MSC Cruises was one of the pioneering shipping companies to offer cruises from Venice sailing through the Adriatic and the Aegean.
Article from CruisesNews magazine, issue 47 – December 2018
In the summer of 2000, the Rhapsody began offering round-trip cruises every Saturday from Venice between May and September. In addition to Venice, the ship called at Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Rhodes, and Dubrovnik, with a day at sea. Since then, MSC Cruises has become the undisputed leader in this destination, innovating the experience with new features such as embarkation from Bari and calls at ports in Albania.
This coming summer, MSC Cruises will deploy five ships to the Aegean Sea, as it did in 2018, visiting ports from Croatia to Greece, including Montenegro and Albania. These five ships represent MSC Cruises' largest deployment to any single destination, surpassing Northern Europe and the Western Mediterranean, which each have four ships, or the Caribbean.
In the future, MSC Cruises' acquisition of a stake in the Trieste terminal will bring new itineraries and larger ships to this destination.
Lirica
was the first cruise ship commissioned by MSC Cruises in 2003. It was later lengthened in 2015 as part of the Renaissance program. It has a gross tonnage of 65,591 and carries 1,984 passengers served by a crew of 720. It offers five restaurants, eight bars, and other amenities.
Its first season from Venice was in 2004, and the 2019 season will be its fifth in the Adriatic. It is the ideal ship for this destination, thanks to its size, comfort, and facilities.
After its winter season in the Persian Gulf, the ship will begin its cruises in the Capital of Canals on April 4th, with a four-night cruise to the Dalmatian Coast, followed by another five-night cruise. On Saturday, April 13th, the MSC Lirica's regular season begins with an attractive seven-night itinerary with stops in Bari, where passengers can also embark, three Greek ports (Olympia, Mykonos, and Piraeus), and then visits to Sarandí, Albania, and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The MSC Lirica offers an itinerary with three attractive Greek ports (Olympia, Mykonos and Piraeus).
In mid-May, the itinerary will change to a unique one featuring the spectacular Greek islands of Santorini, Chania (Crete), and Argostili (Kefallinia), as well as the Croatian port of Split. MSC Cruises offers the option to complete the trip in Venice with two nights' hotel accommodation in the city of canals. Flights and transfers are also included.
The MSC Lirica concludes the season in Venice with two twelve-night round-trip voyages to the Holy Land, Cyprus, and Rhodes, with several stops in the Adriatic, before returning to Dubai on a twenty-night Grand Voyage departing on November 21, 2019.
MSC Musica
became MSC Cruises' first Panamax ship in 2006. It has a maximum capacity of 3,013 passengers, served by a crew of 987. It has a gross tonnage of 89,600 GT and a length of 294 meters.
It is one of the fastest ships in the current cruise fleet, capable of a sustained speed of 23 knots.
The MSC Musica has a long-standing connection to the Adriatic. It was christened in the City of Canals in 2006. 2019 will mark its tenth season sailing the Adriatic and Aegean, always offering seven-night cruises. It has only missed its Eastern Mediterranean itinerary in 2007, 2013, 2014, and 2016.
In its inaugural season in 2006, it offered one of the most attractive cruise itineraries, departing from Venice on a Saturday and visiting the Turkish ports of Izmir and Istanbul. Unfortunately, political circumstances currently prevent a repeat of that route, but instead, in 2019, after returning from South Africa, it will offer twenty-one departures with stops in Brindisi, Katakolon, Mykonos, Piraeus, Sarandé, and Dubrovnik. Its final cruise will depart from Venice on October 5, 2019, before crossing the Atlantic to Argentina.
Opera
has led a dual life in recent years: the vibrant Caribbean scene from Havana in the winters, and the glamour and classic history of the Mediterranean in the summers. It first sailed the Adriatic in 2005, but has since been primarily deployed to other seas, spending only four summers in the Eastern Mediterranean: 2005, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
Delivered in 2004 and lengthened in 2015 as part of the Renaissance program, it has a maximum capacity of approximately 2,600 passengers, served by a crew of 730. It has a gross tonnage of 65,591 and a length of 275 meters. It offers four restaurants and eight bars, as well as a spacious outdoor deck with two swimming pools.
The MSC Opera, from the Lirica series, will also be based in Venice next summer season. After completing its winter season in Cuba, the MSC Opera will arrive in Venice on April 19, where it will offer a nine-night cruise to Kotor, Split, Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, and Bari. The first regular seven-night cruise will begin on April 28, with the MSC Opera offering twenty-seven departures every Sunday from the City of Canals, calling at Kotor, the three popular Greek islands of Mykonos, Santorini, and Corfu, and Bari. The season will conclude with two four-night cruises to Kotor, Dubrovnik, and Zadar from Venice, before the ship returns to Havana.
