The ultimate guide to MSC Cruises ships and itineraries

Gene Sloan

MSC Cruises may be the biggest cruise line you've never heard of — assuming you're an American.

While the Switzerland-based company is the third-biggest cruise line in the world, it has far less name recognition among Americans than big U.S.-based lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line . That's because, until recently, MSC Cruises mostly catered to Europeans. A large percentage of its customers came from countries such as Italy, Germany, France and Spain.

That's all changing now — and in a big way.

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As it expands its fleet at a rapid pace , MSC Cruises is massively building its footprint in North America in an effort to woo more Americans. As recently as 2017, the line only had a single vessel based in North America. Now it's up to three ships sailing out of U.S. ports, and by the end of 2023, that number will have shot up to five.

All the North America-based ships are marketed heavily to Americans, and the line has tailored some of the features and activities on the vessels to a North American crowd.

Like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line , MSC Cruises has been building big resortlike vessels that offer every sort of amusement known to humans, from giant water parks to race car simulators. It currently operates eight of the 20 biggest cruise ships in the world — one of which (MSC Meraviglia) now calls North America home with year-round sailings out of New York City.

Related: Which cruise brand is right for you? A guide to the most popular lines

3 things TPG loves about MSC Cruises

  • Its affordability
  • The incredible array of activities on its ships
  • The status match it offers with its loyalty program

What we could do without

  • Onboard announcements in five languages (on overseas sailings)

The MSC Cruises fleet

MSC Cruises has grown enormously in recent years. As recently as early 2017, the line had just 12 ships in operation. But it's added new ships at a rapid pace over the past six years and now operates 22 vessels, more than any other major line besides Royal Caribbean and Carnival. It also has three more giant new ships on the way in the next few years.

If that sounds like too many ships to get your head around, note that all 22 of the vessels in operation, as well as the three on order, fall into six distinct classes . The ships within each of the classes have similar sizes and onboard attractions. If you know one ship in the class, you know them all.

Related: MSC Cruises ships from newest to oldest — a complete list

As a result of its rapid growth, MSC Cruises recently passed Norwegian to become the world's third-biggest cruise brand when measured by passenger capacity. Only Royal Caribbean and Carnival are bigger.

Not including pulldown bunks and pullout sofas, MSC Cruises' 22 ships have 77,832 berths — about 21,000 more than Norwegian's fleet. At its current pace of growth, MSC Cruises could soon pass Carnival to become the world's second-biggest line.

As noted above, the MSC Cruises fleet includes eight of the world's 20 biggest cruise vessels — MSC World Europa , MSC Euribia , MSC Virtuosa, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia , MSC Bellissima, MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape . Built in the last six years, these eight ships aren't quite as big as Royal Caribbean's giant Oasis Class vessels (the world's biggest cruise ships), but they're right up there when it comes to amenities and passenger capacity.

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The grande dame of the MSC Cruises fleet is its recently unveiled MSC World Europa. At 215,863 tons, it's the biggest MSC Cruises ship ever built and the first of a new series of so-called World Class vessels that are nearly as big as Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships.

The next-biggest ships in the MSC Cruises fleet are its recently unveiled Meraviglia Class vessels: MSC Meraviglia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Euribia. Similar in design, these five ships aren't quite as big as MSC World Europa, but they're right up there when it comes to size, amenities and passenger capacity.

MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Euribia, which debuted in 2019, 2021 and 2023, respectively, are a tad longer than MSC Bellissima and MSC Meraviglia and are considered a subset of the class known as Meraviglia Plus. Each can hold 4,842 passengers at double occupancy (or 6,334 passengers if every last pulldown bunk and pullout sofa is filled).

The other two Meraviglia Class ships, which date to 2019 and 2017, can carry more than 5,600 passengers with every berth filled.

In addition to these five giants, MSC Cruises also operates four large Seaside Class ships. Each has a total capacity of 5,336 to 5,632 passengers.

Add those in, and MSC Cruises operates 10 of the world's 35 biggest cruise ships, plus four somewhat smaller Fantasia Class vessels that can each hold around 4,400 passengers at maximum occupancy.

Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line

Together, the 14 World, Meraviglia, Seaside and Fantasia Class vessels make up MSC Cruises' big-ship fleet. The line's remaining eight vessels, split among two classes, are considerably smaller, with maximum occupancy topping out at 2,700 to 3,200 passengers.

The eight smaller ships, which in general are the line's older ships, allow MSC Cruises to offer itineraries to places that aren't as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports in the world can handle a ship the size of the World Class or Meraviglia Class vessels, although even the biggest MSC Cruises ships are still designed to be able to call at most ports around the world.

Among the smallest MSC Cruises ships is the MSC Armonia.

The smaller ships also appeal to a subset of MSC Cruises fans who are willing to give up some onboard amenities in exchange for intimacy. They're usually less expensive on a per-day basis, too.

In addition to all the above, MSC Group — the line's parent company — has announced plans for yet another class of big ships to start arriving later this decade, though few details have been released. MSC Group is also developing a series of small luxury vessels that'll operate under a separate brand called Explora Journeys.

Destinations and itineraries

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MSC Cruises sails almost everywhere in the world, but its heaviest presence is in Europe, where it's the biggest cruise operator.

In a typical summer, the line will deploy the vast majority of its ships in the Mediterranean or northern Europe. In recent years, the line has also kept at least a couple of ships in Florida in summer for voyages to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This year, the line had two ships based in Florida for summer sailings to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, plus one ship sailing out of New York City for the summer.

During winter, MSC Cruises typically will add more ships to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. (For winter 2023-2024, it expects to have six in the region.) It'll also typically send four or five ships to South America in winter and often deploys vessels in winter to South Africa and the Middle East.

For winter 2023-2024, it'll have one ship in South Africa. The line's Middle East deployment this year has been cut back due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Additionally, MSC Cruises often offers an around-the-world cruise in winter on a single ship.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on an MSC Cruises ship

In North America, MSC Cruises ships have generally sailed out of Miami , but the line recently added Port Canaveral and New York City as home ports, too. The line also offers cruises from the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Martinique and Guadeloupe, and in a major development, the line opened its first private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve , in the Bahamas in 2019. It's a major stop for many MSC Cruises itineraries in the region.

In Europe, major MSC Cruises hubs include Southampton, England; Copenhagen; Kiel and Hamburg in Germany; Ancona, Venice, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Bari and Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) in Italy; Barcelona, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca in Spain; and Marseille, France.

Who sails MSC Cruises?

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MSC Cruises is increasingly known for having big, bustling megaships that'll appeal to people who like a megaresort experience. In other words, if you're the kind of person who loves staying on property at Disney World or at a giant Las Vegas resort , this could be the line for you.

The bigger MSC Cruises ships offer vacationers a ton of options for dining (some vessels have more than a dozen distinct places to eat dinner or at least grab a quick bite) or entertainment. They're lively and fun.

They also have an inordinate amount of teen- and tween-friendly attractions — everything from some of the largest waterslides at sea to sprawling amusement areas with race car simulators, flight simulators and XD cinemas (more on all this below). That makes them particularly appealing to families, including multigenerational groups. Families are a big part of MSC Cruises' business.

But it's not just families that flock to MSC Cruises.

The line's ships are designed to offer something for everyone, and they thus appeal to a wide demographic, including couples of all ages and even solo travelers (the line has added solo cabins on its newer ships and occasionally runs promotions for solo travelers). They also draw customers from a wide range of the income spectrum.

