9 nights Eastern Mediterranean from Trieste (Venice) Cruise

Day 1 - Venice (Trieste)

Arrive: Tue 01 August 2028 / Depart: Tue 01 August 2028 at 19:00

Day 2 - Split

Arrive: Wed 02 August 2028 at 09:00 / Depart: Wed 02 August 2028 at 18:00

With its seafront cafés and ancient alleyways, shouting stallholders and travellers on the move, bustling, exuberant Split is one of Croatia’s and the Mediterranean’s most compelling cities, it’s easy to see this feeling when you step aground from your MSC cruise. It has a unique historical heritage too, having grown out of the palace built here by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 295AD. The palace remains Split’s central ingredient, having been gradually transformed into a warren of houses, tenements, churches and chapels by the various peoples who came to live here after Diocletian’s successors had departed. Adapted long ago to serve as Split’s town centre, Diocletian’s Palace is certainly not an archaeological “site”. Although set-piece buildings such as Diocletian’s mausoleum (now the cathedral) and the Temple of Jupiter (now a baptistery) still remain, other aspects of the palace have been tinkered with so much by successive generations that it is no longer recognizable as an ancient Roman structure. Best place to start exploring with an MSC excursion the seaward side of the palace is Split’s broad and lively Riva. Running along the palace’s southern facade, into which shops, cafés and a warren of tiny flats have been built, the Riva is where a large part of the city’s population congregates day and night to meet friends, catch up on gossip or idle away an hour or two in a café. Nearly everything worth seeing in Split is concentrated in the compact Old Town behind the waterfront Riva, made up in part of the various remains and conversions of Diocletian’s Palace itself, and the medieval additions to the west of it. You can walk across this area in about ten minutes, although it would take a lifetime to explore all its nooks and crannies.

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Athens

Arrive: Fri 04 August 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 04 August 2028 at 18:00

From 2021, the city of Piraeus, one of the oldest ports in the world, will join the list of ports visited by MSC Mediterranean Cruises. Guests will be introduced to the treasures of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean. Piraeus, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, has been the port of Athens since ancient times. It’s a city filled with incredible wonders including Mikrolimano Bay, Agia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity), and the Archaeological Museum. Nowadays, Piraeus is a bustling centre with attractive waterfront cafés and restaurants, making it an ideal stop in the Mediterranean. Use it as a stepping stone to see the Acropolis and greater Athens.

Day 5 - Kusadasi

Arrive: Sat 05 August 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 05 August 2028 at 14:00

Ku?adas? is a beach resort town on Turkey’s western Aegean coast. A jumping-off point for visiting the classical ruins at nearby Ephesus, it’s also a major cruise ship destination. Its seafront promenade, marina, and harbor are lined with hotels and restaurants. Just offshore on Pigeon Island is a walled Byzantine castle that once guarded the town, connected to the mainland via causeway.

Day 6 - Istanbul

Arrive: Sun 06 August 2028 at 10:00 / Depart: Sun 06 August 2028 at 23:00

A shore excursion on your MSC Mediterranean cruise can be the opportunity to discover ?stanbul which stands astride two continents, Europe and Asia. As if its spectacular geographical location were not enough, it can also boast of being the only city to have played capital to consecutive Christian and Islamic empires, a role that has shaped the region’s history for more than 2500 years and bequeathed to ?stanbul a staggering wealth of attractions. Most cruise visitors spend all their holiday time in Sultanahmet, home to ?stanbul’s main sightseeing attractions: the church of Aya Sofya, the greatest legacy of the Byzantine Empire; the Topkap? Palace, heart of the Ottoman Empire; and the massive Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque). Here also are the ancient Hippodrome, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (housed in the former Palace of ?brahim Pa?a), the eerily lit Yerebatan Sarn?c?, a fascinating Byzantine underground cistern, and the Grand Bazaar (Kapal? Çar??), the largest covered bazaar in the world. The monumental architecture, attractive parks and gardens, street-side cafés, and the benefits of a relatively traffic-free main road combine to make this area pleasant for both sightseeing and staying on an MSC Mediterranean cruise excursion. ?stanbul’s Ottoman-era Grand Bazaar gets more than its fair share of souvenir-hungry visitors. The area around it, however, is relatively little explored, which is a shame as it holds some very worthwhile attractions, from the historic Cembirlita? Hamam?, one of the best Turkish baths in the country, to the city’s very best mosque, the hilltop Süleymaniye Camii. The best single reason to head across to the Asian shore of the city is to experience a Bosphorus cruise. The views from the Bosphorus are superb, with domes and minarets dominating the skyline of the Old City, and skyscrapers the business districts beyond Beyo?lu.

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Corfu

Arrive: Tue 08 August 2028 at 14:00 / Depart: Tue 08 August 2028 at 21:00

The resort island of Corfu, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, is renowned for its rocky mountains, beautiful beaches, and utterly romantic atmosphere. It’s capital city, also named Corfu, is one of the ancient jewels of Greece. Here you’ll find a Venetian fortress and a UNESCO World Heritage old town boasting winding lanes, bustling bars, towering houses, and heavenly gardens. Discover ancient remains from eras past, scattered throughout the island.

Day 9 - Bari

Arrive: Wed 09 August 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 09 August 2028 at 14:00

The Italian port city of Bari, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, lies on the coast of the archaeologically-rich Apulia region. This ancient town offers a remarkable mix of old and new, with historical churches, castles and piazzas positioned near modern galleries, shops, and museums. Further afield, discover an abundance of natural wonders including UNESCO World Heritage site caves. With its breathtaking beaches and world-class restaurants, Bari is a memorable seaside destination.

Day 10 - Venice (Trieste)

Arrive: Thu 10 August 2028 at 09:00 / Depart: Thu 10 August 2028