115 nights World Cruise from Marseille (Provence)

On the spectacular coastline of the French Riviera lies Marseille, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. This atmospheric port city is known for its unique mix of grit and glamour, seen in its labyrinth of streets and historical architecture. Only a few miles from Marseille’s charismatic cafes and bustling Vieux Port, stunning cities are to be found. Visit Aix-en-Provence, birthplace of Cézanne, or take in the ancient beauty of Avignon.

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.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the port capital of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s seven Canary Islands. The city showcases incredible sights such as the Plaza de Espana, the church of St. Francis of Assisi, and the soaring white wave auditorium, the Auditorio de Tenerife. This quintessential Canary Island’s town is a colourful MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination where you can soak up the sun, dine in style, or take a dip in glittering waters.

Grand Turk Island is the capital island of the Turks and Caicos archipelago, in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s dotted with the remains of salt ponds and windmills from the island’s sea salt industry, prevalent from the 17th to 20th century. The 19th-century Grand Turk Lighthouse is perched on a rocky bluff in the north. Beaches with clear water ring the island, which is home to wild horses and donkeys.

Lima retains a certain elegance, particularly in its colonial centre. The city still brims with culture and history, though it may not be obvious at first. Top of its attractions are some excellent museums – the best of which should definitely be visited before setting off for Machu Picchu or any of Peru's other great Inca ruins – as well as fine Spanish churches in the centre, and some distinguished mansions in the wealthy suburbs of Barranco and Miraflores. First of all, while enjoying your MSC World Cruise, you can visit Lima Centro with all its splendid architectural attractions, the neighbourhood is very much a centre of Limeños’ daily life. The main axis is formed by the parallel streets – Jirón de la Unión and Jirón V Carabaya – connecting the grand squares of the Plaza San Martín and Plaza Mayor. Here the roads are narrow and busy, bringing together many of the city’s office workers with slightly downmarket shops and their workers. There are many fine buildings from the coloni…

Lima retains a certain elegance, particularly in its colonial centre. The city still brims with culture and history, though it may not be obvious at first. Top of its attractions are some excellent museums – the best of which should definitely be visited before setting off for Machu Picchu or any of Peru's other great Inca ruins – as well as fine Spanish churches in the centre, and some distinguished mansions in the wealthy suburbs of Barranco and Miraflores. First of all, while enjoying your MSC World Cruise, you can visit Lima Centro with all its splendid architectural attractions, the neighbourhood is very much a centre of Limeños’ daily life. The main axis is formed by the parallel streets – Jirón de la Unión and Jirón V Carabaya – connecting the grand squares of the Plaza San Martín and Plaza Mayor. Here the roads are narrow and busy, bringing together many of the city’s office workers with slightly downmarket shops and their workers. There are many fine buildings from the coloni…

Arica, Chile’s northernmost city, 316km north of Iquique, benefits greatly from tourism, with foreign visitors flocking to its pleasant sandy beaches in the summer, and with a smattering of good museums. Aside from its own attractions, Arica makes a good base for the beautiful Parque Nacional Lauca. The compact city centre is easy to explore on foot, though a visit to Arica isn’t complete without climbing El Morro, the dramatic cliff that looms high over the city. From the clifftop, home to a number of turkey vultures and a giant Jesus statue that lights up at night, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the entire city. Also up here, with cannons stationed outside, is the Museo Histórico y de Armas, with displays of weaponry, uniforms and other artefacts from the War of the Pacific. Below El Morro is the large, palm-tree-lined Plaza Vicuña Mackenna, and alongside that lies Avenida Máximo Lira, the main coastal road. On the east side is the attractive Plaza Colón, decorated wi…

Hanga Roa is the main town, harbour and capital of Easter Island, a province of Chile. It is located in the southern part of the island's west coast, in the lowlands between the extinct volcanoes of Terevaka and Rano Kau. The population of 3,304 comprises 87 percent of the total population of the island.

Bounty Bay is an embayment of the Pacific Ocean into Pitcairn Island. Bounty Bay is named after the Bounty, a British naval vessel whose eighteenth-century mutiny was immortalized in the novel Mutiny on the Bounty, and the numerous subsequent motion pictures made of it.