At one level, MSC Cruises ships have a for-the-masses feel. However, overlaid across many of the line's ships are high-end suites, upscale restaurants and luxury services — most notably the suites and amenities in the exclusive, upscale MSC Yacht Club areas found on some vessels (more on that later). As a result, the line draws a good number of luxury-seeking travelers.

The demographic profile of MSC Cruises ships can be markedly different depending on where the vessels are based. On Caribbean sailings out of Florida, you'll find that a large percentage of passengers are English-speaking North Americans.

MSC Cruises voyages in Europe are often heavily filled with Europeans speaking Italian, German, Spanish and French, as well as some English speakers. In Europe, the line offers onboard programming in all five of these languages (all crew members speak English no matter where the ships are sailing).

Reality check: Due to the diverse origins of passengers on European sailings, the line typically makes announcements in all five of the aforementioned languages. This can result in extraordinarily long announcements at times, which can be a distraction to some cruisers. The good news is that on sailings out of U.S. ports, only safety announcements are made in all five languages. Other announcements are in English only.

Cabins and suites

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MSC Cruises offers a wide range of accommodations on its ships. On its newest vessels, you'll find everything from relatively low-cost, windowless "interior" cabins that measure as little as 172 square feet (perfect for the budget traveler) to suites more than five times that size that sprawl across two decks.

Still, MSC Cruises doesn't offer the sort of truly giant suites (more than 1,000 to 2,000 square feet) you'll find on some Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ships.

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At the high end, the accommodations are aimed at affluent travelers who, for whatever reason, prefer the megaship experience to being on a luxury ship, and they can be quite impressive.

The biggest suites on MSC Grandiosa, which launched in 2019, span two levels and offer around 635 square feet of interior space, plus another 237 square feet of outdoor balcony space.

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On more than half of MSC Cruises' ships, many of the top suites are part of an exclusive, keycard-accessed area called the MSC Yacht Club . Billed as an upscale "ship within a ship" and aimed at luxury travelers, the MSC Yacht Club is at the very top of vessels and comes with a private lounge, a pool, sunning areas and even its own restaurant.

Related: Everything you need to know about MSC Cruises cabins and suites

MSC Yacht Club accommodations also come with 24-hour butler service and a dedicated concierge.

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Solo cabins (called interior studios) measuring just 127 square feet can be found on the line's seven newest vessels.

Insider tip: Passengers can use the interactive TVs in cabins to browse information, find out about daily events and activities, check bills and book services. On some ships, MSC for Me interactive wristbands can open your cabin door and also allow you to book services or make contactless payments for items on board.

Restaurants and dining

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While a few of MSC Cruises' smallest ships have relatively limited dining venues, many of the line's vessels offer a wide range of choices.

On the line's recently unveiled MSC Euribia, for instance, there are nearly a dozen distinct eateries, as well as a number of bars and lounges that serve at least small bites. MSC Seashore has five specialty restaurants that feature waterfront, outdoor seating on the ship's boardwalk.

Every vessel has at least one or more main dining rooms and a casual buffet where meals are included in the fare.

For dinner in a main dining room, you must either have My Choice dining with the Aurea experience (a flexible dining option where you dine whenever you want) or classic dining (where you have a fixed table and time for dinner).

Nearly every ship also has at least one — and sometimes quite a few — extra-charge venues. Among the most common across the fleet is the American-style steakhouse Butcher's Cut, which is found on more than half the line's vessels. There also are sushi bars on more than half the line's ships, with varying names like Kaito Sushi and Galaxy Sushi.

The line's newest ships have teppanyaki restaurants, too, and passengers on MSC Cruises' Seaside Class ships, as well as MSC Meraviglia and MSC Splendida, can dine at a Mediterranean-style seafood restaurant.

Several of the line's newest vessels, including MSC Grandiosa and MSC Bellissima, also have the French cuisine-serving L'Atelier Bistrot.

Entertainment and activities

MSC Cruises offers a broad range of entertainment and activities on its ships. As noted above, the line's biggest vessels offer multiple entertainment venues, from Broadway-style theaters to spaces for circus-like performances; all manner of deck-top attractions; large casinos; and full-service spas. Plus, you'll find multiple bars, lounges and nightlife spots.

Theaters and shows

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Like other megaship lines, MSC Cruises is known for big, glitzy theater productions performed in onboard theaters that are as state-of-the-art as anything you'll find on Broadway.

On the line's newer ships, such as MSC Euribia, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Grandiosa, there are main theaters that hold nearly 1,000 people. They offer as many as six different full-scale theatrical productions during a typical voyage, with multiple showtimes for each production and a range of styles. You'll find original Broadway-style musicals, piano concerts and even operas.

Some MSC Cruises ships have high-tech, multipurpose entertainment spaces that serve as comedy clubs and karaoke bars but can also transform into music venues. Dubbed the TV Studio & Bar on some ships, these spaces also house radio and TV broadcasting equipment, and they can host games, quizzes and talent contests aired live on TV sets in cabins.

Other interior attractions and activities

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In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of MSC Cruises ships are loaded with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night, including a seemingly endless array of bars, lounges and nightspots.

Every MSC Cruises ship has a casino, and on the line's larger vessels, they are big operations. Le Grand Casino on MSC Grandiosa, for instance, has 164 slot machines, 12 table games (including blackjack, roulette and poker) and its own bar.

The five Meraviglia and Meraviglia Plus Class vessels also have soaring interior mall-like spaces called Gallerias with bars, restaurants and retail shops, as does the new MSC World Europa.

Many of the Gallerias, for example, are home to an innovative chocolate bar and boutique created by well-known French patissier and chocolatier Jean-Philippe Maury.

The Gallerias on the five Meraviglia and Meraviglia Plus Class vessels — MSC Euribia, MSC Virtuosa, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima — are topped with one of the most stunning features found at sea: a dazzling "digital sky" made with curving LED screens that offer regular light shows during the day and evening. There's something similar on MSC World Europa.

The bigger MSC Cruises ships also have interactive game zones with such attractions as Formula One racing simulators, immersive XD cinemas, arcade games and even full-size bowling alleys.

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For something more soothing, all MSC Cruises ships include spas. These can be quite big on the larger vessels, with expansive thermal areas and a wide choice of treatments and services.

Insider tip: Passengers can get information about onboard entertainment and restaurants (and make reservations) on the interactive screens found around MSC Cruises vessels.

Top-deck attractions

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The top decks of MSC Cruises ships offer pools, hot tubs and plenty of lounge space, plus some spectacular family-focused fun zones — on the line's newest ships, at least.

On the line's Meraviglia and Seaside Class ships, top-deck amenities include sprawling back-of-the-ship water parks with multiple waterslides, ropes courses and watery play areas for the little ones.

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Some ships even have zip lines — the longest at sea.

Additionally, the main pool areas on the newest MSC Cruises ships are among the biggest and most stunning at sea. Some of the line's ships also have adults-only pools topped with glass ceilings that can be opened on warm days.

Children's programs

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MSC Cruises has some of the most extensive children's programs at sea, with dedicated clubs and activities for children as young as a couple of months old through the age of 17.

On most ships, the line offers programming for five distinct age groups.

For the very youngest cruisers, there's Baby Club, a program for babies and toddlers up to the age of 3. The line partnered with baby care brand Chicco to develop dedicated Baby Club play areas on every ship with toys, games and music and rhythm activities. You can leave your toddlers at the clubs, which have dedicated staff, or stay and play with them.

MSC Cruises ships also have a dedicated Mini Club (ages 3 to 6) and Junior Club (ages 7 to 11) with age-appropriate activities. Designed in partnership with the Lego Group, the Mini Clubs offer games, events and activities such as arts and crafts. Junior Clubs have a Masterchef at Sea Juniors competition, plus acting, dancing and singing activities.

