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Arrive | Depart | ||||||
20th20 | AugAug | 202323 | Monfalcone, Italy, embark on the MSC Opera | 19:00 | |||
21st21 | AugAug | 202323 | At Sea | ||||
22nd22 | AugAug | 202323 | Argostoli, Greece | 07:00 | 16:00 | ||
Ground literally to ashes in World War II and wracked by a massive earthquake a decade later, the capital of Kefalonia once more shows pride in its native spirit and natural beauty. The vast harbor on Argostoli’s east side makes an especially attractive port for cruise ships full of visitors who never seem to tire of strolling the cobbled seaside promenade, sipping ouzos in cafés, and stocking up on the succulent Mediterranean fruits in the outdoor markets. | |||||||
23rd23 | AugAug | 202323 | Heraklion (Iraklion), Crete, Greece | 11:00 | 21:00 | ||
Having been controlled by Arabic, Venetian and Ottoman empires over the years - it's no surprise that Heraklion is a diverse patchwork of exotic cultures and historical treasures. Celebrated as the birthplace of the Spanish Renaissance artist, El Greco, you can visit to explore the storied ruins of the Minoan empire's capital, and unearth the rich cultural treasures that Crete’s bustling modern capital has to offer. | |||||||
24th24 | AugAug | 202323 | Santorini, Greece | 07:00 | 19:00 | ||
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean, crescent-shape Santorini remains a mandatory stop on the Cycladic tourist route—even if it's necessary to enjoy the sensational sunsets from Ia, the fascinating excavations, and the dazzling white towns with a million other travelers. Called Kállisti (the "Loveliest") when first settled, the island has now reverted to its subsequent name of Thira, after the 9th-century-BC Dorian colonizer Thiras. The place is better known, however, these days as Santorini, a name derived from its patroness, St. Irene of Thessaloniki, the Byzantine empress who restored icons to Orthodoxy and died in 802. You can fly conveniently to Santorini, but to enjoy a true Santorini rite of passage, opt instead for the boat trip here, which provides a spectacular introduction. After the boat sails between Sikinos and Ios, your deck-side perch approaches two close islands with a passage between them. The bigger one on the left is Santorini, and the smaller on the right is Thirassia. Passing between them, you see the village of Ia adorning Santorini's northernmost cliff like a white geometric beehive. You are in the caldera (volcanic crater), one of the world's truly breathtaking sights: a demilune of cliffs rising 1,100 feet, with the white clusters of the towns of Fira and Ia perched along the top. The bay, once the high center of the island, is 1,300 feet in some places, so deep that when boats dock in Santorini's shabby little port of Athinios, they do not drop anchor. The encircling cliffs are the ancient rim of a still-active volcano, and you are sailing east across its flooded caldera. On your right are the Burnt isles, the White isle, and other volcanic remnants, all lined up as if some outsize display in a geology museum. Hephaestus's subterranean fires smolder still—the volcano erupted in 198 BC, about 735, and there was an earthquake in 1956. Indeed, Santorini and its four neighboring islets are the fragmentary remains of a larger landmass that exploded about 1600 BC: the volcano's core blew sky high, and the sea rushed into the abyss to create the great bay, which measures 10 km by 7 km (6 mi by 4½ mi) and is 1,292 feet deep. The other pieces of the rim, which broke off in later eruptions, are Thirassia, where a few hundred people live, and deserted little Aspronissi ("White isle"). In the center of the bay, black and uninhabited, two cones, the Burnt Isles of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, appeared between 1573 and 1925. There has been too much speculation about the identification of Santorini with the mythical Atlantis, mentioned in Egyptian papyri and by Plato (who says it's in the Atlantic), but myths are hard to pin down. This is not true of old arguments about whether tidal waves from Santorini's cataclysmic explosion destroyed Minoan civilization on Crete, 113 km (70 mi) away. The latest carbon-dating evidence, which points to a few years before 1600 BC for the eruption, clearly indicates that the Minoans outlasted the eruption by a couple of hundred years, but most probably in a weakened state. In fact, the island still endures hardships: since antiquity, Santorini has depended on rain collected in cisterns for drinking and irrigating—the well water is often brackish—and the serious shortage is alleviated by the importation of water. However, the volcanic soil also yields riches: small, intense tomatoes with tough skins used for tomato paste (good restaurants here serve them); the famous Santorini fava beans, which have a light, fresh taste; barley; wheat; and white-skin eggplants. | |||||||
25th25 | AugAug | 202323 | At Sea | ||||
26th26 | AugAug | 202323 | Bari, Italy | 07:00 | 14:00 | ||
Bari, capital of the province of Apulia, lies on southern Italy's Adriatic coast. Its busy port is a leading commercial and industrial centre as well as a transit point for travellers catching ferries across the Adriatic to Greece. Bari comprises a new and an old town. To the north, on a promontory between the old and new harbours, lies the picturesque old town, or Citta Vecchia, with a maze of narrow, crooked streets. To the south is the spacious and regularly planned new town, which has developed considerably since 1930, when the Levant Fair was first held here. The heart of the modern town is Piazza della Liberta. The busy thoroughfare, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, separates the new town from the old. At the eastern end of the Corso begins the Lungomare Nazario Sauro, a magnificent seafront promenade that runs along the old harbour. Bari and the Apulian region were long recognized for their strategic location, attracting a succession of colonizers such as the Normans, Moors and Spaniards, each leaving their mark. | |||||||
27th27 | AugAug | 202323 | Monfalcone, Italy, disembark the MSC Opera | 09:30 |
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
MSC Cruises is proud to bring the very best in artisanal gelato to our travellers. Venchi has been making superlative desserts since 1878 and owes much of its success to the use of 100% natural ingredients and exclusive recipes, from its intense extra dark chocolate to luscious gianduja and refreshing fruit sorbets.