In the heart of the Pacific Ocean exists a paradise of crystal clear waters, white beaches and primitive vegetation. A place of pure beauty, where every corner hides wonderful treasures. It is French Polynesia, home of the island of Tahiti and the bustling port city of Papeete. This is where your incredibly beautiful vacation with MSC World Cruise will start on a journey to discover sensational places. It is the home of pearls; in Papeete, you can visit the first museum in the worlddedicated to the processing of these natural jewels, in particular the black pearl of Tahiti, the protagonist of the museum named after one of the largest cultivators of pearls, Robert Wan. Here each step of the delicate process of harvesting and processing pearls will be explained and you can learn how they become beautiful jewels. The museum also offers a comprehensive guide to the history and legends associated with pearls, crossing various cultures and civilizations. During your MSC Cruise into this exo…

In the heart of the Pacific Ocean exists a paradise of crystal clear waters, white beaches and primitive vegetation. A place of pure beauty, where every corner hides wonderful treasures. It is French Polynesia, home of the island of Tahiti and the bustling port city of Papeete. This is where your incredibly beautiful vacation with MSC World Cruise will start on a journey to discover sensational places. It is the home of pearls; in Papeete, you can visit the first museum in the worlddedicated to the processing of these natural jewels, in particular the black pearl of Tahiti, the protagonist of the museum named after one of the largest cultivators of pearls, Robert Wan. Here each step of the delicate process of harvesting and processing pearls will be explained and you can learn how they become beautiful jewels. The museum also offers a comprehensive guide to the history and legends associated with pearls, crossing various cultures and civilizations. During your MSC Cruise into this exo…

Nukuʻalofa is the capital of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the country's southernmost island group.

Nouméa is the capital of the South Pacific archipelago and overseas French territory New Caledonia. Situated on the main island, Grand Terre, it's known for beaches and its blend of French and native Kanak influences. The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre showcases Kanak heritage, and the Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie has exhibits from across the Pacific region. The Aquarium des Lagons introduces local marine life.

Adorned with a harbor and a spectacular bridge, the largest and most populous city in New Zealand is also one of the most beautiful. Auckland will be the next stop on your MSC World Cruise, for an extraordinary vacation in the "City of Sails", named as such for its beautiful bays and its passion for water sports and yachting. Its superb location, on a narrow strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, is made even more attractive by the lush subtropical forests that surround the nearby hills and the volcanic landscapes of the surrounding islands. Another stop on your trip with MSC Cruises that can not be missed is the Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere. At 328 meters in height, this tower offers breathtaking sights: out of its glass windows, the view stretches for 80 kilometers in every direction. To find out all about the Maori culture and the origins of life in the ocean, you can visit the Auckland Museum, with a section dedicated to the Seco…

These “sheltered waters”, the meaning of the name Tauranga in Maori, will also shelter you while on an MSC World Cruise in New Zealand. The city extends along a narrow peninsula dotted with parks and gardens lying behind a vibrant promenade, The Strand. Tauranga is a delightful city in which you can spend half a day wandering around between shops, restaurants and art galleries. If you miss the ocean, you can take a taxi to Mount Maunganui, the name of both the mountain that protects the port of Tauranga and the district overlooking the Pacific, with its long sandy beach and surfers. One of the city's main attractions is the Tauranga Art Gallery, which opened in 2007. The gallery is housed in a former bank that was transformed inside by creating large exhibition spaces; the exterior is completely sheathed with metal panels, similar to those of medieval armour. On The Strand, there is an ad hoc structure that houses the Te Awanui, a 14-metre long carved Maori war canoe used during ritua…

Where Vineyards meet the Ocean As soon as you set foot in New Zealand on your MSC World Cruise, you will see just how charming and relaxing Napier is, the most populous city in Hawke's Bay. New Zealanders love it for its climate, very similar to that in the Mediterranean, the low cost of living and its well preserved Art Deco buildings, built after the earthquake of 1931. Enjoy walking around the city centre, where the streets are named after great English writers like Shakespeare or Dickens. Napier's main street is Emerson Street, which connects Marine Parade and the city’s beach (not suitable for bathing) to Clive Square. About 5 km from the centre, on the north side of Bluff Hill, there is the original Maori village of Ahuriri, where there are now clothes shops, cafes and trendy restaurants. From Napier, an MSC day trip will take you to visit the surrounding area, which is famous for its vineyards; there is also the New Zealand Wine Centre in the city if you want to find out more a…

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Strong winds through the Cook Strait give it the nickname "Windy Wellington."

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. Sydney Tower’s outdoor platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city and suburbs.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. Sydney Tower’s outdoor platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city and suburbs.

Cairns, considered the gateway to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is a city in tropical Far North Queensland. Its Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park tells the stories of indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with music and dance. Cairns Esplanade, lined with bars and restaurants, has a swimming lagoon. Northwest of the city, Daintree National Park spans mountainous rainforest, gorges and beaches.

Cairns, considered the gateway to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is a city in tropical Far North Queensland. Its Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park tells the stories of indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with music and dance. Cairns Esplanade, lined with bars and restaurants, has a swimming lagoon. Northwest of the city, Daintree National Park spans mountainous rainforest, gorges and beaches.

Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali and west of Sumbawa, part of the Lesser Sunda Island chain. It's known for beaches and surfing spots, particularly at Kuta and Banko Banko (in south Lombok). The motor-vehicle-free Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno), off Lombok’s west coast, offer more beaches, reefs for diving and snorkeling, and a sea turtle hatchery.

Benoa Harbour (Pelabuhan Benoa), 25km south of Denpasar, is the arrival and departure point for MSC Grand Voyages cruises to Indonesia. Benoa is a shelter for cruise ships sailing the Indian Ocean; it’s also a handy port for cruisers wanting to see Bali’s highlights. With pristine tropical beaches, elegantly sculpted rice paddies, volcanic peaks, and uncontaminated coastlines for world-class surf or sunbathing, Bali, with Lombok, is a tourist paradise; it has been attracting visitors for almost 100 years. An unmissable excursion during your MSC Grand Voyages cruise is Ubud, Bali’s cultural heartland, home to a huge number of temples, museums and art galleries, where Balinese dance shows are staged nightly, a wealth of craft studios provide absorbing shopping, and traditional ceremonies and rituals are observed daily. Once you get away from the main thoroughfares, Ubud’s lovely location is apparent, set amid lush, terraced paddies offering plenty of scope for hikes and bicycle rides, m…

Ho Chi Minh City is a vibrant port of call for MSC cruise liners on MSC Grand Voyages cruise itineraries. It’s a fury of sights and sounds, and the crucible in which Vietnam’s rallying fortunes are boiling. Few corners of the city afford respite from the cacophony of construction work casting up new office blocks and hotels with logic-defying speed. An increasing number of cars and minibuses jostle with an organic mass of state-of-the-art Honda SUVs, choking the tree-lined streets and boulevards. Amid this melee, the local people go about their daily life: smartly dressed schoolkids wander past streetside baguette-sellers; women shoppers ride motorbikes clad in gangster-style bandanas to protect their skin from the sun and dust; while teenagers in designer jeans chirrup into mobile phones. MSC Cruises shore excursions can be a clever option to see much of Ho Chi Minh City’s fun that derives from the simple pleasure of absorbing its flurry of activity – something best done from the sea…

Laem Chabang is the starting point of an exploration of Bangkok with an MSC Grand Voyages Cruise. Located in Chonburi province, it is the most important industrial port of Thailand, and is the gateway to reach Bangkok from the sea. With an MSC cruise, you will visit the capital of Thailand and its main attractions. Located on the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok is rich in history and culture. There are many places and monuments to visit. These include the Royal Grand Palace, the residence of the Chakri dynasty where you can also find the temple of the Emerald Buddha, a statue of rare beauty made from a single piece of jade. At the Buddhist temple of Wat Po can be found the huge reclining Buddha, a good 46 meters long and 15 meters high. At Wat Po, the place where Thai therapeutic massage was invented, the pagodas are also not to be missed: Phrang Rabieng in white marble and Phra Maha Chedi with delicate and colorful floral patterns. The visit continues in the heart of the city: a journey o…

The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade, and which handle Singapore's harbours and shipping. It is ranked as the top maritime capital of the world since 2015.

Port Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is located about 6 kilometres southwest of the town of Klang, and 38 kilometres southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the city proper. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination.

Kochi (also known as Cochin) is a city in southwest India's coastal Kerala state. It has been a port since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbor and opened it to Arab, Chinese and European merchants. Sites reflecting those influences include Fort Kochi, a settlement with tiled colonial bungalows and diverse houses of worship. Cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, typical of Kochi, have been in use for centuries.

Nowhere reinforces your sense of having arrived in Mumbai, with an MSC Grand Voyages cruise ship, quite as emphatically as the Gateway of India, the city’s defining landmark. Only a five-minute walk north, the Prince of Wales Museum should be next on your list of sightseeing priorities during your cruise to Mumbai, as much for its flamboyantly eclectic architecture as for the art treasures inside. The museum provides a foretaste of what lies in store just up the road, where the cream of Bartle Frere’s Bombay – the University and High Court – line up with the open maidans on one side, and the boulevards of Fort on the other. But for the fullest sense of why the city’s founding fathers declared it Urbs Prima in Indis, you should press further north still to visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), the high-water mark of India’s Raj architecture. Beyond CST lie the crowded bazaars and Muslim neighbourhoods of central Mumbai, at their liveliest and most colourful around Crawford Mark…

