24-night Mediterranean cruise: Southampton to Rio de Janeiro on MSC Virtuosa
The 24 nights South America from Southampton (London) is a 24-night Mediterranean cruise aboard MSC Virtuosa, operated by MSC Cruises. Departing Southampton on November 7, 2026 and arriving in Rio de Janeiro on December 1, 2026, the voyage visits 13 ports including La Coruna, Spain, Cadiz, Malaga. Fares start from $2,159 per person.
Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.
Southampton
Cruises from Southampton are part of a storied maritime heritage. Famous ships have sailed from Southampton port and, before commercial air travel, it was the gateway to the world with Hollywood celebrities like Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor passing through to board a Southampton cruise.
In its atmospheric Old Town, 12th-century churches, cobbled streets, and timber-framed houses like the impressive Tudor House & Garden sit side-by-side, surrounded by one of the most complete Medieval city walls in the UK where the Bargate – the ancient entrance – still stands intact.
There are bustling marina-side bars, shiny shopping districts and a vibrant cultural quarter where the Mayflower Theatre puts on West End musicals and the SeaCity Museum catalogues Southampton’s seafaring past.
Some of England’s most impressive landmarks are an easy drive away, including the Neolithic wonder Stonehenge, the picturesque spa city Bath or Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and Tower Bridge in the bustling capital of London. Discover 5,000 years of history and more on a Southampton cruise.
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.
Cadiz
More than a hundred watchtowers gaze out across the waves surrounding this ancient Andalusian city. Sprinkled with evocative cobbled side streets, you’ll explore 3,000 years’ worth of history, while stumbling across palm-tree lined plazas of shaded coffee sippers. Cadiz claims the mantle of Western Europe’s oldest city, and every piece of architecture - and every wrong turn - offers a chance to discover fascinating new tales. Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100BC, Christopher Columbus used the city as a base for his exploratory, map-defining voyages of 1493 and 1502.
The port grew in importance and wealth as Cadiz’s strategic location close to Africa’s northern tip helped it blossom into a centre for New World trade. Catedral de Cádiz, is a display of the city’s wealth and importance, looming spectacularly over the Atlantic’s waves, with cawing seagulls sweeping between its twin bell towers. Inside, treasures from the city’s trading exploits in the West Indies and beyond - which helped fuel the growth of this historically prosperous city – are on display. Enveloped by ocean on almost every side, Cadiz has something of an island feel, and you can cool off from southern Spain’s unrelenting sunshine on the sweeping golden sand beach of Playa Victoria. The two towers of the new El Puente de la Constitución de 1812 mark a contemporary landmark in this most ancient of cities, in the form of a spectacular new road bridge. Torre Tavira, meanwhile, is the most famous of Cadiz’s army of watchtowers, and the highest point in the city. Reach the top for a view of the ocean fringing the city’s expanse, and to learn about the towers - constructed so trading merchants could survey the harbour from their lavish homes. The Central Market is a chaotic place of bartering, where flashing knives dissect fresh fish. Stop in at the orbiting bars to enjoy tapas, freshly prepared with the market’s produce.
Prices come from third-party data feeds via MSC 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.
Follow the entire sailing from its first day to its last, with the route and schedule in one view.
Day 1·Nov 7, 2026
Southampton
Cruises from Southampton are part of a storied maritime heritage. Famous ships have sailed from Southampton port and, before commercial air travel, it was the gateway to the world…
MSC Virtuosa’s namesake comes from the word virtuoso, meaning someone highly skilled in any field of activity, and so MSC Virtuosa was named to pay homage to the skill and expertise of the MSC Cruises architects and shipyard partners at Les Chantiers de l’Atlantique who designed and built this innovative class of ships. This new cruise ship is one of the two largest in MSC Cruises’ fleet, along with her sister ship MSC Grandiosa, boasting an impressive array of guest features all coming together in perfect harmony to deliver the ultimate cruise holiday experience.
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.
