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Spain & France Cruise

  • Departure DateSat 25th Jun 2022
  • MSC Cruises MSC Virtuosa
  • 7 Night Cruise From Southampton
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Itinerary

  • Southampton
  • La Rochelle
  • Bilbao
  • La Coruna
  • Paris
  • Southampton

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Day 1 - Southampton

Arrive: Sat 25 June 2022 / Depart: Sat 25 June 2022 at 18:00

Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus. Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls. Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London. For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - La Rochelle

Arrive: Mon 27 June 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 27 June 2022 at 17:00

La Rochelle on France's Atlantic coast is a modern city with a turbulent wartime history.

Day 4 - Bilbao

Arrive: Tue 28 June 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 28 June 2022 at 18:00

Bilbao is one of Spain's hidden gems. This wonderful Basque city will surprise you with its cultural heritage, fine food and go-ahead attitude.

Day 5 - La Coruna

Arrive: Wed 29 June 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 29 June 2022 at 18:00

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.

Day 6 - At Sea

Day 7 - Paris

Arrive: Fri 01 July 2022 / Depart: Fri 01 July 2022 at 19:00

As you sail on your MSC cruise to France, you’ll come to Le Havre, the country’s second-largest port, which takes up half the Seine estuary. However, the town itself, home to almost 200,000 people, is a place of pilgrimage for fans of contemporary architecture. Le Havre – “The Harbour” – is the principal trading post of northern France and a port of call of our MSC Northern Europe cruises. Following its near-destruction during World War II, Le Havre was rebuilt by a single architect, Auguste Perret, between 1946 and 1964. The sheer sense of space can be exhilarating: the showpiece monuments have a winning self-confidence, and the few surviving relics of the old city have been sensitively integrated into the whole. While the endless mundane residential blocks can be dispiriting, even those visitors who fail to agree with Perret’s famous dictum that “concrete is beautiful” may enjoy a stroll around his city. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise can also be the opportunity to discover Rouen, the capital of Upper Normandy, one of France’s most ancient cities. Standing on the site of Rotomagus, built by the Romans at the lowest point where they could bridge the Seine, it was laid out by Rollo, the first duke of Normandy, in 911. Captured by the English in 1419, it became the stage in 1431 for the trial and execution of Joan of Arc, before returning to French control in 1449. Rouen today can be very seductive, its lively and bustling centre well equipped with impressive churches and museums. North of the Seine at any rate, it’s a real pleasure to explore. As well as some great sights – Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, all the delightful twisting streets of timbered houses – there’s history aplenty too, most notably the links with Joan of Arc.

Day 8 - Southampton

Arrive: Sat 02 July 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 02 July 2022

Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus. Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls. Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London. For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.

MSC Virtuosa From MSC Cruises

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.

Ship Cabins

Interior Bella

Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Studio Interior FANTASTICA

Relaxing armchair Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Deluxe Ocean View FANTASTICA

Window with sea view Relaxing armchair Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Junior Ocean View with obstructed view FANTASTICA

Window with sea view Relaxing armchair Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Ocean View Bella

Ocean View Bella

Balcony Aurea

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Balcony Bella

Balcony Bella

Deluxe Balcony With Partial View FANTASTICA

Surface 17 sqm, balcony 6 sqm, deck 8-14. Sitting area with sofa. Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area with hairdryer. Comfortable double or single beds (on request). Interactive TV, telephone, Wifi connection available (for a fee), safe and minibar. ZOE - in-cabin Bluetooth speaker.

Studio Balcony FANTASTICA

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Grand Suite Aurea with Terrace and Whirlpool

Large balcony with a private whirlpool bath Walk-in closet Sitting area with double sofa bed Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Comfortable double or single beds (on request) Spacious wardrobe Bathroom with shower or bathtub , vanity area with hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, Wifi connection included, safe and minibar Surface approx. 28 sq.m.

MSC Yacht Club Duplex Suite with Jacuzzi

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Spacious closet Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Complimentary Wi-Fi

Premium Suite Aurea

Balcony Spacious closet Bathroom with bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available Accommodates up to 6 guests

Premium Suite Aurea with Terrace and Whirlpool

Large balcony with a private whirlpool bath Walk-in closet Sitting area with double sofa bed Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available
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