Port guides

Arbanasi

Mediterranean

Arbanasi is a village in Veliko Tarnovo Municipality, Veliko Tarnovo Province of central northern Bulgaria, set on a high plateau between the larger towns of Veliko Tarnovo and Gorna Oryahovitsa.

55 cruises

Kos

Greece · Mediterranean

Just a stone’s throw from the coast of Turkey, Kos is a lush destination with plenty of history. Perhaps most famous as the birthplace of Hippocrates, since the early days of civilization this tiny island has welcomed intellectuals, scholars, and fellow world travelers seeking a little rest and relaxation. Head to the center of Kos town (founded in 366 BC) and visit the Hippocratic Museum to learn more about the father of western medicine. Then just keep on walking because this old town is a pedestrian’s dream: car-free streets filled with interesting shops that offer everything from jewelry and ceramics to paintings and intricately embroidered tablecloths. Wander through the central market to pick up bottles of authentic olive oil, thyme-honey, and local produce like figs, grapes, and almonds.

53 cruises

Ruse

Bulgaria · Mediterranean

Ruse, is the fifth largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, approximately 75 km south of Bucharest, Romania's capital, 200 km from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and 300 km from the capital Sofia.

53 cruises

Delos

Greece · Mediterranean

Delos is a Greek island and archaeological site in the Aegean Sea's Cyclades archipelago, near Mykonos. The mythological birthplace of Apollo, it was a major religious center and port during the 1st millennium B.C. The island's ruins encompass Doric temples, markets, an amphitheater, houses with mosaics and the iconic Terrace of the Lions statues. The Archaeological Museum displays statues excavated from the site.

52 cruises

Cephalonia

Mediterranean

An authentic, rugged and definitely non-touristy Greek island community, Cephalonia’s unspoilt and timeless allure is a wonderful setting for a true love story – including Captain Corelli's Mandolin. The largest of the Ionian islands, Cephalonia is home to just 30,000 residents, living mainly in the coastal towns and resorts. Others live much as they have done for centuries, in remote mountain villages.

51 cruises

Medoc

Mediterranean

Médoc is an AOC for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary that covers the northern section of the viticultural strip along the Médoc peninsula. The zone is sometimes called Bas-Médoc, though this term is not permitted on any label.

46 cruises

Syracuse,Italy

Mediterranean

A journey through culture and art. With an MSC Cruise you will immerse yourself in one of the most fascinating and historical regions in Italy. Welcome to Sicily: in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by crystal clear waters, this magical and welcoming land preserves traces of ancient civilizations. With a hike in the Val di Noto, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, you will be able to fully enjoy the sicilian baroque, on the trail of “Commissioner Montalbano”, the famous character created by the author Andrea Camilleri. Passing through Ragusa Ibla, the ancient historical center of Ragusa, with its numerous churches and many buildings of times gone by, continuing to Scicli, where you will be able to admire the Byzantine settlements in the area of Chiafura, to finally arrive in Modica, famous not only for the delicious chocolate of Aztec origin but also for the artistic value of its buildings. Moving on to Syracuse, you will reach the island of Ortygia, the old town, connected to the mainland by the Umbertino bridge. Here, great civilizations have come and gone: from the Greeks and Phoenicians to the Romans, from the Arabs to the Byzantines, to the Normans and the Aragonese. To experience life in this city to the full you shouldn't miss a visit to the market: lose yourself among the stalls, where the sellers of fish, meat, fruits and vegetables are all proposing their goods with the typical vanniate, screams/rhymes in the local dialect. Or take an excursion to the archeological Park of Syracuse. In this site you will be able to admire, among other things, relics of Greco-Roman eras, like the Greek Theatre of the V century BC, where the playwright Aeschylus staged The Women of Aetna in 476 BC; The ear of Dionysus, 23 meter high artificial cave; the Roman Amphitheatre, carved into the rock and among the largest in Sicily; and the Ara of Ierone, the altar that was originally about 198 meters long and over 20 wide.

