Port guides

Sandnessjøen,Alsten, Norway

Sandnessjøen is a town and the administrative centre of Alstahaug Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. Sandnessjøen was granted special trading privileges in the late 1600s and it received town status in 1999. Sandnessjøen is located on the island of Alsta, just west of the De syv søstre mountain range.

395 cruises

Sortland

Northern Europe & Baltic

Sortland, the largest town of the beautiful Vesterålen archipelago, is one of Northern Norway’s most unique destinations. Nicknamed ‘Blue Town’, Sortland is almost entirely painted in various shades of blue, thanks to any idea put forward by artist Bjorn Elvenes at the start of the new millennium. Elvenes proposed that – with the help of other local artists and residents – Sortland should become a living 3D painting, and today the town’s mix of architecture, comprising Swiss style wood, concrete and glass structures, is an exhibit of his vision. It’s worth exploring the town to see how the blue colour scheme is developing alone, though there are plenty of attractions such as interesting art exhibitions, a beautiful early 20th century church and the pretty downtown, where you can enjoy ‘Writings on a Field of Blue’. Visiting Sortland offers chances to seek-out Vesterålen's natural treasures, too. Rugged, unspoilt countryside landscapes and miles of gorgeous island coastline are within reach, while the archipelago and its surrounding waters are also home to diverse wildlife, from seals and seabirds to whales. In the summer months it is possible to experience the magical midnight sun here; and in the winter, visitors might be lucky enough to witness the awe-inspiring Northern Lights.

395 cruises

Golubac

Serbia · Mediterranean

Golubac is a village and municipality located in the Braničevo District of the eastern Serbia. Situated on the right side of the Danube river, it is bordered by Romania to the east, Veliko Gradište to the west and Kučevo to the south.

393 cruises

La Coruna, Spain

Western Europe & Atlantic

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.

393 cruises

Honolulu

Oahu · Hawaii

Discovering Pearl Harbor Who hasn't dreamed of going to Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii on the beautiful island of Oahu, home of the most famous beaches in the world? Thanks to your MSC World Cruise, you will have the opportunity to disembark in this charming place made for relaxation and peace of mind, where you can sunbathe, enjoy typical Hawaiian food and cocktails and take a trip into the past, reliving the story of Pearl Harbor. The old military base made famous by the Japanese air force attack in 1941, during the Second World War, can be found in the county of Honolulu. A historical site filled with memories and reflections where you can round out your MSC Cruises excursion with a visit to the USS Missouri, a battleship from the time period kept in perfect condition with some of the original parts like the wooden bridge. A tour for lovers of history and events that began the Second World War in the Pacific Ocean. Exploring Honolulu also means talking a walk in the city center, which boasts not only excellent museums and the only royal palace in the United States, but also numerous restaurants and bars, all within easy reach thanks to a dense network of buses that allows you to travel to every part of the capital. With MSC Cruises, you will have the opportunity to experience a great vacation, discovering the infinite beauty of Oahu whose white sandy beaches are a symbol of unparalleled natural beauty.

390 cruises

Finnsnes

Northern Europe & Baltic

Finnsnes is a small town located on the mainland in the municipality of Lenvik. Every summer, the community prepares for the one-week summer festival, aiming to put Finnsnes on the map. The central park offers the rare attraction of a natural lake within it. Fishing and agriculture is still important, and fish farming is of increasing economic importance. Several small boroughs surround Finnsnes, forming one large urban area. It is an important hub for transportation both on land and sea. Tromsø and Harstad can be reached within a little more than an hour by speedboat.

388 cruises

Havoysund

Northern Europe & Baltic

Havøysund is a small fishing village of 1,000 inhabitants, with fish processing factories and a boat yard as key economic pillars. You will be struck by the varied and charming architecture, with post-war houses in different colours livening up the shoreline. The Måsøy Museum was established in a building originally built as a rectory. The collection of items consists of 19th century fishing tools and equipment. In addition there are several fixed exhibitions such as a kitchen, living room, school building and line-baiting booth. Norsk Hydro has built a windmill park on the island, which has become a landmark for people at sea. The 15 windmills are located at Gavlen, where the viewpoint and the cafe provide a stunning view to the Barents Sea and the surroundings.