Freshly made daily on board
Bar with vitamin drinks made from fresh fruits and juice such as Orange Delight and Carrot Fantasy.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
The ship's card room is located on deck 7 and seats 28 guests.
Late-night bar and nightclub with a 450 square foot dance floor.
Show lounge, with piano and bar and 193 square foot dance floor.
713 seat theatre, and the main show lounge onboard. Offers tiered seating, and features small-scale production shows and cabaret performances.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
7 nights aboard the MSC Opera | |||
Drinks packages available. | |||
Evening entertainment & Broadway style shows | |||
Speciality Restaurants (charges may apply) | |||
Award winning MSC Aurea Spa (charges apply) | |||
Gratuities Included | |||
Port Taxes and Fees | |||
ABTA and ATOL Protection* |
Date 20th Aug 2023 |
Nts 7 |
Please Call for Availability |
Date 20th Aug 2023 |
Nts 7 |
Please Call for Availability |
Interior staterooms | |||
IB | Interior (Bella experience) | ||
IM1 | Junior Interior (low deck) | ||
IM2 | Junior Interior (medium deck) | ||
Oceanview staterooms | |||
OB | Ocean View (Bella experience) | ||
OO | Junior Ocean View with obstructed view | ||
OM1 | Junior Ocean View (low deck) | ||
OM2 | Junior Ocean View (medium deck) | ||
OL1 | Premium Ocean View (low deck) | ||
Balcony staterooms | |||
BB | Balcony (Bella experience) | ||
BM1 | Junior Balcony (low deck) | ||
BA | Balcony Aurea | ||
Suite staterooms | |||
SR1 | Deluxe Suite Aurea (low deck) | ||
Interior | Oceanview | Balcony | Suite | |
(All prices are £GBP per person) | ||||
Sun 3rd Sep 202303 Sep 23 | 679 | 1,179 | ||
Sun 3rd Sep 202303 Sep 23 | 1,019 | 1,519 | ||
Sun 17th Sep 202317 Sep 23 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 24th Sep 202324 Sep 23 | 1,679 | |||
Sun 8th Oct 202308 Oct 23 | 519 | 619 | 1,069 | 1,579 |
Sun 15th Oct 202315 Oct 23 | 599 | 719 | 1,239 | 1,579 |
Sun 19th May 202419 May 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 26th May 202426 May 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 2nd Jun 202402 Jun 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 9th Jun 202409 Jun 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 16th Jun 202416 Jun 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 23rd Jun 202423 Jun 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 30th Jun 202430 Jun 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 7th Jul 202407 Jul 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 14th Jul 202414 Jul 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 21st Jul 202421 Jul 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 28th Jul 202428 Jul 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 4th Aug 202404 Aug 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 11th Aug 202411 Aug 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 18th Aug 202418 Aug 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 25th Aug 202425 Aug 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 1st Sep 202401 Sep 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 8th Sep 202408 Sep 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 15th Sep 202415 Sep 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 22nd Sep 202422 Sep 24 | Please call for availability | |||
Sun 29th Sep 202429 Sep 24 | Please call for availability |
Fusion Cruises when selling travel arrangements is a trading name of The Midcounties Co-operative Ltd. Fusion Cruises is an Accredited Body Member of Midcounties Co-operative Travel Consortium. (ABTA:P6652, ATOL:6053).
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