10 nights China from Shanghai

When your MSC cruise brings you to Shanghai it is easy to understand that after years of stagnation, this great metropolis is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen. As Shanghai begins to recapture its position as East Asia’s leading business city, a status it last held before World War II, the skyline is filling with high-rises – there are well over a thousand now. Gleaming shopping malls, luxurious hotels and prestigious arts centres are rising alongside, while underneath everything snakes the world’s longest subway system. Shanghai’s 23 million residents enjoy the highest incomes on the mainland, and there’s plenty for them to splash out on; witness the rash of celebrity restaurants and designer flagship stores. MSC Grand Voyages cruises also offer excursions to the Bund – Shanghai’s original signature skyline –, a strip of grand Neoclassical colonial edifices on the west bank of the Huangpu River Pudong on the opposite shore – a backdrop domestic…

Sasebo is a city on Japan’s Kyushu Island. It's known for Huis Ten Bosch, an amusement park modeled after a Dutch town, with canals, replica buildings, windmills and flower gardens. Kujukushima Aquarium has dolphins, coral reefs and many jellyfish. Off the coast, boats cruise among the forested Kujukushima Islands, part of Saikai National Park. To the south, Saikai Bridge is a popular spot to view cherry blossoms.

Second to Seoul, Busan is the most populated city in South Korea. On an MSC cruise you will discover the most interesting attractions of this city of three and a half million inhabitants overlooking the Strait of Korea; an economic, cultural and educational reference point for the whole country. The city offers many leisure opportunities. An authentic dining experience is a must, you can taste kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish. Shopping lovers can’t miss the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store, the largest shopping complex in the world and the Gukje market, one of the largest in Korea: every road is crowded with stalls, where it's easy to find local handicrafts. On an excursion you can visit Gamcheon, a quiet and peaceful village of narrow lanes and colourful houses, the place of residence for many Korean artists. There are over 35,000 specimens of fish, reptiles, amphibians and algae at the Busan Aquarium, which you can visit on an excursion. Located in Haeundae Beach, the co…

When your MSC cruise brings you to Shanghai it is easy to understand that after years of stagnation, this great metropolis is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen. As Shanghai begins to recapture its position as East Asia’s leading business city, a status it last held before World War II, the skyline is filling with high-rises – there are well over a thousand now. Gleaming shopping malls, luxurious hotels and prestigious arts centres are rising alongside, while underneath everything snakes the world’s longest subway system. Shanghai’s 23 million residents enjoy the highest incomes on the mainland, and there’s plenty for them to splash out on; witness the rash of celebrity restaurants and designer flagship stores. MSC Grand Voyages cruises also offer excursions to the Bund – Shanghai’s original signature skyline –, a strip of grand Neoclassical colonial edifices on the west bank of the Huangpu River Pudong on the opposite shore – a backdrop domestic…

Kyushu’s largest city, Fukuoka is one of the most likeable places in Japan – indeed, despite the fact that it’s not exactly a household name abroad, it regularly pops up on global best-places-to-live lists. While it boasts few actual sights, there’s a certain Kyushu-style joie de vivre here, best exemplified at the umpteen rustic street-side yatai, where locals slurp happily away on their ramen while knocking back beer, sake or whatever takes their fancy. Until recently, the city was an industrial nonentity, notable only for its transport connections to Korea and the rest of the island, but its renaissance has been remarkable. When you are cruising the Pacific Ocean with MSC Cruises you’ll find that Fukuoka is a squeaky-clean metropolis; it deserves a day of any cruiser’s time. Highlights here include one or two excellent museums and ranks of eye-catching modern architecture – most notable in the latter category are Canal City, a self-contained cinema, hotel and shopping complex built…

Second to Seoul, Busan is the most populated city in South Korea. On an MSC cruise you will discover the most interesting attractions of this city of three and a half million inhabitants overlooking the Strait of Korea; an economic, cultural and educational reference point for the whole country. The city offers many leisure opportunities. An authentic dining experience is a must, you can taste kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish. Shopping lovers can’t miss the Shinsegae Centum City Department Store, the largest shopping complex in the world and the Gukje market, one of the largest in Korea: every road is crowded with stalls, where it's easy to find local handicrafts. On an excursion you can visit Gamcheon, a quiet and peaceful village of narrow lanes and colourful houses, the place of residence for many Korean artists. There are over 35,000 specimens of fish, reptiles, amphibians and algae at the Busan Aquarium, which you can visit on an excursion. Located in Haeundae Beach, the co…

When your MSC cruise brings you to Shanghai it is easy to understand that after years of stagnation, this great metropolis is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen. As Shanghai begins to recapture its position as East Asia’s leading business city, a status it last held before World War II, the skyline is filling with high-rises – there are well over a thousand now. Gleaming shopping malls, luxurious hotels and prestigious arts centres are rising alongside, while underneath everything snakes the world’s longest subway system. Shanghai’s 23 million residents enjoy the highest incomes on the mainland, and there’s plenty for them to splash out on; witness the rash of celebrity restaurants and designer flagship stores. MSC Grand Voyages cruises also offer excursions to the Bund – Shanghai’s original signature skyline –, a strip of grand Neoclassical colonial edifices on the west bank of the Huangpu River Pudong on the opposite shore – a backdrop domestic…