388 cruises

Kjollefjord

Northern Europe & Baltic

Kjøllefjord is the administrative centre of Lebesby Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the northwestern part of the Nordkinn Peninsula, on the shore of a small fjord which empties into the larger Laksefjorden.

388 cruises

Nesna

Northern Europe & Baltic

Nesna is a municipality in Nordland county and part of the Helgeland region. The scenic surroundings comprise the islands of Hugla, Handnesøya and Tomma. Our ships arrive twice a day, but unfortunately, we do not stop long enough here for you to take a walk. Still, from deck you can see locals embark and disembark, and mail and cargo getting loaded on and off the ship – a part of everyday life along the coast.

388 cruises

Ornes

Ørnes is the administrative centre of the municipality of Meløy in Nordland county, Norway. The old village is mentioned in documents dating from 1610 when a tenant farmer lived here.

388 cruises

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil · South America

As you’ll be able to appreciate when you cruise the Atlantic Ocean with MSC Cruises, in its position on the southern shore of the magnificent Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro has, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most stunning settings in the world. Extending for 20km along an alluvial strip, between an azure sea and forest-clad mountains, the city’s streets and buildings have been moulded around the foothills of the mountain range that provides its backdrop, while out in the bay there are many rocky islands fringed with white sand. The aerial views over Rio are breathtaking, and even the concrete skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline add to the attraction. As the former capital of Brazil and now its second-largest city, Rio has a remarkable architectural heritage, some of the country’s best museums and galleries, superb restaurants and a vibrant nightlife – in addition to its legendary beaches. A shore excursion on your MSC South America cruise can be the opportunity to visit the Pão de Açúcar. The Sugar Loaf Mountain rises where Guanabara Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its name may simply reflect a resemblance to the moulded loaves in which sugar was once commonly sold. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of the indigenous Tamoya word Pau-nh-Açuquá, meaning “high, pointed or isolated hill”. On the top of Corcoavado Mountain instead the Art Deco statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), arms outstretched in welcome, stands 30m high and weighs over 1000 tonnes. It was supposed to be completed for Brazil’s centenary independence celebrations in 1922, but wasn’t actually finished until 1931. In clear weather, fear no anticlimax: climbing to the statue is a stunning experience, with the whole of Rio and Guanabara Bay laid out before you.

388 cruises

Risoyhamn

Northern Europe & Baltic

Risøyhamn is a village in Andøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located on the southern part of the island of Andøya. The island of Andøya is connected to the neighboring island of Hinnøya by the Andøy Bridge at Risøyhamn.

388 cruises

Torvik

Northern Europe & Baltic

Torvik

388 cruises

Vadso

Northern Europe & Baltic

Vadsø is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which was the administrative centre of the former Finnmark county. Other settlements in Vadsø include Ekkerøy, Kiby, Krampenes, Skallelv, Valen, and Vestre Jakobselv.

388 cruises

Vardo

Vardø has the best viewpoint towards the Norwegian-Russian Arctic and the Northeast Passage. It will thrill you with its location on a windy island, connected to the mainland with Norway’s oldest underwater tunnel. It will freshen you up with its climate (this is the last stop before the North Pole). And it will amuse you with its good-humoured and friendly people. Vardø municipality has approximately 2,200 inhabitants. It is the only town in Norway situated in the Arctic climate zone. This of course means a lot for vegetation and animal life.