46 cruises

Bonifacio

Corsica · Mediterranean

Beloved by the French, yet still relatively undiscovered by the rest of the world, the French island of Corsica is a gem. And right at its southern tip lies Bonifacio, a medieval town known as the “the city of sentinels”. Closer to Rome than Paris (and less than an hour’s ferry ride to Sardinia), Bonifacio remains one of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets. The first thing you should know is that Bonifacio is stunning. And by that, we mean, awe-inspiringly beautiful. The town itself is worthy of a painting – a long, hilltop town that snakes over milky white limestone cliffs that stretch for 70 kilometres. The turquoise blue seas that lap at the foot of these are both warm and clear, and a joy for bathers of all ages. Although the cliffs have proved perilous to sailors in the past - Bonifacio counts the wreckage of the French Navy’s 1855 ship Semillante among its most visited diving sites and top tourist attractions. It is also here, in the harbour, that scholars place the catastrophic encounter between Ulysses's fleet and the Laestrygonians, who hurled lethal boulders down from the cliffs. The proximity of nearby Sardinia is everywhere. The islands were once joined before volcanic activity tore them apart, and much of the local dialect – still prevalently used particularly in the back country – is heavily influenced by Italian. This is also true for the local cuisine; think large plates of thinly sliced charcuterie and stuffed pasta filled with creamy local brocciu, a cheese similar to ricotta.

45 cruises

Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, Spain

Mediterranean

The Straits of Gibraltar separate Ceuta from European Spain. Ceuta is an ancient city - it has been continuously inhabited since its founding by Carthage in the 5th century B.C. Over the millennia, Ceuta has been ruled by Carthage, Rome, the Moorish Kingdom of Granada, Portugal and, since 1580, Spain. From 1912 until 1959, the city was also the capital of Spanish Morocco, a colonial protectorate created when France and Spain divided that kingdom during the "Morocco Crisis" of 1912. Generalisimo Francisco Franco launched the Spanish Civil War from Ceuta in 1936. Today, Ceuta boasts an easy-going charm and a cosmopolitan mix of cultures. The city is also a gateway for Morocco proper and the dramatic landscape of the Rif Mountains.

45 cruises

Reggio Di Calabria

Mediterranean

43 cruises

Igoumenitsa

Greece · Mediterranean

Igoumenitsa, is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia. Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece, connecting northwestern Mainland Greece with the Ionian Islands and Italy.

42 cruises

Portovenere

Italy · Mediterranean

The Gulf of La Spezia has been so frequent a subject for poets over the years - from Dante and Petrarch to Byron and Shelley - that it is often referred to as the Golfo dei Poeti. The elongated yellow and orange houses, which line the harbor stretch up the steep slope toward ancient battlements beyond. Mentioned as a landing place in Claudius Ptolemy's "General Geography" (150 AD), today Portovenere is a resort with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

41 cruises

Rab

Croatia · Mediterranean

Rab is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It’s known for the old town of the same name, encircled by ancient walls. The town’s 4 prominent church bell towers include the Romanesque tower at the Cathedral Svete Marije (St. Mary) and the tower at the ruins of Sveti Ivan Church (St. John the Evangelist). The monastery at the 16th-century Church of St. Justine (Crkva Svete Justine) is now a museum of sacral objects.

41 cruises

Cesme

Turkey · Mediterranean

Çeşme (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈtʃeʃme]) is a coastal town and the administrative centre of the district of the same name in Turkey's westernmost end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula that also carries the same name and that extends inland to form a whole with the wider Karaburun Peninsula. It is a popular holiday resort and the district center, where two thirds of the district population is concentrated. Çeşme is located 85 km west of İzmir, the largest metropolitan center in Turkey's Aegean Region. There is a six-lane highway connecting the two cities (Otoyol 32). Çeşme district has two neighboring districts, Karaburun to the north and Urla to the east, both of which are also part of İzmir Province. The name "Çeşme" means "fountain" and possibly draws reference from the many Ottoman fountains that are scattered across the city.

40 cruises

Gallipoli

Italy · Mediterranean

Kalè polis, meaning beautiful city, is the name ancient Greek mariners bestowed on Gallipoli, with good reason. Situated on a mound, the Old Town with its labyrinth of winding lanes, emerges from the Ionian Sea. It is connected to the mainland and modern Gallipoli via a 17th-century bridge. The area lies on the Salentina Peninsula in the extreme southeast end of Italy, commonly referred to as the heel of the boot. The Salento region was inhabited already in prehistoric times; later centuries were marked by Greek, Norman, Byzantine and Baroque cultures. It is a land of farms, castles, works of art, myths and legends. Many heroic battles were fought; fierce resistance was shown by Gallipoli's citizens against numerous invaders that included Romans, Vandals, Swabians, Venetians, French and lastly the English in 1809.

40 cruises

Parga

Greece · Mediterranean

In the heart of a sheltered cove on the north western shores of Greece in the Epirus province, Parga was Venetian from the 15th to the end of the 18th century. During that period it belonged to Ali Pacha, a high official of Soliman the Magnificent. Its imposing Venetian citadel built on a steep rocky promontory dominates the town, the port and the sweet smelling pines which surround it. Today it is a lovely seaside resort.