Related: New MSC Cruises ship in New York is bigger than the city's biggest hotel

MSC Cruises ships also have Young Club, a tween program (ages 12 to 14) that includes sports tournaments, high-tech games and other activities.

Then there's Teen Club (ages 15 to 17), which hosts disco parties, karaoke parties and Wii, Xbox and PlayStation 4 tournaments. On MSC Grandiosa, teens even get the chance to pilot a drone through an obstacle course during an activity called the Drone Academy, and the ship holds a teen dance competition designed in partnership with the company behind "The X Factor."

Kids and teens clubs on newer MSC Cruises ships can also access cutting-edge equipment like 3D printing machines, virtual reality devices and 3D product scanning, all of which are used in activities.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

If you're a U.S. citizen on a cruise that starts and ends in a U.S. port, you'll need either a current passport or an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification to sail. Passports must be valid for at least six months.

For cruises from international ports, you'll need a passport. It's important that the name on your reservation is listed exactly as it appears on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

MSC Cruises adds an automatic service charge of $16 per person to final bills on sailings out of U.S. ports. Sailings with pricing in euros have a 12 euro charge ($13.13 at current exchange rates). Children 2 to 11 pay half the adult rate on most cruises. Children under 2 are not charged for service.

Also, a 15% gratuity is added to bills at bars for cruisers who do not have a drinks package. If you buy a drinks package, the gratuity charges for drinks is folded into the package price when you book it. A 15% service charge is also added to items in minibars, salons and spas.

Related: Tipping on a cruise ship: Everything you need to know

MSC Cruises has been rolling out Wi-Fi with speeds so fast that you'll be able to watch Netflix from your room on your mobile device. Unlike some lines, though, MSC Cruises doesn't offer flat-fee pricing for Wi-Fi. Instead, MSC Cruises charges by the number of devices you use and how you want to use the internet (think: browsing, texting, sending emails or video streaming).

Basic packages for browsing start around $72 for one device with unlimited data. A two-device plan with unlimited data for browsing costs about $109. There's also a four-device browsing plan for about $223. If you're looking to stream video along with other internet uses, you'll need a streaming plan. These start around $100 for one device and can be as high as $313 for a four-device plan.

Unlike other cruise lines, MSC Cruises does not let passengers switch their internet plan from one device to another during the cruise, even if they're only using one device at a time. Make sure you sign up for the Wi-Fi plan on the device you intend to use it with. If you'll want access on both your phone and your tablet, you will need a two-device plan.

Passengers can chat with friends and family on board ships even if they don't have an internet package by downloading the MSC for Me app to a smart device. The app also lets you book services on board.

Carry-on drinks policy

Unlike some lines, MSC Cruises doesn't allow passengers to bring their own alcohol on board.

Smoking policy

Smoking (including electronic cigarette smoking) is allowed in a limited number of designated areas on ships, with the primary smoking area on ships being an outdoor pool area that varies by ship and is indicated by signage. Smoking is forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies, and those who violate this rule will face a $250 fee.

Unlike some lines, MSC Cruises does not build self-service launderettes onto its ships. Vessels offer extra-charge laundry and dry-cleaning services.

Electrical outlets

All vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms, as well as European-style, 220-volt outlets. A growing number of vessels also have USB ports in cabins.

For cruises in the Caribbean, South America and South Africa, as well as on MSC Grand Voyages going to Europe and to Australia, the onboard currency is the U.S. dollar.

On cruises in other parts of the world, the onboard currency is the euro. All vessels operate on a cashless system with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a Cruise Card (or, on the newer ships, an MSC for Me wristband) that you can use to make purchases.

Drinking age

You must be at least 21 years old to consume alcohol on sailings in the U.S. and the Caribbean. The drinking age on sailings everywhere else in the world is 18.

During the day, there's no specific dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination and you're bound for the top deck, that means dressing for the beach — T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to put on when you go inside) are just fine.

On most evenings, the line recommends "smart casual" dress, meaning summery dresses for women and a lightweight jacket for men. On select days, the line also holds Gala evenings on its ships where the dress code can be more formal. For Gala evenings, if dining in a main dining room, the line suggests a tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit and tie for men and a dressy outfit, formal gown or cocktail dress for women.

Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

MSC Cruises loyalty program

MSC Cruises has a point-based frequent cruiser program, the MSC Voyagers Club , that has four tiers ranging from Classic (requiring 1 point) to Diamond (10,000 points).

Members earn points based on the length of the cruises they take and which "experience" they book on those sailings. There are four different "experiences" you can book on an MSC Cruises sailing, each with different inclusions and price points. The most basic "Bella" experience will get you fewer points than the top "MSC Yacht Club" experience.

For a sailing of under five nights, for instance, your earnings would range from 200 to 800 points depending on the experience you book. For cruises that are five to nine nights in length, you'd earn from 500 to 1,500 points depending on the experience.

Every person in your stateroom will earn points for the cruise. You can also earn points with onboard spending and any bookings you made before embarkation. You'll earn 100 points for every $150 in prepaid and onboard expenses.

Know, though, that there are a couple of key caveats. Only the Voyagers Club member who makes the final payment for the onboard expenses will receive those points. For prepaid expenses, points will be equally distributed among the cabin occupants.

Say, for example, the total amount of prepaid onboard services that apply to all cabin occupants before the cruise is $600. If there are four cabin occupants, the spending for the points calculation of each member will be $150, which is equal to 100 points.

As is typical for cruise line loyalty programs, the entry-level tier (Classic) doesn't bring all that many truly valuable rewards. By far the most alluring benefit at this level is the 5% discount that members get when booking future sailings (note that this discount is not valid on Tandem and MSC Grand Tours). That's real savings every time you book a cruise.

The real perks begin at Diamond status, which brings a free dinner in an extra-charge restaurant, priority embarkation at the start of a cruise and priority disembarkation at the end of a cruise.

Unlike with most cruise line loyalty programs, you won't automatically keep your status forever with MSC Cruises. Once achieved, your status is good as long as you take a cruise at least once every 36 months. If you don't, not only will your points disappear, but your entire account will be erased, requiring you to re-enroll and start all over again.

That's the downside of the MSC Voyagers Club. However, the program also comes with one very big upside: MSC Cruises will let you status match your way to top-tier Diamond status based on your status level with any of more than two dozen other loyalty programs — not just those run by competing cruise lines but also those operated by Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton. It's very rare in the cruise world.

How much does an MSC Cruises voyage cost?

MSC Cruises is known for some of the most affordable ships at sea. It's not uncommon to find MSC Cruises voyages to the Caribbean and the Bahamas from under $75 per person, per night, including all taxes and fees — at least in the offseason.

For instance, at the time of publication, four-night sailings from Miami to the Bahamas in September 2024 start at just $249 per person, not including taxes and fees of $100. That works out to just $87.25 per person, per night, with taxes and fees, for a package that includes your lodging, transportation and meals.

As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October and parts of November.

The timing of when you book can also matter. Cruises book up much further in advance than airplanes or hotels, and many cruisers will tell you the best pricing for any given sailing often is available when cruises first go on sale (which can be a good two years before a departure). Booking far in advance also gives you the best chance of getting your preferred cabin type and location on a ship.

Once on board an MSC Cruises ship, you'll pay extra for most drinks, extra-charge restaurants, spa services, shore excursions, internet and a few other amenities — unless you've paid up for a more inclusive package.