388 cruises

Kagoshima

Japan · Asia

One of Japan's most southerly major cities, Kagoshima is dominated by the imposing Sakurajima volcano's cone – a legendary active volcano that broods, churns and puffs out ash nearby. A pretty old-time ferry chugs across the still waters to the gently sloping foothills of the volcano's cone, and it's easy to imagine where the comparisons with its sister city Naples materialised, as you sail the glorious sweeping Kinko Bay, below beaming sunshine, towards the immense volcanic spectacle. View less This is certainly no historic relic, and the volcano remains revered and feared, with the most dramatic recent eruption taking place in 1914, and spewing out a new bridge of land into the sea. Make the most of the geothermal activity in the area by indulging in a stress-simmering black sand bath. Incredibly relaxing, you'll be submerged in the warm sand, as you feel your muscles relaxing in the heat, and rejuvenating blood pumping around your body. Enjoy a privileged view of the iconic volcano's loom from the terraced garden of Senganen Garden. Built in 1658, this elegant, traditional garden has belonged to the Shimadzu family for 350 years. Wander the gardens - which bloom with Japan's renowned cherry tree blossoms and feature tiny bridges looping over ponds and rock pools - before sitting back and sipping a wholesome green matcha latte. Elsewhere, museums offer Feudal Era and Satsuma Province history, as well as insights into the Kamikaze squadrons of World War II. Lake Ikeda is also close by, so be sure to keep an eye out for the legendary Issie monster.

387 cruises

Kefalonia

Greece · Mediterranean

Cephalonia is the largest island in the Ionian Sea, famous for its gorgeous beaches, crumbling castles, secluded monasteries and warm Greek hospitality. Throughout the course of history, Cephalonia has exchanged hands many times—from the Normans to the Venetians to the Ottoman Turks, and it has survived occupations by German and Italian soldiers during WWII. These influences from other European countries have shaped the island's culture, and are especially evident in the spelling variations of place names. Several museums and memorials around town pay tribute to both Cephalonia’s classical and recent history, and are worth a visit. Argostóli is Cephalonia’s port town, on the bay of Livadi. It was rebuilt after a devastating 1953 earthquake. The architecture, although new, remains traditionally Greek. Lithostroto is the main drag—a pedestrian-only street lined with specialty shops and tourist kiosks offering souvenirs and the island's famous cheese pastries. During the warm months, musicians come to play traditional music by guitar and mandolin in Vallianos Square (Plateia Valianou) while down beside the waterfront promenade, local fishermen haul in their daily catch.

385 cruises

Libourne

Mediterranean

Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.

384 cruises

Hubbard Glacier

Alaska · Alaska

Nicknamed the "Galloping Glacier," this east Alaskan glacier is rapidly advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska into a pristine area known as Disenchantment Bay. In fact, its movement temporarily formed a natural dam that twice closed off nearby Russell Fjord from the bay, but the intense water pressure building within the fjord-turned-lake has thus far been enough to explode through the wall of ice. The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier measures 76 miles long and plunges 1,200 feet into the depths of the bay. Its immense beauty and phenomenal blue hues are enchanting, even from afar. But it's when your cruise ship draws closer that its towering surface really impresses, dwarfing even the uppermost deck on your ship at a whopping 40 stories high. There, with the snowcapped mountains serving as a glorious backdrop, you'll have a prime viewing spot from which to witness the glacier calving, as it often expels icebergs the size of 10-story buildings-imagine the splash! The area around Hubbard Glacier is also renowned for its wildlife, where whales, harbor seals and otters swim, brown bears, moose and black-tailed deer roam ashore, and a wide variety of seabirds soar gracefully across the sky.

382 cruises

Patmos

Greece · Mediterranean

This small island in the Dodecanese enjoys a singular honor. In 1981 the Greek Parliament passed a special resolution designating Patmos a "Sacred Island." For rocky and barren Patmos claims one of the holiest spots in Christendom: the Grotto of the Revelation. Exiled from Ephesus in 95 A.D., St. John retired to Patmos spending 18 months in a cave. There he received the visions that resulted in Revelation, the last Book of the New Testament. Travelers can still view the saint's Grotto and climb the path to the 11th-century monastery of St. John the Theologian. Patmos occupies a place in classical mythology as well. Orestes fled to Patmos to escape the Furies after avenging the murder of his father Agamemnon.