Nowhere reinforces your sense of having arrived in Mumbai, with an MSC Grand Voyages cruise ship, quite as emphatically as the Gateway of India, the city’s defining landmark. Only a five-minute walk north, the Prince of Wales Museum should be next on your list of sightseeing priorities during your cruise to Mumbai, as much for its flamboyantly eclectic architecture as for the art treasures inside. The museum provides a foretaste of what lies in store just up the road, where the cream of Bartle Frere’s Bombay – the University and High Court – line up with the open maidans on one side, and the boulevards of Fort on the other. But for the fullest sense of why the city’s founding fathers declared it Urbs Prima in Indis, you should press further north still to visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), the high-water mark of India’s Raj architecture. Beyond CST lie the crowded bazaars and Muslim neighbourhoods of central Mumbai, at their liveliest and most colourful around Crawford Mark…

A shore excursion on your MSC Emirates and Oman cruise can be the opportunity to discover Bur Dubai, at the heart of the metropolis of Dubai, on the south side of the breezy Creek. It’s the oldest part of Dubai and it offers a fascinating insight into the city’s traditional roots. This is where you’ll find many of the place’s most interesting Arabian heritage houses, clustered in the beautiful old Iranian quarter of Bastakiya and the waterfront Shindagha district, as well as the excellent Dubai Museum and the atmospheric Textile Souk. MSC Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar also offer excursions to the bustling district of Deira: the centre of Dubai’s traditional commercial activity, much of it still conducted in the area’s vibrant array of old-fashioned souks, including the famous gold and spice markets. A few kilometres south of the old city centre, modern Dubai begins in spectacular style with Sheikh Zayed Road, home to a neck-cricking array of skyscrapers including the glittering Emirates To…

A shore excursion on your MSC Emirates and Oman cruise can be the opportunity to discover Bur Dubai, at the heart of the metropolis of Dubai, on the south side of the breezy Creek. It’s the oldest part of Dubai and it offers a fascinating insight into the city’s traditional roots. This is where you’ll find many of the place’s most interesting Arabian heritage houses, clustered in the beautiful old Iranian quarter of Bastakiya and the waterfront Shindagha district, as well as the excellent Dubai Museum and the atmospheric Textile Souk. MSC Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar also offer excursions to the bustling district of Deira: the centre of Dubai’s traditional commercial activity, much of it still conducted in the area’s vibrant array of old-fashioned souks, including the famous gold and spice markets. A few kilometres south of the old city centre, modern Dubai begins in spectacular style with Sheikh Zayed Road, home to a neck-cricking array of skyscrapers including the glittering Emirates To…

Stepping ashore in Oman’s capital Muscat, when your MSC cruise takes you to Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar, means stepping into one of the oldest cities of the Middle East. This is where incense was shipped to Greece and Rome as far back as the 2nd century. Today it is still possible to find traces of its glorious past in the old centre where, until the latter part of the past century, the gates that separated the various quarters would be closed three hours after dawn. Muttrah, the historic centre of trade and activity of the capital that you will see during the cruise, is one of the most intriguing and well preserved parts of the town centre. Its commercial vocation is due to its proximity to the large port, where your MSC ship, which is named after its sovereign Qabus, will be waiting for you. Dedicate part of your vacation to Muscat to visit the sites, like the fish market, the Portuguese fort and, above all Muttrah’s Souq, one of cruisers’ favourite destinations. You can continue along…

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 southe…

Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez Governorate. It has three harbours, Adabiya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities.

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

Discover the culture and colour of Civitavecchia, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. This Italian gem is an enjoyable flight from many European and non-European cities. Celebrated for its 16th-century Michelangelo Fort, ancient Taurine Baths, and marble Vanvitelli fountain, the port is a convenient starting point for visiting Rome, Italy’s regal and romantic capital.

Genoa is marvellously eclectic, vibrant and full of rough-edged style; it’s a great cruise excursion. Indeed “La Superba” (The Superb), as it was known at the height of its authority as a Mediterranean superpower, boasts more zest and intrigue than all the surrounding coastal resorts put together. During a holiday to Genoa you can explore its old town: a dense and fascinating warren of medieval alleyways home to large palazzi built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by Genoa’s wealthy mercantile families and now transformed into museums and art galleries. You should seek out the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Palazzo Ducale, and the Renaissance palaces of Via Garibaldi which contain the cream of Genoa’s art collections, as well as furniture and decor from the grandest days of the city’s past, when its ships sailed to all corners of the Mediterranean Sea. The Acquario di Genova is the city’s pride and joy, parked like a giant ocean liner on the waterfront, with seventy tanks ho…

On the spectacular coastline of the French Riviera lies Marseille, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. This atmospheric port city is known for its unique mix of grit and glamour, seen in its labyrinth of streets and historical architecture. Only a few miles from Marseille’s charismatic cafes and bustling Vieux Port, stunning cities are to be found. Visit Aix-en-Provence, birthplace of Cézanne, or take in the ancient beauty of Avignon.