When pricing cabins, MSC Cruises offers one of four main "experiences," each of which comes with different inclusions and varying price tags. The basic "Bella" experience includes your room, dining in the main restaurants and buffet, and access to all the included features of the ship, such as kids programs and theater shows.

Note that if you book the Bella experience, you cannot select a specific cabin. You can only choose between the broad categories of inside, ocean-view or balcony cabin, and a cabin is later assigned to you.

One step up is the more expensive "Fantastica" experience, which adds room service and breakfast delivered to your cabin, priority choice of dinner sittings, access to additional kids activities and classes, and more. At this level and above, you can pick a specific cabin when booking.

With the even pricier "Aurea" experience, you'll get complimentary access to the spa's thermal area, priority boarding and other perks. The Aurea experience also comes with access to My Choice dining and an exclusive sun deck area that on many ships features an exclusive bar and hot tubs.

Then there's the MSC Yacht Club experience, mentioned above, which is the ultimate in onboard living. Even with its higher price tag, the MSC Yacht Club still provides great value for its wide range of perks, such as unlimited drinks in all MSC Yacht Club areas, including premium spirits and minibar items.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their 1st cruise

How to book

If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to the MSC Cruises website to book directly.

That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise (there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process: trust us) we recommend you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises. A good travel agent will quiz you about your interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They also can help if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.

If you're sure MSC Cruises is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who knows all about the line's various cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see them firsthand.

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your purchase when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases . This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve , which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , which earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel (and dining).

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Bottom line

Long a major player in Europe, MSC Cruises is growing fast in North America with a lineup of big, new, amenity-filled ships.

If you're a megaresort lover, you'll feel right at home on MSC Cruises' new World, Meraviglia and Seaside Class vessels, which rival the biggest vessels of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian for their array of onboard amusements.

You'll also love their affordability. Among the world's biggest ships, they offer some of the lowest pricing. You'll be sharing your vacation with hordes of other people, of course — as many as 6,000 on some MSC Cruises vessels. However, even the biggest MSC Cruises ships have quiet nooks where you can escape the crowds.

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Are MSC Cruises English Speaking? Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to embarking on a cruise vacation with MSC Cruises, many travelers may wonder about the language spoken on board. MSC Cruises caters to a diverse range of international guests, and as such, they ensure that language isn’t a barrier to communication and enjoyment. The company recognizes the importance of effective communication and offers services in English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.

What Is MSC Cruises Official Working Language?

MSC Cruises, one of the leading cruise lines in the world, understands the importance of effective communication in a diverse environment. With crew members hailing from different profiles and backgrounds, MSC Cruises recognizes that this diversity brings great opportunities and added value to their operations. To facilitate seamless communication among their multinational crew, the official working language onboard their ships is English.

Crew members can build connections, share knowledge, and learn from each other in a language that they all understand.

Whether it’s an announcement over the ships intercom, a conversation between crew members, or instructions given during safety drills, English serves as the common thread that binds the diverse crew of MSC Cruises. This ensures that all crew members can work harmoniously together, regardless of their native language, creating a welcoming and efficient environment for both the crew and passengers.

This commitment to a common language ensures seamless operations and exceptional service delivery to passengers worldwide.

How MSC Cruises Promotes Language Learning Among Their Crew Members

  • Offering language courses for crew members who’re interested in improving their language skills
  • Providing language exchange programs where crew members can practice speaking with native speakers of different languages
  • Encouraging crew members to use their language skills in their day-to-day interactions with guests
  • Organizing language-themed events and activities on board the cruise ships
  • Creating language learning materials and resources specifically tailored for crew members
  • Recognizing and rewarding crew members who show improvement in their language proficiency
  • Collaborating with language learning institutions and experts to enhance the language learning programs
  • Creating a supportive and inclusive environment that motivates crew members to continue their language learning journey

When it comes to MSC Cruises, voyages in Europe see a diverse mix of languages spoken by passengers, including Italian, German, Spanish, French, and English. The onboard programming caters to these languages, ensuring all guests can fully enjoy their experience. Additionally, English is widely spoken by the crew members, regardless of the ship’s location.

Is MSC Cruises English?

MSC Cruises is a popular choice for European travelers, offering voyages throughout the continent. However, it’s important to note that MSC Cruises voyages in Europe are often heavily filled with Europeans speaking Italian, German, Spanish, and French, as well as some English speakers.

This ensures that English-speaking guests have no trouble communicating with the staff, who’re there to assist and provide excellent service throughout the voyage.

For English-speaking travelers, it’s advisable to check the itineraries and choose sailings that may have a higher percentage of English-speaking guests. This can vary depending on the destination and time of year, as some cruises may attract more international travelers than others.

In addition to the onboard programming, MSC Cruises often provides guides and brochures in multiple languages, including English. This allows guests to explore ports of call and learn more about the fascinating destinations they visit during their cruise.

Language Options and Services for Non-English Speaking Guests on MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises understands that not all guests may be fluent in English, and they aim to provide an enjoyable experience for non-English speaking guests as well. The primary language used onboard MSC Cruises is English, but the crew members are multilingual and can communicate in several languages.

Guests can make use of the language assistance services offered by MSC Cruises, which include multilingual announcements, daily programs, menus, and signage in multiple languages. Additionally, the entertainment shows onboard often have subtitles or translations available in various languages, ensuring that non-English speakers can fully enjoy the performances.

Moreover, MSC Cruises provides language-specific excursions and shore services in select ports, allowing guests to explore and interact with the local culture in their preferred language. It’s recommended to check with MSC Cruises in advance to inquire about the specific language options available on your chosen itinerary. With their efforts to accommodate non-English speaking guests, MSC Cruises aims to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable during their cruise vacation.

When it comes to dress codes on MSC Cruises, the general rule is resort casual attire, allowing guests to feel comfortable and relaxed while enjoying their vacation. For women, the cruise line recommends tailored pants, nice shorts, skirts, and dresses as appropriate choices. Men are encouraged to wear tailored pants, nice shorts, and collared shirts. On Gala Nights (which are always optional), guests have the opportunity to dress up with gowns, cocktail dresses, elegant pantsuits, or more formal attire. MSC Cruises aims to provide a versatile and stylish atmosphere for all it’s passengers.

Can You Wear Shorts on MSC Cruises?

When it comes to dress code on MSC Cruises, the overall dress style is resort casual. This means that guests are encouraged to dress comfortably, yet respectfully, throughout their cruise experience. For women, tailored pants, nice shorts, skirts, and dresses are all appropriate choices for most occasions on board. It’s important to note, however, that on Gala Nights (which are always optional), a more elegant attire is recommended. For these special evenings, gowns, cocktail dresses, or elegant pantsuits would be more suitable.

Similarly, men are advised to wear tailored pants, nice shorts, and collared shirts as their standard attire for most occasions on the cruise. It’s always a good idea to bring at least one or two formal outfits for these special evenings.

Guests are encouraged to dress according to their personal style while being mindful of the occasion and any specific dress code requirements. With a little planning and consideration, you can ensure that youre appropriately dressed for all the different activities and events on board.

Understanding the Different Dress Codes for Different Areas of the Ship (e.g. Pool Area vs. Dining Area).

  • Understanding the different dress codes for different areas of the ship (e.g. pool area vs. dining area).

The basic salary of MSC cruise ship crew members varies depending on the position and experience. On average, the hourly pay at Msc Cruises Sa is reported to be around $13 per hour. However, it’s important to note that there are additional factors such as gratuities and other benefits that can contribute to the overall income of crew members working on MSC cruise ships.

What Is the Basic Salary of MSC Cruise Ship?

