MSC Grand Voyages from Genoa

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 housing sea creatures from all the world’s major habitats, including the world’s biggest reconstruction of a Caribbean coral reef. It’s a great aquarium by any standards, the second largest in Europe by capacity, and boasts a fashionably ecology-conscious slant and excellent background information in Italian and English.
Just 35 km south of Genoa, there’s no denying the appeal of Portofino, tucked into a protected inlet surrounded by lush cypress- and olive-clad slopes. It’s an A-list resort that has been attracting high-flying bankers, celebs and their hangers-on for years, as evidenced by the flotillas of giant yachts usually anchored just outside. It’s a tiny place that is attractive yet somehow off-putting at the same time, with a quota of fancy shops, bars and restaurants for a place twice its size.

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.

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.

From 2021, the city of Piraeus, one of the oldest ports in the world, will join the list of ports visited by MSC Mediterranean Cruises. Guests will be introduced to the treasures of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Piraeus, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, has been the port of Athens since ancient times. It’s a city filled with incredible wonders including Mikrolimano Bay, Agia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity), and the Archaeological Museum.
Nowadays, Piraeus is a bustling centre with attractive waterfront cafés and restaurants, making it an ideal stop in the Mediterranean. Use it as a stepping stone to see the Acropolis and greater Athens.

Rhodes, a Greek Dodecanese island and MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, is celebrated for its beautiful beaches, archaeological ruins, and magnificent museums. Its historical Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest medieval city in the European continent!

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.

Όταν αποβιβάζεστε στην πρωτεύουσα του Ομάν, το Μuscat, όταν η κρουαζιέρα σας με την MSC σας μεταφέρει στο Ντουμπάι, το Άμπου Ντάμπι και το Κατάρ, σημαίνει ότι μπαίνετε σε μια από τις παλαιότερες πόλεις της Μέσης Ανατολής. Από εδώ στέλνονταν λιβάνια στην Ελλάδα και τη Ρώμη ήδη από τον 2ο αιώνα.

Σήμερα είναι ακόμη δυνατό να βρείτε ίχνη του ένδοξου παρελθόντος της στο παλιό κέντρο, όπου, μέχρι το δεύτερο μισό του περασμένου αιώνα, οι πύλες που χώριζαν τις διάφορες συνοικίες έκλειναν τρεις ώρες μετά την αυγή. Το Muttrah, το ιστορικό κέντρο του εμπορίου και της δραστηριότητας της πρωτεύουσας που θα δείτε κατά τη διάρκεια της κρουαζιέρας, είναι ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα και καλά διατηρημένα τμήματα του κέντρου της πόλης.

Η εμπορική του κλίση οφείλεται στην εγγύτητά του με το μεγάλο λιμάνι, όπου θα σας περιμένει το πλοίο της MSC, το οποίο έχει πάρει το όνομά του από τον ηγεμόνα του Qabus. Αφιερώστε μέρος των διακοπών σας στο Muscat για να επισκεφθείτε τα αξιοθέατα, όπως η ψαραγορά, το πορτογαλικό φρούριο και πάνω απ’ όλα, το Souq της Muttrah, έναν από τους αγαπημένους προορισμούς των κρουαζιερόπλοιων.

Μπορείτε να συνεχίσετε κατά μήκος του θαλάσσιου δρόμου προς την παλιά πόλη του Muscat, όπου, πριν από περίπου 200 χρόνια, ο προκάτοχος του
σημερινός αρχηγός του κράτους, έχτισε το Al Alam (η σημαία), το παλάτι που ανακαινίστηκε τη δεκαετία του ’70 και έχει γίνει η επίσημη κατοικία του σουλτάνου. Πρόκειται για ένα όμορφο δείγμα σύγχρονης αραβικής αρχιτεκτονικής που βρίσκεται στο κέντρο του τμήματος του Μοσχάτου που εξακολουθεί να περιβάλλεται από τα τείχη του 17ου αιώνα.

Σε κοντινή απόσταση, στη συνοικία Bawshar, βρίσκεται το Μεγάλο Τζαμί του Σουλτάνου Qabus. Περίπου 6500 πιστοί συγκεντρώνονται για να προσευχηθούν στην κύρια αίθουσα προσευχής, η οποία διαθέτει ένα μοναδικό, τεράστιο χαλί περίπου 4200 τ.μ., κατασκευασμένο από ένα δισεκατομμύριο και 700 εκατομμύρια κόμπους και ζυγίζει 21 τόνους. Όλες οι αίθουσες, τις οποίες μπορούν να επισκεφθούν και μη μουσουλμάνοι, είναι διακοσμημένες με μοτίβα που εξυμνούν τον αραβικό πολιτισμό.

A journey to Qatar becomes special on an MSC cruise.

A cruise to Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar will introduce you to Doha, the country’s futuristic capital on The Gulf. The city is preparing to host the 2022 World Cup, enhancing its already awesome skyline with new super modern skyscrapers.
The Aspire Tower in Doha (300 meters) dominates the skylines. It is the highest building of the country, whose shape is akin to a torch. This building is located near the city of sport, which has already hosted events such as the XII Pan Arab games and which will have a central role during the World Cup. Much of Doha, including places of worship such as the new mosque in the Qatar Faculty of Islamic studies, seems to be already in the future. Don’t miss a visit to the Pearl, a futuristic artificial circular port which is being developed to the north of the city centre, and yet, as you will notice on your MSC excursion, the ancient heart of the city still beats strong.
In the historical centre of Doha you will find a Suq where everything – from camels to gold – can be exchanged, and the Al Khoot fortress, dating back to the end of the nineteenth century and now converted into a museum. During your cruise to Doha with MSC Cruises, some excursions will lead you on the discovery of the north of the country and the history of this fascinating Emirate. In Ash Shamal the Al-Zubara fortress rises up from the middle of the desert and dates back to the thirties. The building, which at first sight seems an enormous sand castle, has been completely restored and transformed into a museum. Near the fortress you can also visit the archaeological remains of another, even older, defensive structure, Qal’ at Murair. Also you will find Zubara, a village of traders and pearl divers, a settlement which dates back to the nineteenth century, and later abandoned.

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 Towers.
Even these, however, are outshone by the massive Downtown Dubai development at the southern end of the strip, centred on the stupendous new Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, flanked by further record-breaking attractions including the gargantuan Dubai Mall and spectacular Dubai Fountain.
West of the Sheikh Zayed Road, the sprawling beachside suburb of Jumeirah is the traditional address-of-choice for Dubai’s European expats, its endless swathes of walled villas dotted with half a dozen shopping malls and a smattering of low-key sights. At the southern end of Jumeirah, there are more iconic sights in the sleepy suburb of Umm Suqeim, including the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the extraordinary mock-Arabian Madinat Jumeirah complex and the unforgettable Burj al Arab hotel.

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 Towers.
Even these, however, are outshone by the massive Downtown Dubai development at the southern end of the strip, centred on the stupendous new Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, flanked by further record-breaking attractions including the gargantuan Dubai Mall and spectacular Dubai Fountain.
West of the Sheikh Zayed Road, the sprawling beachside suburb of Jumeirah is the traditional address-of-choice for Dubai’s European expats, its endless swathes of walled villas dotted with half a dozen shopping malls and a smattering of low-key sights. At the southern end of Jumeirah, there are more iconic sights in the sleepy suburb of Umm Suqeim, including the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the extraordinary mock-Arabian Madinat Jumeirah complex and the unforgettable Burj al Arab hotel.