11-night Europe cruise: Lisbon to Ijmuiden (for Amsterdam) on Sonata
The Lisbon, Portugal to Amsterdam (Ijmuiden), Netherlands is a 11-night Europe cruise aboard Sonata, operated by Oceania Cruises. Departing Lisbon on April 18, 2028 and arriving in Ijmuiden (for Amsterdam) on April 29, 2028, the voyage visits 10 ports including Santiago de Compostela, La Coruna, Spain, Gijon. Fares start from $5,699 per person.
Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.
Lisbon
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a city open to the sea and carefully planned with 18th-century elegance. Its founder is said to be the legendary Ulysses, but the theory of an original Phoenician settlement is probably more realistic. Known in Portugal as Lisboa, the city was inhabited by the Romans, Visigoths and, beginning in the 8th century, the Moors. Much of the 16th century was a period of great prosperity and overseas expansion for Portugal. Tragedy struck on All Saints' Day in 1755 with a devastating earthquake that killed about 40,000 people. The destruction of Lisbon shocked the continent. As a result, the Baixa (lower city) emerged in a single phase of building, carried out in less than a decade by the royal minister, the Marques de Pombal. His carefully planned layout of a perfect neo-classical grid survived to this day and remains the heart of the city. Evidence of pre-quake Lisbon can still be seen in the Belém suburb and the old Moorish section of the Alfama that sprawls below the Castle of St. George.
Lisbon is a compact city on the banks of the Tagus River. Visitors find it easy to get around as many places of interest are in the vicinity of the central downtown area. There is a convenient bus and tram system and taxis are plentiful. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. After a fire destroyed parts of the historic neighborhood behind Rossio in 1988, many of the restored buildings emerged with modern interiors behind the original façades.
The city boasts a good many monuments and museums, such as the Jeronimos Monastery, Tower of Belém, the Royal Coach Museum and the Gulbenkian Museum. High above the Baixa is the Bairro Alto (upper city) with its teeming nightlife. The easiest way to connect between the two areas is via the public elevator designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Cruising up the Tagus River to the ship's berth, you can already spot three of Lisbon's famous landmarks: the Monument to the Discoveries, the Tower of Belém and the Statue of Christ, which welcomes visitors from its hilltop location high above Europe's longest suspension bridge.
Santiago de Compostela
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Santiago de Compostela has been an important pilgrimage center for Christians since the 800s, when the tomb of the apostle James was believed to have been found by a hermit, guided to it by a bright light. Centuries of building and subsequent preservation efforts have maintained a range of extraordinary architecture in the Old Town, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Also home to a large university, the city has numerous places to shop, eat, drink and enjoy local entertainment.
La Coruna, Spain
The fine port of La Coruña centres on a narrow peninsula that juts from Spain’s northern coast, 64km north of Santiago.
A broad headland curves in both directions from the end of that peninsula to create two large bays: one facing across to Ferrol, and sheltering a large harbour, the other lying open to the Atlantic, lined by a long sandy beach.
In the dynamic city in between, a five-minute walk by way of old stone alleyways, with tantalizing restaurants, tapas bars and nightspots jostling for attention, takes you from bustling modern port – where your MSC cruise ship awaits your return – to relaxed resort. The heart of La Coruña, poised between the old city and its modern sprawl just inland from the port, is the colonnaded Praza de María Pita. The narrow and atmospheric streets of the old town wind around the Romanesque churches of Santiago and Santa María del Campo, and are shielded from the sea by a high wall.
The distinctive glass-fronted galleries of the sea-facing buildings, rising six storeys high along the Avenida da Marina in front of the port, form a magnificent ensemble
. They were originally designed so local residents, whose lives were intertwined with the ocean, could watch the activity of the harbour in shelter.
When sailing the Nothern Europe with MSC Cruises, the most obvious excursion from La Coruña is Santiago de Compostela, which ranks among the most beautiful cities in all Spain. A superb mix of twisting stone lanes, majestic squares and ancient churches, interspersed with countless hidden nooks and crannies, Santiago’s medieval core remains a remarkably integrated whole, all the better for being very largely pedestrianized.
Prices come from third-party data feeds via Oceania Cruises and may differ from the cruise line's current fare. Confirm the final price before booking. How our pricing works
Lowest fares with no residency, age, or service requirement — verify eligibility at booking. How our pricing works
Not ready to book?
Get price alerts
We’ll email you when fares drop or return.
Check your email to finish
We sent a confirmation link to your inbox. Your alert is not on yet — click that link to switch it on.
Oceania Cruises®, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused luxury cruise line, unveiled Oceania Sonata, the latest expression of the brand’s signature blend of intimate, luxurious experiences. Set to debut in 2027, the vessel will be the first of four 1,390-guest ships in the new Sonata Class, representing the next chapter in the line’s continued evolution of its intimate, luxurious ships.
A true masterpiece of design, she will deliver a symphony of unforgettable experiences at sea, anchored by the brand’s hallmark passion for gastronomy and its legacy of serving The Finest Cuisine at Sea®.
Blending grand, light-filled spaces that inspire celebration with serene enclaves designed for relaxation, Oceania Sonata is poised to resonate deeply with the most discerning travelers. Every detail has been composed to create an ambiance that feels both uplifting and indulgent, capturing the very essence of refined seagoing luxury.
We count visits anonymously without cookies. Accept cookies to let us remember you across visits and connect activity if you create an account, or decline and we'll still count you anonymously. Read our privacy policy
ESC
The Captain
I'm the Captain. Tell me what you're after — "Caribbean under $2,000" or "7 nights from Miami" — and I'll find the sailing and its price history.