What’s the basic salary of MSC cruise ship? The average hourly pay at MSC Cruises SA for a crew member is around $13 per hour. However, it’s important to note that this is just an average and individual salaries can vary greatly.

Crew members on MSC cruise ships typically receive additional benefits and allowances on top of their basic salary. These can include food and accommodation allowances, as well as access to onboard medical facilities and recreational amenities. In addition, crew members often have the opportunity to earn tips and commissions based on their performance and guest satisfaction.

It’s worth mentioning that while the basic salary may seem low compared to other industries, working on a cruise ship provides a unique opportunity to save money as living expenses are typically covered by the company. This can enable crew members to make significant savings over the duration of their contract.

It’s also important to consider that working on a cruise ship can involve long hours and demanding work. Crew members often work shifts that can span several weeks or months without a break, and the work can be physically and mentally challenging. However, many people are attracted to this line of work due to the opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures.

Additionally, the opportunity for career progression and the chance to explore different destinations make working on an MSC cruise ship an appealing choice for many individuals.

Benefits and Allowances for Crew Members on MSC Cruise Ships

  • Social Security Benefits
  • Health Insurance Benefits
  • Dental Insurance Benefits
  • Vision Insurance Benefits
  • Life Insurance Benefits
  • Disability Insurance Benefits
  • Paid Time Off Benefits
  • Uniform Allowance
  • Meals and Accommodations
  • Education Reimbursement
  • Crew Discounts on MSC Cruises
  • Wellness Programs
  • Retirement Savings Benefits
  • Employee Assistance Programs
  • Travel Opportunities

Source: Msc Cruises Sa Salary for Crew

MSC cruise is a family-friendly cruise line that welcomes children of all ages. In fact, they even offer discounted fares for children when they’re traveling with two paying adults. One of the highlights for kids onboard is the Doremi Land, a dedicated kids club with separate rooms for different age groups. From infants as young as 6 months old to children up to 11 years old, there are plenty of activities and adventures to keep them entertained throughout the cruise.

Does MSC Cruise Allow Children?

MSC Cruises is known for being family-friendly and welcoming children of all ages onboard their ships. They understand the importance of catering to families and provide a wide range of amenities and activities to keep children entertained throughout the duration of the cruise. Moreover, MSC offers deep discounts on fares for children traveling with two paying adults, making it even more affordable for families to embark on a memorable vacation.

One of the highlights for children on MSC Cruises is the kids club onboard MSC Seaside, known as Doremi Land. This dedicated area is truly special, offering separate rooms for different age groups from as young as 6 months up to 11 years old. This ensures that children of all ages have a safe and engaging environment to play and interact with other kids their own age.

The activities offered in Doremi Land are carefully designed to cater to each age group, with professional staff members overseeing the fun and keeping the children entertained. From arts and crafts sessions to sports activities and interactive games, there’s always something exciting happening at the kids club. Additionally, themed parties and events are organized regularly, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere for the young ones.

Safety measures are in place, and the staff undergoes extensive training to ensure the well-being of all children. Furthermore, there are designated times for drop-off and pick-up, allowing parents to plan their own activities and enjoy some quality time together.

With special discounts for children and a dedicated kids club called Doremi Land, families can rest assured that their children will have a fantastic time while on their cruise vacation.

Overview of Other Family-Friendly Amenities and Activities on MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises offers a wide range of family-friendly amenities and activities to ensure an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. Some of the highlights include:

1. Kids Clubs: MSC offers age-appropriate Kids Clubs for children of all ages, from babies to teenagers. These clubs provide supervised activities, games, and entertainment.

2. Family Entertainment: MSC Cruises offers family-friendly shows and performances, including Broadway-style productions, live music, and comedy shows that cater to all ages.

3. Water Parks and Pools: MSC ships feature water parks and pools designed for family fun. Kids can enjoy water slides, splash parks, and dedicated pool areas, while adults can relax in quieter pool areas.

4. Sports Facilities: There are sports facilities such as basketball courts, mini-golf courses, and even bowling alleys on board MSC ships. Families can engage in friendly competitions and enjoy various physical activities together.

5. Adventure Activities: MSC Cruises offer thrilling adventure activities like zip-lining, ropes courses, and virtual reality experiences, providing exciting opportunities for family bonding and adventure.

6. Family Dining: MSC ships offer family-friendly dining options, including dedicated kids’ menus and child-friendly dining venues. Families can enjoy meals together and cater to everyone’s tastes and preferences.

With these amenities and activities, MSC Cruises ensures that English-speaking families have a fantastic time onboard while creating lasting memories.

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11 Important Differences Between MSC Cruises and Other Major Lines

MSC Cruises may not be huge in North America just yet, but that’s quickly changing. While the big three cruise lines — Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean — may get most of the headlines, MSC is actually just as large and even larger than some of those names.

Seemingly until the past few years, however, MSC hasn’t focused as heavily on the United States. That definitely isn’t the case going forward. Today, it offers cruises from Miami, Port Canaveral and New York, with more homeports on the way.

As well, the line is expanding its fleet. It made a mark with the introduction of the MSC Seaside in the U.S., followed by MSC Seascape more recently, but that’s just the start. The line currently boasts the largest cruise ship in the world outside of Royal Caribbean with its MSC World Europa. That will be joined by MSC World America in 2025.

In other words, if you haven’t been tempted by an MSC cruise yet, it could be a different story in the near future.

Having recently sailed on MSC, as well as sailing the other major cruise lines regularly, we can tell you that there are some major differences between this line and its competitors.

Differences Between MSC and Other Major Cruise Lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Etc.)

MSC Seaside docked at Ocean Cay.

MSC Is Less Expensive Than Most Lines If you’re searching for a cruise aboard MSC, the first thing you are likely to notice is the price of your trip. We’ve priced thousands of cruises over the year and MSC offers many of the cheapest trips we’ve seen; often times even less than Carnival, which is known as a budget-friendly line.

For example, a week cruise aboard the MSC Seascape (a relatively new ship) from Miami in July 2024 can be had starting for just $749 per person.

Comparable trips during that time run more than $900 aboard Carnival Celebration sailing from Miami. Sailings on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas for a week in July from Miami start at $2,207. 

MSC doesn’t have a lock on cruise deals, but it does offer a lot of affordable choices. Rates are even less expensive if sailing outside of summer or holidays.

Fewer Included Restaurants Like other cruise lines, MSC also has a mix of included restaurants and specialty restaurants where you will pay extra to dine. 

What’s different with MSC is that the amount of included restaurants — and the number of restaurants in particular — are sparse. 

This isn’t every ship, but on those we’ve sailed, only the buffet and main dining room have been available with the cruise fare. All other restaurants (of which there were only a handful) cost more.

Compare that to a line like Carnival that includes spots like Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana, and more restaurants with the cruise fare.

View of MSC's Ocean Cay from cruise ship

Ocean Cay (MSC’s Private Island) While all the major cruise lines have their own private islands, only MSC has Ocean Cay. Just 65 miles from Miami, MSC poured $300 million into converting the island from a former sand excavation site into a tropical paradise. It’s a must-see. ( Read our complete guide to Ocean Cay here .)

What makes it so special are the beaches and water. It features multiple massive beaches, giving plenty of room for everyone to have their own space. In addition, the water is an electric blue that’s some of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen.

While some cruise lines have created wild island that almost look like a cartoon with all the attractions, Ocean Cay is more subdued, with more space, and fewer visitors each day. If you’re wanting a relaxing beach day, this is it. 

