehead of the American Dream for more than a century.

New York is a wonderful port of call for MSC cruise liners on Grand Voyages cruise itineraries. Hidden gardens next to postmodern skyscrapers; priceless art tucked away in medieval-style cloisters; a revamped waterfront you can stroll along to take in the view.

Wandering through the patchwork of neighbourhoods is as great a thrill as any single sight. Frantic Chinatown edges stylish Soho , which is but a stone’s throw from the quiet, angled lanes of the once-bohemian West Village . A perfect espresso in a shabby-chic Williamsburg café, a rooftop view from Chelsea’s High Line or a ride on the “A” to Far Rockaway is worth much more than an “I Love New York” handbag. Cheaper, too, and the memory will last longer.

New York City officially comprises the central island of Manhattan and four outer boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. For many, Manhattan simply is New York; indeed, when your MSC cruise takes you to New York, you’ll probably spend most of your time here. Understanding the intricacies of Manhattan’s layout, especially beyond its grid pattern , and getting a grasp of its transport network should be top priorities during your MSC excursion.
New York is very much a city of neighbourhoods, most compact enough to be explored on foot (at least below 59th Street). On your Grand Voyages cruises to New York, of all America’s symbols, none is more enduring than the Statue of Liberty, looming over the harbour from its pedestal on tiny Liberty Island.
Indeed, there is probably no more immediately recognizable profile in existence than that of Lady Liberty , who stands with torch in hand, clutching a stone tablet. Measuring some 305ft from her pedestal base, she has acted as the figurehead of the American Dream for more than a century.

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. Newport has one of the highest concentrations of colonial homes in the nation, in the downtown Newport Historic District, one of three National Historic Landmark Districts in the city. Many of these homes were restored in the late 20th century through grants made by Newport resident Doris Duke, as well as other local efforts such as Operation Clapboard. As a result, Newport’s colonial heritage is well-preserved and documented at the Newport Historical Society. In addition to the colonial architecture, the city is known for its Gilded Age mansions. With coastlines on the west, south and east, Newport is a maritime city. Its harbours teem with commercial fishing boats, power and sail pleasure craft. It is known as the sailing capitol of the United States. Aquidneck Island is home to many beautiful beaches, most public and a few private. In Newport, the largest public beach, Easton’s beach or First Beach, has a view of the famed Cliff Walk. The Newport Cliff Walk is considered one of the most popular attractions in the city. It is a 3.5 mile (5.6 km) public access walkway bordering the shoreline, and has been designated a National Recreation Trail.

Canada is a huge country that offers tourists a large number of wonderful attractions to visit and explore. One of those not to be missed is Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia found on the east coast of Canada and one of the places you can visit on an MSC Cruise.

Each city has a symbol that represents it more than anything else: for Halifax, its citadel that dates back to the late 18th century, famous in Canada both for its beauty and for its historical importance, fills that role. Inside the star-shaped citadel, you can explore the history of Halifax on guided tours. The museum staff, dressed as soldiers of the army and navy, will show you the clothes used in the past and other items in maritime activities.

To the south-west of the city, your MSC cruise will offer you an excursion to one of the most beautiful and evocative settings on the Atlantic coast, the small village of Peggy’s Cove, famous for its red lighthouse that was built in 1868. In this fishing village, elements of nature and domestic intimacy coexist: it is a land of boulders eroded by glaciers where
the presence of humans can be found only in a handful of colorful houses and fishing shacks over the waters of the marina. The village lighthouse stands on top of a granite outcropping, made slippery by the splashes of the ocean waves.

Less than a kilometer from the public gardens of Halifax can be found another place of great historical-cultural interest that you can visit on your MSC cruise: the Fairview Cemetery, a Canadian cemetery, famous for being the resting place for 121 victims of the shipwreck of the Titanic.

Halifax’s connection with the famous naval tragedy on April 15, 1912 can also be seen at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which houses an excellent permanent exhibition on the disaster, including photographs, wooden artifacts and the only intact Titanic deckchair in the world.

Nova Scotia: one of the most spectacular wild landscapes on the Canadian Atlantic coast with its vast green areas is a true paradise for nature lovers who can admire moose, eagles, and go whale watching to see the numerous types of cetaceans that live in the surrounding seas, including whales and dolphins.

