7 Nights West Mediterranean Cruise - MSC World Asia

Day 1 - Barcelona

On a Barcelona cruise, you'll see why the Catalan capital is Spain's most-visited city. Set between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, Barcelona offers experiences and sights for all, from classical and modern art to daring architecture, from innovative design to ancient history, plus world-class gastronomy (covering local cuisine and fine dining) and an enviable coastline.

Marvel at Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família or his surreal Park Güell, both part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing seven of the architect’s works across the city.  Learn about local history on a Barcelona cruise by walking down famed La Rambla, lined with emblematic buildings like La Boqueria market, dating back to the 1800s, and the opulent Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house.

Get lost among the alleyways of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic) and visit the Barcelona Cathedral, before heading to the coast for swimming and sunbathing at Barceloneta Beach. But why stop there? Our cruises to Barcelona whisk you out of the city to nearby coastal escapes and bohemian hideaways.

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Day  2 - Marseille

Marseille is where Provence comes crashing into the sea: bustling city and beautiful coastline, Belle Époque facades and bold street art, Provençal and multicultural traditions. France's oldest city is also its most original, appealing to both first-time and seasoned visitors, as you'll discover on a Marseille cruise.

Snap photos of wooden boats lining Le Vieux-Port harbour and hop between cafes, restaurants and bars - grab an outside table to watch the world go by and appreciate the gentle hubbub. Marvel at limestone fjords in Calanques National Park, home to Château d'If. This 16th-century island prison was made famous in The Count of Monte Cristo, and sits one of the Frioul Islands, an archipelago offering coastal walks and quiet beaches. Soak up views from Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, before getting lost in Le Panier's cobblestone streets.

Charming Aix-en-Provence and Avignon are nearby on cruises to Marseille. These picturesque locations are the perfect pairing to Marseille's cosmopolitan flair. On a Marseille cruise, discover the best of Provence, France and the Mediterranean all at once.

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Day  3 - Genoa

Gateway to the Italian Riviera, the Port of Genoa is one of the most important (and one of the largest) in Italy, a strategic harbour since ancient times.

Cruises to Genoa offer the chance to explore its many sights, including Genoa Aquarium, designed by architect Renzo Piano, and the city’s picturesque Boccadasse district, a lakeside fishing village. Genoa excursions also offer the opportunity to taste signature dishes made from fresh ingredients, such as pesto Genovese and focaccia. On a Genoa cruise, guests can also admire one of Italy’s most beautiful stretches of coastline or an excursion to the UNESCO-listed Cinque Terre. Its five fishing villages, perched on steep cliffs, offer superb sea views, small seafood restaurants, and a tableau of townhouses.A short trip away from Genoa, Portofino beckons with colourful facades, boutiques and surrounding lush hills. Explore the Cinque Terre, Portofino and much more on a Genoa cruise with MSC Cruises.

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Day  4 - Naples

Gateway to the Italian Riviera, the Port of Genoa is one of the most important (and one of the largest) in Italy, a strategic harbour since ancient times.

Cruises to Genoa offer the chance to explore its many sights, including Genoa Aquarium, designed by architect Renzo Piano, and the city’s picturesque Boccadasse district, a lakeside fishing village. Genoa excursions also offer the opportunity to taste signature dishes made from fresh ingredients, such as pesto Genovese and focaccia. On a Genoa cruise, guests can also admire one of Italy’s most beautiful stretches of coastline or an excursion to the UNESCO-listed Cinque Terre. Its five fishing villages, perched on steep cliffs, offer superb sea views, small seafood restaurants, and a tableau of townhouses.A short trip away from Genoa, Portofino beckons with colourful facades, boutiques and surrounding lush hills. Explore the Cinque Terre, Portofino and much more on a Genoa cruise with MSC Cruises.

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Day  5 - Messina

Messina may well be your first sight of Sicily, and - from your MSC holiday cruise ship - it's a fine one, the glittering town spread up the hillside beyond its sickle-shaped Mediterranean harbour.On a shore excursion you can discover Messina's most important monument, the Duomo, which epitomizes the city's phoenix-like ability to re-create itself from the ashes of its last disaster. It's the reconstruction of a twelfth-century cathedral erected by Roger II, one of a series of great Norman churches of Sicily that include the sumptuous cathedrals of Palermo and Cefalù. The Duomo's detached campanile, or bell tower, claims to be the largest astronomical clock in the world, and puts on its best show at noon every day, when a bronze lion (Messina's ancient emblem) unleashes a mighty roar over the city that can be quite alarming if you're not expecting it!Just back from the Duomo, the truncated section of the twelfth-century Chiesa Annunziata dei Catalani squats below pavement level, and is Messina's only surviving example of Arab/Norman church-building.

When you are cruising the Mediterranean Sea with MSC Cruises, the most obvious excursion from Messina is to the almost too charming hill town of Taormina, spectacularly located on a rocky bluff between the Ionian Sea and the soaring peak of Mount Etna, whose summit with its bleak lava wilderness is one of the most memorable landscapes Italy has to offer. Once the beloved retreat of poets and writers, Taormina is now the most illustrious resort on the entire island, captivating its visitors with its famous ancient theatre, grand hotels and engaging small-town charm.

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Day  6 - Valletta

Messina may well be your first sight of Sicily, and - from your MSC holiday cruise ship - it's a fine one, the glittering town spread up the hillside beyond its sickle-shaped Mediterranean harbour.On a shore excursion you can discover Messina's most important monument, the Duomo, which epitomizes the city's phoenix-like ability to re-create itself from the ashes of its last disaster. It's the reconstruction of a twelfth-century cathedral erected by Roger II, one of a series of great Norman churches of Sicily that include the sumptuous cathedrals of Palermo and Cefalù. The Duomo's detached campanile, or bell tower, claims to be the largest astronomical clock in the world, and puts on its best show at noon every day, when a bronze lion (Messina's ancient emblem) unleashes a mighty roar over the city that can be quite alarming if you're not expecting it!Just back from the Duomo, the truncated section of the twelfth-century Chiesa Annunziata dei Catalani squats below pavement level, and is Messina's only surviving example of Arab/Norman church-building.

When you are cruising the Mediterranean Sea with MSC Cruises, the most obvious excursion from Messina is to the almost too charming hill town of Taormina, spectacularly located on a rocky bluff between the Ionian Sea and the soaring peak of Mount Etna, whose summit with its bleak lava wilderness is one of the most memorable landscapes Italy has to offer. Once the beloved retreat of poets and writers, Taormina is now the most illustrious resort on the entire island, captivating its visitors with its famous ancient theatre, grand hotels and engaging small-town charm.

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Day  7 - Day at sea

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Day  8 - Barcelona

On a Barcelona cruise, you'll see why the Catalan capital is Spain's most-visited city. Set between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, Barcelona offers experiences and sights for all, from classical and modern art to daring architecture, from innovative design to ancient history, plus world-class gastronomy (covering local cuisine and fine dining) and an enviable coastline.

Marvel at Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família or his surreal Park Güell, both part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing seven of the architect’s works across the city.  Learn about local history on a Barcelona cruise by walking down famed La Rambla, lined with emblematic buildings like La Boqueria market, dating back to the 1800s, and the opulent Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house.

Get lost among the alleyways of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic) and visit the Barcelona Cathedral, before heading to the coast for swimming and sunbathing at Barceloneta Beach. But why stop there? Our cruises to Barcelona whisk you out of the city to nearby coastal escapes and bohemian hideaways.