Not as Tech Savvy There’s no doubt that technology has come a long way in cruising. These days you can do everything online from checking in to buying excursions to navigating the ship via the cruise line app.

And while MSC has come a long way in the past few years regarding integrating technology into cruising, it still has some room to improve.

For instance, when we checked online prior to the cruise, we encountered numerous errors trying to do basic things like add a credit card to the account. Anytime we did make a change or added information, it would automatically send out an entirely new booking confirmation to our email.

Lower Gratuity (Service Charge) Amounts Of all the major cruise lines, MSC has the lowest automatic service charges of any line we’ve seen. Over the past several years gratuity amounts — the daily charges that go to people like your room steward and the dining staff — have crept up among most cruise lines.

These days it’s usual to pay $16 per person, per day for these charges. Book a suite, and the charge is usually higher — closer to $20 per day. Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, charges $25 per day for people in suites and $20 per person, per day, for other rooms. 

MSC charges a relatively low $14.00 per person , per day for passengers that are 12 years and older. Kids aged 2-11 are charged just $7.00 per night (typically kids are charged full price on other lines).

Room Stewards In our experience with MSC, the room stewards are much less noticeable than what you’ll find on other cruise lines.

We’re used to meeting the room steward on the first day of the cruise, and then seeing them regularly each day coming to and from the room. On MSC, we only spotted him a time or two during the cruise.

Even so, our room was regularly cleaned. In fact, we actually prefer not having to constantly bump into a room steward and make small talk on our way in and out of the cabin.

msc cruises english

Evening Entertainment on the Ship In a world where cruise lines are pushing the envelope everywhere to make your experience bigger and better, MSC is decidedly old-school in some respects — like your evening entertainment.

Most cruise lines seem to be pushing toward full-scale production shows. Norwegian Cruise Lines, for example has productions of Footloose and Kinky Boots on some of its newer ships. Royal Caribbean offers big budget programs and even aqua shows on its Oasis-class ships.

In comparison, MSC is different. A handful of ships feature Carousel Productions at Sea (similar to Cirque du Soleil), but not all. In our experience, the entertainment is more of things like a “variety show” featuring singing, dancing, and acrobatics. For instance, one cruise had a new take on Peter Pan that included contortionists, circus acts, and a juggler. Another show was a dedication to Michael Jackson, complete with an impersonator and full dance numbers.

Frankly, the talent level on these programs has been amazing, and the shows have been a big hit. However, they’ve struck us as a big departure from what we’ve seen on other lines.

Pizza For pizza to be pointed out as a difference with other cruise lines, you know the pie on MSC must be pretty good.

We’re big fans of “good” pizza. What we’ve found, however, is that these dishes usually aren’t that great on many cruises. Frankly, the pizza on many ships is usually a bit bland and has a cardboard taste that you’d find at a cheap buffet.

Maybe it’s because MSC has roots in Italy, but they take their pizza seriously. It’s on par with anything you’d find at a popular pizza joint (and much better than chain restaurants). Best of all, it’s free at the buffet. You can also get an entire pie made to order and delivered to your cabin for $6-$10.

Drink Package Options Most cruise lines have a single drink package… or maybe a regular package and a high-end package. Meanwhile, they all have one thing in common — they are pricey. Most drink packages start around $60 per day and go up from there.

MSC does things a bit differently, offering three different options:

  • Premium Extra

What’s the difference? Each package gives you drink options up to a certain dollar amount. The Easy package offers drinks up to $8 each, the Easy Plus package offers up to $10 each, and the Premium Extra gives you any drink up to $16 per glass.

Prices run from about $50-$90 per person, per day if booked ahead of time. This gives you a cheaper option than you’ll find on most other cruise lines with the Easy package. 

msc cruises english

Linking a Credit Card to Your Account One difference between MSC and other cruise lines definitely struck us as odd, and that’s how you attach payment to your onboard account.

Every cruise line we’ve been on always asks for a credit card at check-in. It is scanned and linked to your account. At the end of the trip, your card is automatically charged after you leave.

In our cruise with MSC, passengers completed this process themselves — either online ahead of time or once actually on the ship. Several terminals are set up around the ship where you will insert the credit card you use for payment to link to your onboard account.

It’s on you to make sure your account is all squared away with a payment method. If you forget then you’ll have to go see Guest Services to settle your bill before you are allowed to leave the ship.

Be Prepared for Lots of Waivers If you sail MSC, then be prepared to sign waivers for things you don’t have to on other cruise lines.

Should you do some of the more extreme things on other cruises, it’s likely you have to sign something. For instance, the Flowrider surf simulator on Royal Caribbean requires you to complete a form before you can enjoy.

MSC takes it to another level. On the cruise line if you want to lift weights or run on the treadmill in the gym, you’ll need to sign a waiver. Want to ride one of the waterslides? Yes, there is a form to complete before you can do so.

Not Completely Different Than Other Lines (Tons That’s Familiar) 

We don’t want to give the impression that MSC is an absolutely unfamiliar experience or completely different than sailing any other line. If you’ve sailed a cruise before, there’s a lot that you’ll know and love.  

Want to sit on the pool deck, sip a cold drink and soak up the sun? There’s plenty of that. How about dinner in the dining room followed by an impressive show in the theater? Sure, that’s there too. And what about a little late-night gambling in the casino? Of course.

However, it’s the details surrounding life onboard that might stand out if you’re used to some of the other lines in U.S. cruising.

More on Sailing MSC:

Worth It? Complete Guide to MSC Cruises Drink Packages

  • MSC Gratuities (Tips/Service Charge): Full Guide to Cost & How They Work
  • Ocean Cay (MSC’s Private Island): Complete Guide & Things to Know

Popular: 39 Useful Things to Pack (17 You Wouldn't Think Of)

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Swing ride 160 feet above the water coming to MSC Cruises' new ship in 2025

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MSC Cruises’ new ship will have a swing set on board – but not the kind you’d find on a playground.

Cliffhanger, a new ride launching on forthcoming U.S. flagship MSC World America next year, will allow guests to swing out over the ocean 160 feet above the water, the cruise line revealed Tuesday. The four-seat ride uses mechanical arms to lift guests beyond the 22-deck ship’s edge, where they are propelled back and forth.

The line is billing the attraction as the only over-water swing ride at sea. MSC Cruises USA President Rubén A. Rodríguez said Cliffhanger is a “natural next step,” following attractions on its other ships like Seascape’s Robotron .

“It’s the first time we’re taking thrill-seekers out past the deck and over the water, and we know they’ll love it,” he told USA TODAY in an email. There will be an added charge for the ride, but pricing details were not yet available.

Cliffhanger will be part of Family Aventura, one of seven districts on the 2,614-stateroom ship. The area also features The Harbor, an outdoor park area with a high ropes course, a playground inspired by the lighthouse at the line’s private Bahamas destination Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and more.

Other districts on the ship include Galleria, home to dining venues, shopping and games “at the heart of the ship,” and Zen Area, an adults-only zone at the vessel’s stern where guests can enjoy music, catch some sun and take a dip in twin pools, according to an earlier news release .

Short vs. long cruises: Which one is right for you?

World America will debut in April 2025 and spend its inaugural season sailing Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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MSC World America to Debut First Over-Water Swing Ride at Sea

  • April 9, 2024

MSC Cliff Hanger

MSC Cruises unveiled Cliffhanger, the only over-water swing ride at sea, set to debut exclusively on the MSC World America when the ship launches in April 2025.

The ride structure will tower above the ship’s top deck, in the Family Aventura district, and will feature four seats. Riders will be lifted over the edge of the ship and propelled back and forth, 160 feet above the ocean below.