Your MSC cruise will take you on the discovery of this beautiful Canadian province, which is also home to some of the oldest cities in North America, such as Sydney.

Located on a fjord of Spanish Bay, Sydney is the largest urban center on the island of Cape Breton, with a past linked to the mining industry. The tourist attractions of the city are mainly related to its cultural heritage from Scotland: its population, in fact, is a diverse mix of nationalities that put on various Canadian cultural events of Scottish or Eastern European origin taking place throughout the year.

On your MSC cruise, you can see the world’s largest violin for yourself (called the Spirit of the Fiddle), one of Sydney’s major attractions, located right on its shoreline. You can also visit the heart
of the island of Cape Breton which contains historical jewels such as the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Glace Bay Miners Museum and the town of Baddeck, located on the shores of Lake Bras d’Or, which houses the Alexander Graham Bell Museum.

The northern part of Cape Breton is dedicated to more adventurous visitors via the infamous Cabot Trail: a scenic roadway of almost 360 km, named in honor of explorer John Cabot, the first European to set foot on the island. The route crosses the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, a majestic park where the mountains meet the sea boasting broad-leaved forests, plateaus and a rugged but wonderful coast.

“Land of emeralds, rubies and sapphires” was the description of the beauty of Prince Edward Island given by author Lucy Maud Montgomery, famous for having narrated the adventures of red-haired Anne ofGreen Gables in many of her novels. It is precisely here, in the land that is home to many events focused around this literary character – celebrated by festivals and places to visit – that Charlottetown is found, a stop not to be missed on your MSC cruise.

Colonial architecture, elegant Victorian-style buildings, tree-lined avenues, perfectly manicured parks and gardens: the capital of Prince Edward Island is a typical example of an urban English checkerboard layout with a central square with public buildings and four other smaller squares arranged symmetrically around it.

On your MSC cruise, you can take an excursion that passes through the most famous, characteristic places in the city: in Victoria Park, you can enjoy the beautiful view across the sea to Fort Amherst, erected by the British on the remains of Port la Joye to keep watch over the entrance of the bay. Only the embankments
of the fort remain, but visitors can enjoy a wonderful view of the city and an information center where the history of the site is told. Victoria Park is also home to the dignified, white, Neo-classical building known as Government House, one of Charlottetown’s most prestigious buildings designed by local architect Isaac Smith.

The most interesting building in Charlottetown, however, is actually the Provincial House National Historic Site, considered one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the Maritimes. Completed in 1848 by Isaac Smith, it is the headquarters of the provincial parliament and was the scene, in 1864, of the negotiations that then led to the formation of Canada as a single state. It was at this stage that the city assumed a key role in national federal history, so much so that it was given the nickname of Canada’s birthplace.

Pretty and well-maintained, Québec City is located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River and is dominated by majestic ChateauFrontenac, the symbolic hotel of the capital, known for its fairytalearchitecture offering a spectacular view of the surrounding roads and green areas.

The excursions around this Canadian metropolis available on your MSC Cruise are numerous: visiting Quebec City is like taking a trip into the past where the city’s four hundred years of history can be seen everywhere. The entire old city has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to the amazing set of human works of art and architecture and the natural beauty that is found everywhere.

One of the most beautiful tours that you can take while on your MSC cruise will be the one into Old Québec: after a walk around the Upper Town admiring the ancient gray stone religious buildings and views of the great river, the tour passes through the streets and squares of the Lower City, the central core that spurred the development of Québec City. Here you will have the feeling of being in New
France three to four centuries ago, with a Parisian atmosphere and an urban-architectural imprint that is very similar to European cities.

Of the tours that venture outside the city, at just 10 kilometers from the center, MontmorencyFalls is not to be missed. At 85 meters high, they are among the ten highest waterfalls in Canada. Paths and stairs lead to the top: you can climb up on foot or go by cablecar and enjoy an exceptional view overlooking the river and modern bridge that leads to Ile de Orléans, the lush green island in front of the city.

Another excursion you can take while on your MSC cruise is to Sainte-Anne de Beaupré sanctuary, one of the great pilgrimage destinations in North America.
Québec City, Canada’s fortifiedcitadel, is without a doubt a delightful, stimulating jewel in this large country which can be visited on foot and where it is easy to meet people, go to events and visit art galleries.

