Cruise Itinerary

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 Market and Mohammed Ali Road. Possibilities for an MSC excursion include a trip out to Elephanta, a rock-cut cave on an island in Mumbai harbour containing a wealth of ancient art. Another great excursion is the Gateway of India. Commemorating the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, India’s own honey-coloured Arc de Triomphe, the Gateway of India, is Colaba’s principal monument and the landmark most iconic of Mumbai in the Indian imagination. The aforementioned Prince of Wales Museum of Western India ranks among the city’s most distinctive Raj-era constructions. It stands rather grandly in its own gardens off MG Road, crowned by a massive white Mughal-style dome, beneath which one of India’s finest collections of paintings and sculpture is arrayed on three floors.

Ease yourself in authentic Arabia with spirit-lifting adventures. Snorkel alongside turtles and rays, come alive at souks bearing gold and silver gifts and enjoy the arid desert on land, by air or in an oasis of water. Browse Omani art and cultural curios and track down the fragrant headquarters of the world’s most expensive perfumery. Learn to cook, rock climb and cliff dive. Submerge in sinkholes and soothe at holistic Arabic-style spas. Hike up terraced trails to cliff-hanging fertile farms in the Al Hajar Mountains to zip off-road to ancient Sabatyn. This lavish capital swirls in twinkling souks, thrilling terrain, and smouldering oud scents.

Ease yourself in authentic Arabia with spirit-lifting adventures. Snorkel alongside turtles and rays, come alive at souks bearing gold and silver gifts and enjoy the arid desert on land, by air or in an oasis of water. Browse Omani art and cultural curios and track down the fragrant headquarters of the world’s most expensive perfumery. Learn to cook, rock climb and cliff dive. Submerge in sinkholes and soothe at holistic Arabic-style spas. Hike up terraced trails to cliff-hanging fertile farms in the Al Hajar Mountains to zip off-road to ancient Sabatyn. This lavish capital swirls in twinkling souks, thrilling terrain, and smouldering oud scents.

Welcome Middle Eastern culture with a splash of adventure. Jordan’s sun-kissed centre reels in distinct Islamic architecture with access to lunar-like landscapes and ancient archaeological wonders. Visit the stunning rock-hewn Petra and take a four-wheel-foray to the rust-coloured sands and towering rocks of UNESCO-listed Wadi Rum. Flock to observe migratory birds, dive through underwater wonders, or crack Arabian cooking inland. Support local artisans on a spice-scented stroll through colourful souks and dress to worship at stark white mosques. This movie-set region teems with elegant Arabic charm.

Welcome Middle Eastern culture with a splash of adventure. Jordan’s sun-kissed centre reels in distinct Islamic architecture with access to lunar-like landscapes and ancient archaeological wonders. Visit the stunning rock-hewn Petra and take a four-wheel-foray to the rust-coloured sands and towering rocks of UNESCO-listed Wadi Rum. Flock to observe migratory birds, dive through underwater wonders, or crack Arabian cooking inland. Support local artisans on a spice-scented stroll through colourful souks and dress to worship at stark white mosques. This movie-set region teems with elegant Arabic charm.

This is the cradle of civilization, the oldest city in Europe. Not only is this city home to the Acropolis and some of the most important architectural structures and archaeological finds in the Western world, It is also a very modern city, an urban amalgam of extraordinary art, culture, cuisine and shopping. Explore more of Athens on a European cruise!