Mediterranean from Venice Cruise

Day 1 - Marghera(Venice), Italy

Arrive: Sun 17 November 2024 / Depart: Sun 17 November 2024 at 18:00

Venice, a romantic MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, is an artisan masterpiece. The city is built on 118 small islands, separated by canals, in a shallow lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. This UNESCO World Heritage Site overflows with beauty – from the gondola-lined canals and ancient marble palaces to historical architectural feats like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. Visiting Venice is like being in a fabled land, a scintillating mix of culture, history, and water.

Day 2 - Split

Arrive: Mon 18 November 2024 at 09:00 / Depart: Mon 18 November 2024 at 18:00

With its seafront cafés and ancient alleyways, shouting stallholders and travellers on the move, bustling, exuberant Split is one of Croatia’s and the Mediterranean’s most compelling cities, it’s easy to see this feeling when you step aground from your MSC cruise. It has a unique historical heritage too, having grown out of the palace built here by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 295AD. The palace remains Split’s central ingredient, having been gradually transformed into a warren of houses, tenements, churches and chapels by the various peoples who came to live here after Diocletian’s successors had departed. Adapted long ago to serve as Split’s town centre, Diocletian’s Palace is certainly not an archaeological “site”. Although set-piece buildings such as Diocletian’s mausoleum (now the cathedral) and the Temple of Jupiter (now a baptistery) still remain, other aspects of the palace have been tinkered with so much by successive generations that it is no longer recognizable as an ancient Roman structure. Best place to start exploring with an MSC excursion the seaward side of the palace is Split’s broad and lively Riva. Running along the palace’s southern facade, into which shops, cafés and a warren of tiny flats have been built, the Riva is where a large part of the city’s population congregates day and night to meet friends, catch up on gossip or idle away an hour or two in a café. Nearly everything worth seeing in Split is concentrated in the compact Old Town behind the waterfront Riva, made up in part of the various remains and conversions of Diocletian’s Palace itself, and the medieval additions to the west of it. You can walk across this area in about ten minutes, although it would take a lifetime to explore all its nooks and crannies.

Day 3 - Kotor

Arrive: Tue 19 November 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 19 November 2024 at 17:00

Kotor is one of the most atmospheric medieval towns on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, set against a backdrop of breathtaking mountains. It's an attractive MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination for those with a love of history and architecture. Glimpse ancient churches, an array of rustic palaces, and a maze of streets and squares. Kotor is also a gateway for other extraordinary Montenegro destinations, such as the stunning town of Perast.

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - Rome

Arrive: Thu 21 November 2024 at 09:00 / Depart: Thu 21 November 2024

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter. Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.

Day 6 - At Sea

Day 7 - Valencia

Arrive: Sat 23 November 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 23 November 2024

Formerly a Roman settlement, Valencia is a charismatic port city on the coast of Spain, and an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. Its marriage of modern and ancient architecture is a sight to behold – from the futuristic stylings of the City of Arts and Sciences to the 13th-centry Valencia Cathedral. Walk around its avenues and squares and soak up the city’s spellbinding energy. For restful pursuits, take in the beauty of its protected natural wonders including Albufera National Park.

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - Cagliari

Arrive: Mon 25 November 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 25 November 2024 at 17:00

From an MSC ship on the Mediterranean Sea, the view of Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital and main port, is striking. Crowned by its historic nucleus squeezed within a protective ring of Pisan fortifications, Cagliari’s setting is enhanced by the calm lagoons to the east and west of the city, a habitat for cranes, cormorants and flamingos. During your excursion to the centre of Cagliari, the promenades along Via Manno are the smartest you’ll see in Sardinia. These then drop down to the noisier Piazza Yenne and Largo Carlo Felice, around which most of the shops, restaurants, banks and hotels are located. At the bottom of Cagliari, the porticos of portside Via Roma shelter more shops and bars. Cagliari’s main attractions are the archaeological museum with its captivating collection of nuraghic statuettes, the city walls with their two Pisan towers looking down over the Mediterranean Sea and the port, and the cathedral – all within easy distance of each other. There are also a sprinkling of Roman remains, including an impressive amphitheatre, while nearby excursions include Nora, the most complete ancient site on Sardinia, and the islands of Sant’Antioco and San Pietro. Almost all the sightseeing you’ll want to do on your holiday in Cagliari is encompassed within the old Castello quarter, on the hill overlooking the port. The most evocative entry to this is from the monumental Bastione San Remy on Piazza Costituzione, whose nineteenth-century imperialist tone is tempered by the graffiti and weeds sprouting out of its walls. It’s worth the haul up the grandiose flight of steps inside for Cagliari’s best views over the port and the lagoons beyond.

Day 10 - Rome

Arrive: Tue 26 November 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 26 November 2024 at 19:00

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter. Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.

Day 11 - Florence/Pisa

Arrive: Wed 27 November 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 27 November 2024

On the west coast of Tuscany lies the cosmopolitan port city of Livorno, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. This Italian getaway is known for its historical architecture, sumptuous seafood, and checkboard waterside promenade. Livorno is the perfect launch pad for visiting Tuscany’s beautiful art cities, Florence and Pisa. What’s more, you’ll find great natural environments, like Macchia della Magona, spread across the region.