Pretty and well-maintained, Québec City is located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River and is dominated by majestic ChateauFrontenac, the symbolic hotel of the capital, known for its fairytalearchitecture offering a spectacular view of the surrounding roads and green areas.

The excursions around this Canadian metropolis available on your MSC Cruise are numerous: visiting Quebec City is like taking a trip into the past where the city’s four hundred years of history can be seen everywhere. The entire old city has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to the amazing set of human works of art and architecture and the natural beauty that is found everywhere.

One of the most beautiful tours that you can take while on your MSC cruise will be the one into Old Québec: after a walk around the Upper Town admiring the ancient gray stone religious buildings and views of the great river, the tour passes through the streets and squares of the Lower City, the central core that spurred the development of Québec City. Here you will have the feeling of being in New
France three to four centuries ago, with a Parisian atmosphere and an urban-architectural imprint that is very similar to European cities.

Of the tours that venture outside the city, at just 10 kilometers from the center, MontmorencyFalls is not to be missed. At 85 meters high, they are among the ten highest waterfalls in Canada. Paths and stairs lead to the top: you can climb up on foot or go by cablecar and enjoy an exceptional view overlooking the river and modern bridge that leads to Ile de Orléans, the lush green island in front of the city.

Another excursion you can take while on your MSC cruise is to Sainte-Anne de Beaupré sanctuary, one of the great pilgrimage destinations in North America.
Québec City, Canada’s fortifiedcitadel, is without a doubt a delightful, stimulating jewel in this large country which can be visited on foot and where it is easy to meet people, go to events and visit art galleries.

Pretty and well-maintained, Québec City is located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River and is dominated by majestic ChateauFrontenac, the symbolic hotel of the capital, known for its fairytalearchitecture offering a spectacular view of the surrounding roads and green areas.

The excursions around this Canadian metropolis available on your MSC Cruise are numerous: visiting Quebec City is like taking a trip into the past where the city’s four hundred years of history can be seen everywhere. The entire old city has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to the amazing set of human works of art and architecture and the natural beauty that is found everywhere.

One of the most beautiful tours that you can take while on your MSC cruise will be the one into Old Québec: after a walk around the Upper Town admiring the ancient gray stone religious buildings and views of the great river, the tour passes through the streets and squares of the Lower City, the central core that spurred the development of Québec City. Here you will have the feeling of being in New
France three to four centuries ago, with a Parisian atmosphere and an urban-architectural imprint that is very similar to European cities.

Of the tours that venture outside the city, at just 10 kilometers from the center, MontmorencyFalls is not to be missed. At 85 meters high, they are among the ten highest waterfalls in Canada. Paths and stairs lead to the top: you can climb up on foot or go by cablecar and enjoy an exceptional view overlooking the river and modern bridge that leads to Ile de Orléans, the lush green island in front of the city.

Another excursion you can take while on your MSC cruise is to Sainte-Anne de Beaupré sanctuary, one of the great pilgrimage destinations in North America.
Québec City, Canada’s fortifiedcitadel, is without a doubt a delightful, stimulating jewel in this large country which can be visited on foot and where it is easy to meet people, go to events and visit art galleries.

Nuuk, on the southwestern coast of Greenland, is the world’s most northerly capital and a genuine arctic jewel. This MSC Northern Europe Cruises destination is known for its colourful houses, unspoiled mountain backdrop, waterfalls, and icebergs.

Nuuk, on the southwestern coast of Greenland, is the world’s most northerly capital and a genuine arctic jewel. This MSC Northern Europe Cruises destination is known for its colourful houses, unspoiled mountain backdrop, waterfalls, and icebergs.

When your MSC cruise to northern Europe takes you to the north western point of Iceland, you will cast anchor at Isafjordur, a small town of ancient origins.