38 cruises

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Mediterranean

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine, an Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France.

37 cruises

Roses, Spain

Mediterranean

Founded by Greeks in the pre-Christian era, the Catalan town is set on a lovely curve of beaches on Spain’s Costa Brava. It is crowned by the Castell de la Trinitat, which anchored the wall that encircled the entire town in medieval times. It was the site, until 2011, of Ferran Adria’s Michelin three-star restaurant El Bulli, which will reportedly reopen in 2014 as a culinary creativity center. Shop for a souvenir from the back of a street hawker’s donkey, or wander to nearby Figueres or Cadaques to visit one of Salvador Dali’s museums.

37 cruises

Hydra

Greece · Mediterranean

When you disembark at the picture-perfect, crescent-shaped harbor on your Hydra cruise, the first thing you’ll notice is the serenity and intense quiet. Cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles are not permitted on the island, making it an ideal setting for quiet relaxation and peaceful respite during a European cruise. Make no mistake—quiet is by no means boring. The island’s romantic and rustic beauty regularly attracts celebrities, artists, and writers. Twice each year, the Hydra Nautical Club hosts regattas that bring sailboats and yachts to the harbor and add an extra touch of glamour to the island. Each summer, the DESTE Foundation hosts a series of contemporary art exhibitions, including a special exhibition by an artist or team. On a cruise to Hydra, you can’t help but be captivated by its natural beauty, like its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters quietly lapping at the shores, and the Peloponnese Mountains as a constant backdrop. As you walk Hydra Town, you’ll be charmed by streets lined with bougainvillea, the neoclassical architecture of old manor houses and mansions, and churches both humble and ornate.

36 cruises

Cognac

Mediterranean

Cognac

34 cruises

Tunis

Tunisia · Mediterranean

Tunisia's capital lies at the western end of the shallow Lake Tunis, which opens to the sea at La Goulette. This is the first of a string of beach suburbs that stretches away to the north; it is here that the city's port is located. This coastal area includes the ruins of ancient Carthage and the picturesque suburb of Sidi Bou Said, places that attract more visitors than Tunis itself. As far as capital cities go, Tunis has an easy-going, unhurried air about it. View less It is a very liberal city by Islamic standards and certainly leading the way in Western trends for the rest of the country. In Tunisia, the struggle for independence didn't take the violent course that it did in Algeria. Ruler Ahmed Bey, who governed from 1837 to 1855, encouraged Westernization and brought in military and other advisors to this end. In 1861, during the reign of Mohammed Sadiq, a constitution - the first in the Arab world - was proclaimed. Until the time of the French protectorate, the medina was very much the center of things. Then, under the French influence, the ville nouvelle (new city) emerged with its major banks, department stores, and administrative services. The main focus of ville nouvelle is the wide, tree-lined Avenue Habib Bourguiba. At its western end, this major thoroughfare becomes the Avenue de France, terminating in the Place de la Victoire and the entrance to the medina.

34 cruises

Sardinia/Porto Cervo

Mediterranean

You’re in luck—we happen to think the best way to arrive in Cagliari is by sea. (Not that we’re biased or anything!) This way you get to witness to full specter of this colorful city rising haphazardly from the sea, cresting with a rocky centerpiece better known as Il Castello. The capital of Sardinia, Cagliari boats over 25 centuries of history to explore in the form of Roman ruins, museums, churches, and numerous galleries.

33 cruises

Zakynthos, Greece

Mediterranean

A favorite of the Venetians during their three centuries of rule, Zakinthos today is increasingly popular with pleasure-seekers from throughout the world. Although virtually destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1953, the town was painstakingly rebuilt stone by stone by its citizens, who remain fiercely proud of their island and its history. Explore Solomos Square and the fascinating Museum of Post-Byzantine Art with its fine collection of templos, carved, gilded icon screens. Shoppers will find no shortage of boutiques, particularly around St. Mark's Square. Above it all stands the ancient castle, complete with fortified walls, which once provided safety to the Medieval population. The views are excellent. Special Note: October 28 is a national holiday in Greece.

33 cruises

Cinque Terre

Mediterranean

Head out of town and discover the five stunning, colorful towns clinging to the cliffs along the coast. Hike along the trail connecting them or take a boat tour and see them from the water as ancient seafarers did. Go ashore and explore a picturesque town and its castle. Or visit intriguing Portovenere, another colorful town rising above one end of La Spezia's harbor with breathtaking views and the lovely Church of San Pietro.

32 cruises