Magnifica
has 16 decks, 13 of which are for passengers. It offers more than 1,200 cabins and can accommodate up to 2,518 passengers. It features two main restaurants and an additional charge for an Asian specialty restaurant, the Oriental Plaza. There are also eleven bars and lounges for enjoying refreshments throughout the day. The MSC Aurea Spa offers a wide range of massages and beauty treatments, as well as a sauna, a Turkish bath, a thalassotherapy room, and a relaxation area.
The entire MSC East Atlantic Cruises fleet, except for the MSC Musica, offers stops in Santorini in 2019. It is the star destination of the year.
The MSC Magnifica was delivered in 2010 and is the fourth and final ship of the Musica class. Unlike its three sister ships, it features a swimming pool with a retractable glass roof, making it ideally suited for cruises in latitudes with humid climates. It debuted in the Adriatic the year of its delivery, offering seven-night round-trip cruises from Venice and Bari with stops in Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul, and Dubrovnik. In 2011, it offered the same itinerary, and during the winters of 2010-11 and 2011-12, it was also based in Venice, offering longer cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean, utilizing the pool's retractable roof. In the summers of 2015 and 2016, it returned to Venice, offering week-long cruises to Istanbul, before being deployed to other destinations in the following two years.
The MSC Magnifica is a sort of Marco Polo in the MSC Cruises fleet. It's either based in Venice offering Adriatic cruises in summer and autumn, or it's sailing all the world's oceans on its annual round-the-world cruise.
The MSC Magnifica and MSC Musica offer seven-night itineraries with daily stops.
The MSC Magnifica will begin 2019 with a 118-night World Cruise departing from Civitavecchia. On May 19th, it will embark on its first cruise from Venice, with stops in Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Piraeus, Corfu, Kotor, and back to Venice. Its powerful propulsion system allows for extended stops each day, without requiring full sailing days. It will offer the longest season of any ship, with a total of 29 departures, running through December 1st.
The twin ships MSC Musica and MSC Magnifica offer extensive stops in Piraeus.
In 2020, after another round-the-world cruise, it will be based in Venice again for almost eight months, offering 28 departures from the City of Canals.
Sinfonia
was delivered in 2002 and lengthened in 2015, like its sister ships in the Lirica series. It has a maximum capacity of 2,679 passengers, served by a crew of 720. It has a gross tonnage of 65,542 GT and a length of 275 meters. It features two restaurants, a buffet, a grill, and nine bars and lounges. There are also two swimming pools and two jacuzzis.
It first arrived in the Adriatic in the summer of 2016 and will remain there until at least 2020, marking five consecutive seasons. After a winter offering extended cruises from Genoa, the MSC Sinfonia will offer its inaugural cruise from Venice on Saturday, May 18, 2019, with a one-day itinerary including stops in Split, Mykonos, and Santorini, and a two-day cruise to Dubrovnik. In autumn, the Mykonos stop will be replaced by the Albanian port of Sarande. In 2020, the MSC Sinfonia will resume its itinerary from Venice.
The Adriatic is the second most important cruise region in the Mediterranean.
PIRAEUS. Athens was the epicenter of the classical world in the 4th and 5th centuries BC, and much of its rich history and culture has survived to this day. The city's main must-see is the Acropolis, visible from almost anywhere in Athens. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Acropolis Museum is another essential stop on any visit to Athens.
The picturesque Plaka district is another must-see in Athens. This neighborhood, the oldest in the city, still retains the charm of traditional Greece with its narrow streets. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, which still boasts 15 of its 104 impressive Corinthian columns; the Turkish-influenced Monastiraki district with its souk-style markets; and the Agora are just some of the many other attractions of the Greek capital.
VENICE. Venice is the icon of the Adriatic, with its canals and gondolas, and its buildings built over the lagoon. It is also the quintessential port of embarkation for the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. As in the days of the Orient Express, Venice is one of the most romantic cities in the world, with picturesque landscapes and monuments on every corner. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. From the Grand Canal to the Doge's Palace in St. Mark's Square, every canal, bridge, and building seems like an architectural icon.
How could you not buy a mask on the Rialto Bridge, or take a gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs? Or ride a vaporetto through Venice, or even visit Murano, where artisans have been blowing glass for centuries, or Burano, another island famous for its lace.
DUBROVNIK. Dubrovnik, the capital of the Dalmatian coast, is one of the most popular destinations on the Adriatic and rivals Venice in tourist stopovers. But despite its Venetian past, the two cities couldn't be more different. Its defining feature is its impressive 12th-century city walls, which have made it one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval cities in the world.