MSC World America’s naming ceremony takes place at PortMiami on April 9, 2025. During its inaugural season, the MSC World America will sail from Miami, offering seven-night itineraries to destinations in the Eastern and Western Caribbean, all with stops at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – MSC Cruises’ private island paradise in The Bahamas.

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MSC Cruises Bringing 500,000 Passengers to Greece this Season

msc cruises english

MSC Cruises , the world’s third-largest cruise brand, will have six different ships calling to Greek shores this season and expects to bring some 500,000 passengers to the country, according to MSC Cruises Executive Director Norbert Stiekema .

This year, MSC Cruises began calling Greek ports in March, marking the start of year-round operation .

The company’s ships will make over 400 calls to nine different island and mainland destinations around Greece, including the MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera ships homeporting in Piraeus .

“Greece is very important for us and we see many opportunities for development,” Stiekema said while speaking to an audience of journalists and travel agents on board the MSC Sinfonia while docked at Piraeus on April 4.

msc cruises english

Sailing year-round from Piraeus from March to November 2024, the MSC Sinfonia will visit Split (Croatia), Venice (Italy), Brindisi (Italy), and Mykonos . The MSC Opera will also home port from Piraeus from May to October 2024 and visit Kefalonia , Corfu , Katakolon , Bari and Santorini .

Presenting the company’s i tineraries and offers , Stiekema said MSC expects to bring some 500,000 cruise passengers to Greece in 2024.

“That’s massive because these passengers are also buying shore excursions,” he said, adding that the company helps boost local economies as well.

In addition to the MSC Sinfonia’s itinerary, MSC Cruises’s Greece offering includes the MSC Lirica calling to Mykonos and Santorini ; the MSC Armonia to Corfu and Zakynthos ; the MSC Divina to Santorini and Mykonos ; and the MSC Opera to Santorini , Piraeus and Katakolon . The MSC Splendida will also call to Greek ports but destinations have yet to be announced.

msc cruises english

Winter calls in Greece for the first time

The MSC Sinfonia will also homeport in Piraeus for a whole winter season , from November 2024 to May 2025, thus extending the cruise season . The ship will include stops in Izmir/Efessos (Turkey), Istanbul (Turkey), Corfu (Greece), and Bari (Italy).

MSC Cruises winter route falls in line with the Greek government’s wider five-year tourism development plan to extend the core visitor season.

According to Stiekema, MSC Cruises considers the route as “a real opportunity” to start developing the winter market from Greece .

“We know that Greece is more of a summer market than a winter one and that used to be the case in Italy, France and other countries… However, over time we’ve managed to create a cruise market for the winter as well and that for sure will happen in Greece,” he said.

Since the announcement of the winter cruise, Stiekema said occupancy volumes a re at a satisfying level. “It’s going in line with expectations from an occupancy perspective and from a price perspective,” he said, adding that numbers will rise mainly after August as the Greeks are known for being “late bookers” and usually make reservations after the summer.

msc cruises english

Speaking about MSC’s Greek cruise customers, he pointed out that they add up to around 20,000 and said the company’s aim is to develop the Greek source market.

“It is a tremendous opportunity because 20,000 is tremendously low, so one of our objectives is to really improve this market here with our travel partners… The Greeks need to understand that a cruise is not a ferry and does not just take you from one destination to another… Cruises offer unique experiences both on the ship and at the destinations, experiences way different compared to what they have been experiencing on other holidays,” he said.

“Your cabin takes you directly to the destination… You go to sleep and wake up the next morning and see that you are in Mykonos. This is an experience that is way different from taking a plane, being in the airport, taking a car, going to a hotel.”

Future challenges

msc cruises english

Referring to future challenges, Stiekema said that all the more larger capacity cruise ships will create congestion in the port of Piraeus but also in other ports of the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming years.

“We are very actively looking at how we can handle this and what could be other opportunities from a Greek port perspective… What is clear is that we see this as a growth area,” he said.

When asked about the possibility of expressing interest in the tender for the exploitation of the port of Lavrio , Stiekema replied that there are no announcements on the issue.

Staying on the subject of congestion at ports, he said the company this year is reducing pressure on destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos.

“Greece for us is very important so we are looking to take off pressure from the two classic islands – Mykonos and Santorini – due to logistical challenges in the summer… We are looking at other islands,” he said.

MSC Cruises 2024-2025 Greece season sees increased calls to other ports including Kefalonia, Katakolon, Zakynthos and Corfu.

msc cruises english

During his presentation, Stiekema introduced the Explora Journeys , the luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, which will call to 21 Greek ports in 2024. Many of EXPLORA I’s journeys offering convenient embarkation and disembarkation in Piraeus. Ports of call for EXPLORA I in Greece include Katapola  ( Amorgos ), Paros ,  Patmos and Corfu .

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise line and the market leader in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Southern Africa, with a strong and growing presence in North America and the Far East. The MSC Cruises fleet consists of 22 modern ships with three new vessels due to be launched in 2025, 2026, and 2027 . The company operates in more than 100 countries around the world, offering cruises across five continents, calling at more than 300 destinations and welcoming more than 180 different nationalities on board.

allCruises ,  Cruiseway Travel ,  Navihellas Cruise Centre  and  Top Kinisis Travel  are the sales representatives of MSC Cruises  in Greece .

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British Isles Cruises

Explore the history, culture, and legends of the British Isles.

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Luxury Cruises to the British Isles

From legendary landscapes to a rich history, there’s so much to explore on British Isles cruises. Discover iconic sites like the White Cliffs of Dover and the mysterious wonders of Stonehenge. Follow in the footsteps of the Beatles in Liverpool. Journey to Dorset’s Corfe Castle, one of the country’s most picturesque ruins.

Shop for Waterford crystal in Ireland, and kiss the famous stone at Blarney Castle. In Scotland, learn the secrets of whisky, cruise the still waters of beautiful Loch Lomond, and explore the imposing Inveraray Castle. Wherever you visit on our European cruises to the British Isles, you’ll discover green, rolling landscapes, sleepy rural villages, dynamic cities, and layer upon layer of history. Whether your interest is music, medieval history, historic pubs, or fashion, you’ll find it here.

British Isles Cruise Highlights

Majestic castles.

Experience the storied history of the British Isles through the region’s famous castles. From Dover, travel to London and marvel at the 11th-century Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels. In Kent, see dreamy, 900-year-old Leeds Castle, where Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon lived. Edinburgh Castle is a must, perched imperiously on Castle Rock, while 15th-century Stirling Castle whisks you back to the time of the great Scottish kings and queens.

Pub Culture

Pubs are endemic to British culture, and every village has at least one, where you’ll find a bucolic garden, a roaring fire in the cooler months, a fine array of beers on tap, and often, gourmet “pub grub”. Chat with locals in Ireland over a pint of Guinness, or sip cider in the sunshine in leafy Dorset or Kent. Seek out pubs in London that date back to the 16th century, frequented by such luminaries as Dickens, Keats, and the highwayman Dick Turpin. You’ll always find a friendly welcome.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The British Isles are packed with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both natural and man-made. The elegant city of Bath has one of the best-preserved Roman spas in the world, while Stonehenge dates back 5,000 years. From Belfast, explore Giant’s Causeway, a phenomenal natural wonder comprising thousands of basalt columns. In London, admire the blooms and exotic flora at Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens, or the gracious Palladian architecture of Maritime Greenwich, bisected by the 0° longitude meridian.

Featured British Isles Cruise Ports

Liverpool, england.