In Isafjordur you will find the oldest standing Icelandic house, built in 1743. In the periphery of Bolungarvík, the northernmost location in the western fjords, one can instead visit Ósvör, once a fisherman’s village and now an open air museum.
The past re-emerges also in the old town of Nedstikaupstadur, where Icelandic and Norwegian merchants first, and then British and German ones, would meet in the mid-15th century in the bay of Isafiord. Here, in the second half of the 18th century, Krambud (the shop) was built, that was converted in the 20th century into a private home; as well as Faktorshus (the farmers house); Tjoruhus (the tar house) and Turnhus (the tower house) used as warehouses and fish processing centres.
While on your MSC cruise to Northern Europe, if you want to get an idea of how Icelanders used to live in the past, try an excursion to Vigur, literally the “spear-shaped island”. Its waters host a great deal of sea lions who feed on marine birds such as the puffin, the black guillemot, the aggressive arctic tern (who can attack people if it feels threatened) and the common eider.
Another spectacle of nature is the Naustahvilft, the “troll’s seat”, a large depression shaped like a half moon in the flat mountains that surround the Isafjordur fjord. Legend has it that it was created by a troll caught by the sunlight sitting on the mountain with its feet in the water.
Whether you believe in the legend or more likely in a valley dug out by the ice during the last ice age, try this brief but intense excursion, it is certainly worth it.

Reykjavík is mirrored in the waters of its bay, as you can see when your cruise ship sets anchor in the port. The quays along the seafront host a variety of shops, live music clubs and cafés.

Take a stroll down Frakkastigur up to Lækjartorg, to admire the Sólfar, also known as the Sun Voyager, a large modern steelsculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, that represents a Viking vessel, with the bow pointing towards the north.
Go back in history as you reach the historic centre, in the districts of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata, where you can still see the remains of some primitive Icelandic dwellings. Also the church of Hallgrímur, probably the most important architectural monument in Reykjavik, is worth a visit. As you will discover during your MSC cruise of Northern Europe, geothermal energy positively conditions the life of the entire country and there is an abundance of spas.
Don’t miss an excursion to the Þingvellir national park, in the south west region of the island, a UNESCO world heritage site since 2004. On the northern shores of the Þingvallavatn, the largest Icelandic lake, the Öxará river forms the Öxaráfoss waterfall in the vicinity of Almannagjá, the largest cleft in this land.
If you like waterfalls, you should not miss a visit to Gullfoss, in the south east of the island: the river Hvítá here drops down 11 and then 21 metres forming the queen of all Icelandic waterfalls and then continues along a narrow gorge in the plateau. In this area we also find the Strokkur, the only geyser that regularly erupts every 4-8 minutes. Then proceed to Geysir, in the Haukadalur valley, the oldest known geyser, from which the term originates.
Its eruptions spray boiling water up to 60 metres into the air, but often reach higher than 100 metres: it is the tallest of the active geysers.

Reykjavík is mirrored in the waters of its bay, as you can see when your cruise ship sets anchor in the port. The quays along the seafront host a variety of shops, live music clubs and cafés.

Take a stroll down Frakkastigur up to Lækjartorg, to admire the Sólfar, also known as the Sun Voyager, a large modern steelsculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, that represents a Viking vessel, with the bow pointing towards the north.
Go back in history as you reach the historic centre, in the districts of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata, where you can still see the remains of some primitive Icelandic dwellings. Also the church of Hallgrímur, probably the most important architectural monument in Reykjavik, is worth a visit. As you will discover during your MSC cruise of Northern Europe, geothermal energy positively conditions the life of the entire country and there is an abundance of spas.
Don’t miss an excursion to the Þingvellir national park, in the south west region of the island, a UNESCO world heritage site since 2004. On the northern shores of the Þingvallavatn, the largest Icelandic lake, the Öxará river forms the Öxaráfoss waterfall in the vicinity of Almannagjá, the largest cleft in this land.
If you like waterfalls, you should not miss a visit to Gullfoss, in the south east of the island: the river Hvítá here drops down 11 and then 21 metres forming the queen of all Icelandic waterfalls and then continues along a narrow gorge in the plateau. In this area we also find the Strokkur, the only geyser that regularly erupts every 4-8 minutes. Then proceed to Geysir, in the Haukadalur valley, the oldest known geyser, from which the term originates.
Its eruptions spray boiling water up to 60 metres into the air, but often reach higher than 100 metres: it is the tallest of the active geysers.

Waiting to be enjoyed on an MSC Northern Europe cruise excursion, Belfast has a pace and bustle you’ll find nowhere else in Northern Ireland.

