Cruise Itinerary

Take a trip up to London and get a bird's eye view of the city from the London Eye. See sights like Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly. Stroll along Lower Regent Street or visit the British Museum.

Often called the gateway to Europe, the port city of Rotterdam is full of old-world charm. The harbor offers amazing views and a maze of wharves and canals, along with towering spires make for a beautiful sight. Take a stroll and duck into one of the pubs or eateries along the way. Only three pre World War II buildings in the city centre have survived and are worth a look - city hall, St. Laurence church and the White House. Explore the Museum Boymans van Beuningen, which houses a unique collection dating from the 14th century, or the Museum Voor Volkenkunde - home to ethnological exhibits. Exquisite architecture can be seen in many areas of Rotterdam, most notably in the Delfshaven quarter of the city - where 18th century houses are on display. For a laugh, check out Kijk-Kubus, an upside-down house.

Located in in Galicia, in the northwest of Spain on the Portuguese border, Vigo is perhaps the country’s most underrated destination. Considered by many as “just’ an industrial fishing port (meaning the seafood rarely travels further than a mile to your plate), Vigo seduces everyone with its cuisine, landscape and warm Spanish welcomes. Like many of Galicia’s coastal towns, life in Vigo has been dictated by the ocean. View less The city dates back to Roman times and Romanesque architecture such as the churches of Santa María de Castrelos, Santiago de Bembrive, San Salvador de Coruxo can be found all over the city. From the 16th-18th centuries it became alive with commercial trade and buccaneers looking for sunken treasure. The town still enjoys its status as having sunken treasure in its waters, and debates about who would own this if ever discovered periodically colour local conversations. The old town and fishermen’s quarter are worth exploring, although unfortunately with the port’s rapid expansion in the 20th century, many of the original fishermen’s houses were demolished. However, remnants of the city’s Medieval past are still visible and a trip along the Spanish-Portuguese border will reward you with the beautiful walled Medieval city of Tui and the Velansa Fortress. The 13th century fortress offers a splendid view of the fortified Cathedral of Tui on the opposite side of the River Miño. Mount Castro, a castle fortress actually in the city, commands a magnificent view of Vigo and the bay.

As you arrive in Funchal on an MSC cruise, your ship will cast anchor in a bay protected by mountains rising straight up behind the port. The name, Funchal, derives from that of the fennel plant, the funcho still used today in the traditional sweets known as rebuçados de funcho, that one can find anywhere on the island of Madeira. An excursion will take you around the town centre, to visit historic churches, from the A Sé Cathedral, with its inlaid ceiling, to the majestic Church of the Incarnation, to the church of Carmo without a vault. Another MSC excursion will take you up to the village of Monte, from where one can admire a spectacular view of the Funchal bay. You can visit its 18th century church and the tomb of the last Austrian emperor, Charles I, and stroll around the magnificent botanic gardens. But if you like heights, there’s nothing more impressive than the Cabo Girão and its 589 metre tall cliffs, amongst the highest in the world, at the foot of which lie the cultivated lands known as Fajãs do Cabo Girão. If you’re looking for an equipped beach during your MSC cruise, another excursion will take you to Machico. Founded in the 15th century, it hosts the oldest religious building on the island, the Capela dos Milagres, and the fortresses of São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Amparo built in the beginning of the 16th century. The more lively tourist attraction is instead in Calheta, on the south-west coast. Splendid yachts cruising across the Atlantic are moored in the port and if you want to go for a swim there are two beautiful beaches of golden sand; in spite of the modern structures Calheta dates back to the mid-15th century. This is where they make the “Aguardente”, the best white rhum, and fundamental ingredient of Madeira’s typical drink, the “Poncha” .

Lanzarote is the fourth-largest island in the Canary chain. The most easterly of the Canaries, the island lies some 70 miles off the shore of North Africa. Like its neighbours, Lanzarote was shaped by a period of intense volcanic activity. The resulting landscape possesses a stark, near-lunar beauty: Over 300 now-dormant volcanoes left behind petrified lava seas and deep layers of volcanic ash. Today, visitors to these "Mountains of Fire" ride camels through the lava beds and even enjoy a volcano-broiled steak at the park's restaurant. (Subsurface temperatures still reach 800F in the park.) Despite the seemingly barren land scape, island farmers grow abundant crops of tomatoes, onions, melons, and figs in addition to Malvasia, a clear yellow wine produced from malmsey grapes. Lanzarote's rugged landscape, its warm climate, its lack of rainfall, and its beaches have proved attracted to travellers: Tourism dominates the island economy with some 2 million visitors arriving annually.

The Canary archipelago was sculpted by a period of intense volcanic activity; its islands possess a stark, near lunar beauty. Gran Canaria is the third-largest island in the group and is often described as the 'Round Island' for its near-circular shape. Las Palmas, its capital, is also the largest city in the Canaries numbering some 500,000 inhabitants. Despite the seemingly inhospitable landscape, farmers in Gran Canaria's Angostura Valley cultivate abundant crops of tomatoes, onions, melons, and figs. Moreover the island's climates, lack of rainfall, and fine beaches have long drawn Europeans seeking the winter sun.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a port city on the island of Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands. Well-preserved buildings in its old town include the colonial Church of the Immaculate Conception. The 1700s Palacio de Carta has baroque and neoclassical features. In the Old Civil Hospital, the Museum of Nature and Man has interactive displays on the islands. The city’s squares include the central Plaza de España.

Lively, commercial Oporto is the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon. Also called Porto for short, the word easily brings to mind the city's most famous product - port wine. Oporto’s strategic location on the north bank of the Douro River has accounted for the town’s importance since ancient times. The Romans built a fort here where their trading route crossed the Douro, and the Moors brought their own culture to the area. Oporto profited from provisioning crusaders en route to the Holy Land and enjoyed the riches from Portuguese maritime discoveries during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Take a trip up to London and get a bird's eye view of the city from the London Eye. See sights like Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly. Stroll along Lower Regent Street or visit the British Museum.