MSC MAGNIFICA From North to South: Western European Coasts & 6 Countries
DAY 1 ISTANBUL AIRPORT – HAMBURG – WARNEMÜNDE
Following our meeting at Istanbul Airport International Departures Terminal at 04:30, we complete our check-in procedures and then depart for Hamburg at 07:00 on Turkish Airlines flight TK1661. After arriving in Hamburg at 09:10 local time, we transfer to our ship at the port of Warnemünde. After MSC MAGNIFICA check-in and baggage procedures, we settle into our cabins and then enjoy free time. After boarding the ship, our guide will hold a meeting introducing the ship and our tours; after that, you may enjoy the ship until dinner time. Our ship will depart from the port at 19:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 2 AT SEA
This day will be spent cruising at sea, and our ship will offer you many alternatives. Those who wish may benefit from the ship’s indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzis, and sunbathing areas. Guests who prefer may shop at duty-free stores, try their luck at the casino, or enjoy the various music and entertainment performances at the many bars. All day long, various dining options will also be waiting for you.
DAY 3 ROTTERDAM
Our ship will arrive at Rotterdam Port at 11:00 in the morning. After breakfast, free time for personal activities.
Guests who wish may join the “Rotterdam City Tour & The Hague Tour” organized as an extra by our guide. After arriving in Rotterdam, which was almost completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt between 1950 and 1970, and one of Europe’s largest port cities, we begin our city tour. Among the places to be seen are Erasmus Bridge, named after Desiderius Erasmus, one of the most important representatives of the Humanist movement, which connects the north and south banks of the Nieuwe Maas River; Euromast Tower; Hotel New York; Markthal; and the Cube Houses. After free time in Rotterdam, we head to The Hague (Den Haag), the administrative capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Upon arrival in this small and modern city, we begin our tour accompanied by our guide’s information and stop for photos in the square where the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are located. Return to our ship after the tour. Our ship will leave the port at 20:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 4 AT SEA
This day will be spent cruising at sea, and our ship will offer you many alternatives. Those who wish may benefit from the ship’s indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzis, and sunbathing areas. Guests who prefer may shop at duty-free stores, try their luck at the casino, or enjoy the various music and entertainment performances at the many bars. All day long, various dining options will also be waiting for you.
DAY 5 BREST
Our ship will arrive at Brest Port at 07:00 in the morning. After breakfast, free time for personal activities.
Guests who wish may join the “Brest Walking Tour & Locronan Medieval Tour” organized as an extra by our guide. After our ship docks at 07:00, we depart from Brest Port with our guests at 07:30 and begin our full-day tour. First, on our walking tour in downtown Brest, after a brief exterior visit to Château de Brest (the castle) and its surroundings, we cross to the other side via Pont de Recouvrance, then take a short city walk around Rue de Siam and Liberté Square. Afterward, we travel by private coach for about 45 minutes to Locronan, one of the most beautiful villages in France, where we explore its cobblestone streets, the historic square, Saint-Ronan Church, and small handicraft shops. On this tour, we offer a short but unforgettable Brittany experience combining city culture with a rural atmosphere. After the tour, we return to our ship. Our ship will depart at 15:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 6 BILBAO
Our ship will arrive at Bilbao Port at 11:00 in the morning. After breakfast, free time for personal activities and shopping.
Guests who wish may join the “Bilbao City Tour & San Sebastian Tour” organized as an extra by their guide. After disembarking, we head to Bilbao city center by private vehicle and begin our tour by discovering the cultural and architectural richness of this region. Our first stop will be a panoramic exterior visit to the Guggenheim Museum, one of the world’s most important contemporary art museums with its modern architecture; then, with a short walk along the Nervión River, we reach the Old Town (Casco Viejo), where we experience Bilbao’s traditional atmosphere through Arriaga Theatre, Santiago Cathedral, and historic streets. After some free time, we take an approximately 1-hour pleasant drive to San Sebastián, known as the pearl of the Basque Region, where we enjoy a coastal walk along La Concha Beach and admire the area from Monte Igueldo. After a short stroll in the old city center, we return to our ship. Our ship will depart at 20:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 7 AT SEA
This day will be spent cruising at sea, and our ship will offer you many alternatives. Those who wish may benefit from the ship’s indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzis, and sunbathing areas. Guests who prefer may shop at duty-free stores, try their luck at the casino, or enjoy the various music and entertainment performances at the many bars. All day long, various dining options will also be waiting for you.