In appearance Belfast closely resembles Liverpool, Glasgow or any other industrial port across the water, and, similarly, its largely defunct docklands – in which, famously, the Titanic was built – are undergoing massive redevelopment.
Though the city centre is still characterized by numerous elegant Victorian buildings, there’s been an enormous transformation here, too, not least in the greater prosperity of the shopping streets leading northwards from the hub of Belfast life, Donegall Square. In the city centre, you can concentrate on the glories resulting from the Industrial Revolution – grandiose architecture and magnificent Victorian pubs – and the rejuvenated area from Ann Street to Donegall Street now known as the Cathedral quarter.
To the south lies Queen’s University and the extensive collections of the Ulster Museum, set in the grounds of the Botanic Gardens. Ever since 1693, when the Royal Society first publicized it as one of the great wonders of the natural world, the Giant’s Causeway has been a major tourist attraction and it’s just waiting for you to visit it too on an MSC Northern Europe excursion.
Made up of an estimated 37,000 black basalt columns, each a polygon, it’s the result of a massive subterranean explosion, some sixty million years ago, that stretched from the Causeway to Rathlin and beyond to Islay, Staffa and Mull in Scotland.
A huge mass of molten basalt was spewed out onto the surface, which, on cooling, solidified into what are, essentially, crystals. Though the process was simple, it’s difficult, when confronted with the impressive regular geometry of the columns, to believe that their production was entirely natural.

An MSC Northern Europe cruise to England is the perfect opportunity to discover the dynamic, exciting port of Liverpool: it’s a vibrant city with a Tate Gallery of its own, a series of innovative museums and a fascinating social history.

And of course it also makes great play of its musical heritage – as well it should, considering that this is the place that gave the world The Beatles. The main sights are scattered throughout the centre of town, but you can easily walk between most of them.
If you want a cathedral, they’ve “got one to spare” as the song goes; plus there’s a fine showing of British art in the celebrated Walker Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool, and a multitude of exhibits in the terrific World MuseumLiverpool. When you step ashore from your MSC cruise, you can’t miss St George’s Hall, one of Britain’s finest Greek Revival buildings and a testament to the wealth generated from transatlantic trade.
Now primarily an exhibition venue, but once Liverpool’s premier concert hall and crown court, its vaulted Great Hall features a floor paved with thirty thousand precious Minton tiles (usually covered over), while the Willis organ is the third largest in Europe. Huge and flashy, in a show-stopping Danish-designed building, the Museum of Liverpool opened in 2011. Spread over three floors, the galleries play on Liverpool’s historic status as the “second city of Empire”, exploring the complex political and life histories that have unfolded in a community whose wealth and social fabric were built on international trade.
Dominating the waterfront are the so-called Three Graces – namely the Port of Liverpool Building (1907), Cunard Building (1913) and, most prominently, the 322ft-high Royal Liver Building (1910), topped by the “Liver Birds”, a couple of cormorants that have become the symbol of the city.

Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus.

Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls.
Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London.
For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages.
The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.

As you sail on your MSC cruise to France, you’ll come to Le Havre, the country’s second-largest port, which takes up half the Seine estuary. However, the town itself, home to almost 200,000 people, is a place of pilgrimage for fans of contemporary architecture.

Le Havre – “The Harbour” – is the principal trading post of northern France and a port of call of our MSC Northern Europe cruises. Following its near-destruction during World War II, Le Havre was rebuilt by a single architect, Auguste Perret, between 1946 and 1964.
The sheer sense of space can be exhilarating: the showpiece monuments have a winning self-confidence, and the few surviving relics of the old city have been sensitively integrated into the whole. While the endless mundane residential blocks can be dispiriting, even those visitors who fail to agree with Perret’s famous dictum that “concrete is beautiful” may enjoy a stroll around his city. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise can also be the opportunity to discover Rouen, the capital of Upper Normandy, one of France’s most ancient cities.
Standing on the site of Rotomagus, built by the Romans at the lowest point where they could bridge the Seine, it was laid out by Rollo, the first duke of Normandy, in 911. Captured by the English in 1419, it became the stage in 1431 for the trial and execution of Joan of Arc, before returning to French control in 1449.
Rouen today can be very seductive, its lively and bustling centre well equipped with impressive churches and museums. North of the Seine at any rate, it’s a real pleasure to explore. As well as some great sights – Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, all the delightful twisting streets of timbered houses – there’s history aplenty too, most notably the links with Joan of Arc.

IJmuiden is a small port city in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality of Velsen which lies mainly to the south-east. Including its large sea locks, it straddles the mouth of the North Sea Canal to Amsterdam.