382 cruises

Ushuaia, Argentina

South America

Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego and the province’s main tourist hub, is located at the southern end of Isla Grande. Boasting a spectacular location, sandwiched between the mountains – including Cerro Martial and Mount Olivia – and the sea, Ushuaia extends down the hill towards the arm of land that surrounds the Bay, where the ship will stop during your MSC WorldCruise. The city is protected from the icy Southwest winds and occasional storms that occur in the Beagle Channel. Interesting excursions include the small islands in the middle of the channel in front of the city, with their colonies of seabirds, and the nearby Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia is the most populous and popular city in Tierra del Fuego, and depends largely on the thriving tourism industry, which capitalises on the beauty of the area’s natural landscapes. Overlooking the sea is the Antigua Casa de Gobierno, a late-20th century building that was originally the Governor's mansion before being used by the local government and then as a police station. It has been restored so as to return it to its original use, so you can get an idea of how the rich lived in Ushuaia at the dawn of the city. The Fin del Mundo Museum houses exhibitions that focus on the region’s history and wildlife, as well as the polychrome figurehead of the Duchess of Albany, an English ship wrecked on the eastern end of the island in 1883. The Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, 12 km west of Ushuaia, is 630 sq. km of rugged mountains, sinuous lakes, southern beech forests, marshy bogs, sub-Antarctic tundra and lush coasts. It extends along the border with Chile, from the Beagle Channel to Sierra Inju-Goiyin, north of the huge Lake Fagnano, which you can also visit on an MSC Cruise day trip, combined with Lake Escondido. This is just one of the fantastic destinations of our cruise around the world: MSC World Cruise 2020!

382 cruises

Kochi, Japan

Asia

An MSC cruise will take you to Kochi, situated in the prefecture of the same name, on the island of Shikoku. You can visit Kochi castle on an excursion; it is one of the twelve Japanese castles to have survived fires, wars and other catastrophes of the post-feudal age. It was built between 1601 and 1611. What you can see of the building today however, dates back to 1748, the year in which the castle was rebuilt after a fire. Curiosity: its main tower was not used only for military purposes, but it was also the residence of noble families. Quite unusual, since the nobility would usually reside in other parts of the castle. The wooden interior is typical of the traditional style of the Edo period. Near Kochi harbour is the picturesque beach of Katsurahama. In the local restaurants you can eat Katsuo, a type of tuna which is typical to Japanese waters, cut into slices and lightly grilled on straw fuelled fire which gives it a slightly smoky flavour. Seventy kilometres from Kochi there is an unusual tourist attraction, the ancient Kazurabashi Bridge, 45 meters wide and 2 metres wide, it stretches 14 metres above the waters of the river Iya. Today, the bridge – which is made from Actinidia arguta wood, a kind of vine similar to a kiwi plant – is reinforced with steel wires. It should not be missed for the surrounding landscape and the brief but thrilling walk it offers. Closer to Kochi is the wonderful Oboke gorge: we cross the river Yoshino on a boat and marvel at how over hundreds of millions of years the river has eroded the rocks of the Shikoku mountains shaping the stone into bizarre shapes.

379 cruises

Mahon, Spain

Mediterranean

Mahon is the capital of Menorca, second largest of the Balearic Islands. It stands out from the others because of the abundance of prehistoric structures, and because its culture was influenced by British occupation in the 18th century. The people who built the prehistoric constructions are believed to have been responsible for similar works in Sardinia, and for Stonehenge in England. Believed to have been founded by the Carthaginian General Mago, Mahon was held by the Moors from the 8th to the 13th century and in turn occupied by the English, the French and the Spanish. Mahon was finally ceded to Spain by the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.

379 cruises

Osijek

Mediterranean

Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 108,048 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja County.

379 cruises