DAY 8 LEIXÕES / PORTO
Our ship will arrive at Leixões / Porto Port at 07:00 in the morning. After breakfast, free time for personal activities and shopping.
Guests who wish may join the “Porto City Tour” organized as an extra by their guide. On today’s city tour, we will see Bento Station, Saint Francis Church, the Stock Exchange Palace, Porto Cathedral, historic wine cellars, Liberdade Square, Batalha Square, the Ribeira District, the city’s oldest and most typical settlement area, the Clérigos Tower, Santa Catarina, the city’s most famous shopping street, Dom Luís I Bridge, Arrábida Bridge, and Boa Vista, the city’s new and modern area. After the tour, we return to our ship. Our ship will depart at 18:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 9 AT SEA
This day will be spent cruising at sea, and our ship will offer you many alternatives. Those who wish may benefit from the ship’s indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzis, and sunbathing areas. Guests who prefer may shop at duty-free stores, try their luck at the casino, or enjoy the various music and entertainment performances at the many bars. All day long, various dining options will also be waiting for you.
DAY 10 MALAGA
Our ship will arrive at Malaga Port at 08:00 in the morning. After breakfast, free time for personal activities. After Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville, this is Spain’s fifth-largest city. With its magnificent sunshine, lively nightlife, delicious fish restaurants, and culturally rich historic sites, this rapidly growing city welcomes thousands of tourists every year as the jewel of Spain’s Andalusia region.
Guests who wish may join the “Malaga City Tour” organized as an extra by their guide. Malaga, the center of the Costa del Sol and Andalusia, is a special fusion where Arabic and Western cultures meet and shine. Gibralfaro Castle, the Cathedral, the Palace of the Umayyad Sultans, and Alameda Boulevard adorned with exotic trees make it no coincidence that this is one of Spain’s most touristy regions... Picasso did not choose to be born here for nothing... We will introduce you to this mystical city up close and then head to Mijas, another special Andalusian village famous for its cobblestone streets, white houses, horse-drawn carriages, and authentic bazaar. At the end of the tour, we return to our ship. Our ship will depart at 18:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 11 AT SEA
This day will be spent cruising at sea, and our ship will offer you many alternatives. Those who wish may benefit from the ship’s indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzis, and sunbathing areas. Guests who prefer may shop at duty-free stores, try their luck at the casino, or enjoy the various music and entertainment performances at the many bars. All day long, various dining options will also be waiting for you.
DAY 12 MARSEILLE / AIX EN PROVENCE
Our ship will arrive at Marseille Port at 09:00 in the morning. After breakfast, free time for personal activities. Guests who wish may depart for the extra “Marseille City Tour & Aix En Provence Tour” organized by their guide. We begin our tour in Marseille, an important maritime city, by visiting the “Notre Dame de la Garde Cathedral,” located on a high hill. After this visit, we will see the Longchamp Fountain, Saint Charles train station, the old town, Hotel de Ville, and the harbor area among other places. Then we head to Aix-en-Provence, about 40 minutes from Marseille. We begin with the famous St. Saviour’s Cathedral, with its Romanesque façade and covered arched passage from the 12th century. Later, during a pleasant walk in the old part of the city, you will see the ancient inns here and the Mazarine district, designed in the 17th century by the brother of Cardinal Mazarin. Our ship will depart at 18:00. Dinner and overnight on board.
DAY 13 GENOA / MILAN – ISTANBUL AIRPORT
Our ship will arrive at Genoa Port at 09:00 in the morning. After breakfast, we complete our disembarkation procedures and then leave the ship. With our private vehicle waiting for us at the port, we head to Milan Airport. After arriving at the airport, following check-in and passport procedures, we depart for Istanbul at 15:10 on Turkish Airlines flight TK1896. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 19:10 local time. End of our tour.