MSC Grand Voyages from Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi, where your MSC cruise ship awaits your return, offers an intriguing contrast to its freewheeling neighbour Dubai, a little over an hour’s drive down the coast.

Leading attractions on your Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar cruises to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates include the extravagant Emirates Palace hotel and the even more spectacular Sheikh Zayed Mosque, while the various attractions of Yas Island, home to the vast Ferrari World theme park, lie just down the road.
The blockbuster attraction at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is a dream excursion for any F1 fans. The “world’s biggest indoor theme park”, it offers a wide range of Ferrari-themed rides and displays which will appeal both to kids and grown-ups, including the chance to drive an F1 simulator or to ride the Formula Rossa roller coaster (the world’s fastest) or to experience race-day acceleration in the G Force “tower of speed” – as well as numerous gentler family-oriented rides.
Dedicated motorsports enthusiasts will also enjoy the big display of classic and contemporary Ferraris
, and the virtual tour of the firm’s famous Maranello factory. Some 15km from central Abu Dhabi, the mighty Sheikh Zayed Mosque dominates all landward approaches to the city, its snowy-white mass of domes and minarets visible for miles around and providing a spectacular symbol of Islamic pride at the entrance to the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Completed in 2007, the mosque was commissioned by and named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, who lies buried in a modest white marble mausoleum close to the entrance. The mosque is one of the world’s biggest and certainly the most expensive, having taken twelve years to build at a cost of around US$500 million. It’s also unusual in being one of only two mosques in the UAE open to non-Muslims.

An enchanting stop on this MSC Cruise to Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Qatar is Sir Bani Yas island.
It has nothing to do with the hyper-technological progress which you will admire on your trip to the capital, Abu Dhabi.
The MSC Beach Experience on Sir Bani Yas means relax. It includes a delicious barbecue lunch of succulent burgers and other grilled delights, fresh salads and vegetables, pastries and fruit. And you can enjoy cocktails, ice-cold beers and soft drinks from the island’s six bars.
Entertainment options range from beach tennis and volleyball to paddle boarding and snorkelling, not forgetting gym and dance activities and fun beach parties. Meanwhile, the inflatable water park and kids’ play area will keep children happy all day.
Without leaving the beach, you can pamper yourself with a revitalising massage or beauty treatment provided by our expert MSC Aurea Spa personnel. And if you’ve booked an island tour–or decide to join one at the last minute–you’ll find our Excursion Office right there on the beach too.

On Sir Bani Yas, just like on the islands of Dalma and the six nearby Discovery Islands, an enormous nature reserve has been designated to species in danger of extinction, be they from the Arabic peninsula or from Africa.
You can explore a one-of-a-kind island destination. Go horse riding or jeep riding; take your time at wildlife watching hides, then settle down on a traditional dhow for a mini cruise.
On Sir Bani Yas, everyone can enjoy the beach experience of their dreams or experience a safari like no other between the mangroves, the desert and the protected bay areas.

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.

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.

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.

Naples is a large, sprawling Mediterranean port, with a centre that has many different focuses just waiting to be discovered on an MSC Mediterranean cruise excursion.

MSC Mediterranean cruises also offer excursions to Pompeii. One of Campania’s most important Roman commercial centres – a moneyed resort for wealthy patricians and a trading town that exported wine and fish – the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 in effect froze the town’s way of life as it stood at the time.
Trips can also be taken to the island of Capri, place of legend, home to the mythical Sirens and a much-eulogized playground of the super-rich in the years since – though now it has settled down to a lucrative existence as a target for day-trippers from the mainland.

Definitely worth a visit, but these days the origins of much of the purple prose may be hard to find.

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.