Dubrovnik is filled with picturesque bazaars and markets, Baroque churches, museums, palaces, and monasteries. Walking along its walls is like stepping back in time, perhaps even stepping into a scene from Game of Thrones, and strolling through its streets, paved with stones polished smooth by centuries of use, is a true privilege.
The best views of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic are from the summit of Mount Srd, accessible by cable car or car. The panorama is spectacular.
Venice is MSC's home port in the Eastern Mediterranean, along with Bari. MSC Cruises offers departures from Venice on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
KOTOR. Kotor combines the fjord landscape with the grandeur of the Mediterranean. After sailing through the bay, MSC Cruises ships dock in its walled city, sheltered by the fjord. In this cruise port, the ships dock right at the city gate, entering through the Place d'Armes (Arms Square).
Kotor was built between the 12th and 14th centuries under the rule of the Doges of Venice, but it flourished rapidly thanks to the activity of its merchants and sailors, who drove its economy.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, primarily for its historic center, an amalgamation of unique buildings, churches, and streets where the Middle Ages are palpable. Its walls climb the mountain and still retain almost all of their medieval elements: moats, towers, drawbridges, cisterns, etc. They have a perimeter of 4.5 km, and reach a height of 260 meters, where they close around the Fortress of St. Jovan at the top of the mountains surrounding Kotor.
SANTORINI. Santorini is one of the most attractive destinations for Aegean cruises. Its whitewashed houses clinging to the slopes of the volcanic caldera that forms its rugged landscape, its spectacular views, and the lively atmosphere of its bars, restaurants, and nightclubs have always captivated cruise passengers. Santorini is also the Greek island that inspired storytellers to imagine myths like that of Atlantis.
The very act of disembarking and ascending to Fira by donkey or cable car is, in itself, one of its greatest attractions. And to descend to the dock to return to the ship, there's nothing better than using the seemingly endless staircase to enjoy incredible views.
Santorini is a spectacular cruise port of call, and together with hundreds of sailboats anchored in its small coves at the foot of its steep slopes, it fills the natural anchorage formed by the sunken caldera of an ancient volcano. In addition, many artisans have settled on the island and established small shops selling handicrafts, jewelry, costume jewelry, and art.
One of the most spectacular typical activities in Santorini is watching the sunset in the village of Oia.
Adriatic
is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean in recent years. The latest available figures are from 2017.
That year, 4,447,033 cruise passengers visited the ports of this Mediterranean region, while the ships sailing its waters made 2,596 port calls, representing a slight decrease compared to 2016. This figure confirms the commitment of cruise lines to the destination, in a year in which the Mediterranean also showed its strongest growth in recent years.
One of the characteristics of the Adriatic destination is its seasonality, as the months between June and November account for almost 79% of total cruise traffic.
Kotor is the trendy destination in the Adriatic, which MSC Cruises will offer in 2019 on the itineraries of the MSC Opera and the MSC Magnifica.
The ports of the Adriatic are primarily transit ports, with two significant exceptions: Venice and Trieste, which have a higher percentage of turnaround passengers than transit passengers. The region has thirteen MedCruise member ports, making it the third most important in the region. However, it is the second most important MedCruise region in terms of cruise activity, receiving 17.2% of total passenger movements and 21.4% of total port calls in the Mediterranean.
In 2017, the Adriatic saw a 5% increase in cruise activity compared to 2010, although its year-on-year performance was not positive, as shown in the accompanying table.
Sea
, and specifically the Greek archipelagos such as the Cyclades, is a highly sought-after Mediterranean tourist destination, although the political situation in Turkey and the Middle East has significantly affected it. In 2017, 1,740,289 cruise passengers visited the Eastern Mediterranean (which includes the Greek archipelagos), with 1,141 ship calls.
The Aegean/Eastern Mediterranean destination is less seasonal than the Adriatic, as the months between June and November account for approximately 72% of total cruise traffic.
MSC Cruises offers departures from Bari on Saturdays and Mondays.
The Aegean ports, with the exception of Piraeus, are primarily transit ports. Only 480,901 passengers embarked in this region.
The Aegean has fifteen MedCruise member ports, making it the second most important region. However, it is the third most important MedCruise region in terms of cruise activity, receiving only 6.7% of total passenger movements and 9.4% of total port calls in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the ships calling at these ports are small, averaging 1,525 passengers per port call.
In 2017, the Eastern Mediterranean recorded 21.6% less cruise activity than in 2013.
Another characteristic of the Adriatic and Aegean is that the ships used by cruise lines are smaller than those employed in the Western Mediterranean. In the Adriatic, the average number of passengers per stop is 1,713, with a maximum of 3,064. And in the Aegean/Eastern Mediterranean, it is even lower, at 1,525 passengers per stop.