Liverpool is rich in maritime history and popular culture. If you’re a Beatles fan, you can visit the humble childhood homes of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. See Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, both of which inspired songs, and the Cavern Club, where it all began. Other Liverpool sights include the Three Graces, three iconic buildings on Pier Head, from where early emigrants to the United States departed. Visit the Cathedral, the largest in Britain, with soaring Gothic arches.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Dynamic Belfast, today a thriving, modern city, is famed as the epicenter of the “Troubles” that spanned three decades from the 1960s. Visit the Peace Wall that separates Catholic and Protestant areas, daubed with poignant murals, as well as the infamous Crumlin Road Gaol, operational until 1996 and believed to be haunted. Titanic followers shouldn’t miss the superb Titanic Belfast exhibit, which tells the story in multiple dimensions of the world’s most famous ship, which was built here.

Dover, England

Dover is the gateway to the historic towns, lush countryside, and natural attractions of southeast England. Visit the White Cliffs of Dover for dramatic landscapes, wartime history, and coastal vistas. Venture to Canterbury to explore Canterbury Cathedral, dating back 1,400 years, and explore moated Leeds Castle, once home to six medieval queens. Spend the day in nearby Tenterden, where you can ride a vintage railway and taste English wine. Or head to London, an easy day trip away.

British Isles Cruise Itineraries

Explore the British Isles on either Celebrity Silhouette, which sails out of the Dutch port of Rotterdam, or Celebrity Apex, which is based in Southampton all summer long. Cruises last from 11 to 13 nights, incorporating exciting ports in Iceland or circumnavigating Britain.

Itineraries

Why cruise to the british isles with celebrity cruises.

Cruise the British Isles with Celebrity and you’ll have a choice of convenient departure ports including Rotterdam, just an hour away from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and Southampton, England, a seamless journey from London. You’ll be able to enjoy the comforts of a sophisticated, contemporary ship for your European adventure.

The revolutionized Celebrity Silhouette features stylish, modern design, impeccable service, and, like all our ships, menus crafted by a Michelin-starred chef. Gaze out at Britain’s towering cliffs and green coastlines from the al fresco Lawn Club Grill, or feast on French classics with a contemporary twist in Murano. On Celebrity Apex, head to the leafy, light-filled lounge, Eden, for cocktails and dinner, or have lunch in the sunshine at the Rooftop Garden. Sink into a sofa on the Magic Carpet, an al fresco lounge high above the water with uninterrupted sea views. Choose The Retreat for suite accommodation, access to a private sundeck and lounge, and a table in the chic restaurant, Luminae at The Retreat.

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Russian River Cruises

History, review, itineraries, ships, deck plans, news.

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Russian River Cruises fleet

Ms pyotr velikiy, ms mustai karim, scenic tsar, viking akun, viking ingvar, ms general lavrinenkov, ms lunnaya sonata, viking truvor, ms yuri andropov, ms zosima shashkov, ms crucelake-lebedinoe ozero, ms leonid sobolev, ms mikhail sholokhov, review of russian river cruises.

CruiseMapper's "Russian River Cruises" hub provides detailed information on ships, itineraries, tours and prices on cruises along rivers and lakes in Russia. Here you'll also find concise info on the largest Russian cruise companies, including Vodohod , Mosturflot , Infoflot , Doninturflot-Orthodox , Imperial River Cruises Russia .

In the "Fleet" section you will find an extensive list or Russian cruise ships. By following each ship link you will find the ship's review, deck plans, scheduled itineraries and cruise pricing information. Live ship tracking is also provided on a digital map. It shows the vessel's current location, cruising speed and course.

In the "Itinerary" section you will find maps and day-by-day scheduled activities planned by Europe's largest cruise companies, also operating in Russia via chartered riverboats.

Russian flag - CruiseMapper

Volga River Cruises in Russia

Volga river cruising in Russia places you in another time. The longest and largest river in Europe stretches from Ivan the Terrible to Catherine the Great. Today, live along the central artery of Russia looks like it always has - the villages, the churches, the people, just like an old painting you have seen in a gallery.

The Volga flows through central Russia into the Caspian Sea and is often called the national river of Russia. 11 of the 20 largest cities of the country, including the capital Moscow, are in Volga's watershed. Some of the world's largest reservoirs can be found along the river, which has a symbolic meaning in Russian culture, referred to as Mother Volga (Volga Matushka) in Russian folklore and literature.

Explore the land of the Tsars while sailing down the historic Volga river, typically between Moscow and St Petersburg , the traditional homeports (of embarkation and debarkation). Tour landmarks are the Red Square and Kremlin in Moscow, the Hermitage and Catherine Palace in St Petersburg.

Russian River Cruises - CruiseMapper

Once unthinkable as a cruise vacation destination, Russia is today more accessible than ever, with stops along its largest European lakes and rivers. For river travel lovers accustomed to European itineraries, the Russian experience will be quite different. Russia has a special feel of uniquely designed riverboats. Built to handle larger lakes (Lake Ladoga for example, is the largest European freshwater body of water), these vessels usually feature larger size and capacity (up to six decks), deeper draft, and most of them are refurbished instead of being newbuild.

The itineraries offered are activity-intensive in Moscow and St Petersburg, with long periods of cruising and less ashore time in the middle. Smaller "Golden Ring" cities (so named due to their historic significance) are full of icon-riddled monasteries and Orthodox churches. Most cruise lines hire local experts and fill the days of sailing along the river with lectures on country's history, cooking demonstrations and language lessons.

Most of the tours offered by the companies sailing along Volga River are identical, so customers choosing between the different itineraries should look at how the river ships spend the time within Moscow and St. Petersburg. Some lines have their guests stay onboard, which can be as far as 1 hour out of both cities. Others put their clients up at hotels near the center of the city, with several meals at customer's expense.

Compared with other river routes, Russia features a short season, between early May and late October, with high season in June (known as White Nights because of the endless daylight), July and August. Even if the weather is chilly, there are some advantages to sailing early or late: you'll beat the crowds which can make a visit to the Hermitage a bear. Most Russian museums lack air-conditioning, and while the climate is generally temperate, in the summer Moscow often experiences high humidity heat waves.

Remember to think about your Russian visa at least 2 months before your voyage, to have enough time to fill out the paperwork, including a lengthy online application. And don't forget that the Russian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Even in the cities, you'll rarely find signs in English, so learning some letters and a few phrases will help you get around.

Doninturflot-Orthodox Cruise Company

Orthodox Cruise Company operates a fleet of USSR-design large river ships and serves mainly foreign tourists. The parent company Doninturflot (established in 1992) is the shipowner and manages the fleet.

  • Doninturflot started operations with the ships MS Maxim Litvinov, MS Mikhail Sholokhov and MS Sergei Dyagilev.
  • Since 2002, Docturflot charters Akademik Glushkov (currently MS Igor Stravinsky) owned by OOO Rosflotinvest.
  • In 2004 was acquired MS Anton Chekhov from Yenisei River Shipping Company (Russia).
  • In 2006 were acquired MS Peter Tchaikovsky and MS Ivan Bunin from the Moscow-based cruise shipping company "Passenger Port".
  • In 2008 was bought MS General Lavrinenkov from "Ukrrechflot" (Ukraine).
  • In 2011 was bought MS Marshal Koshevoy (from Ukrrichflot, Ukraine) but in April 2013 the ship was sold to Viking Cruises (now operates as Viking Akun ).
  • In 2016, was purchased MS Tikhi Don from the UK-based Grand Circle Travel company. In 2017, the ship started operations for Orthodox Cruise Company serving international tourists.

Imperial River Cruises Russia

"Imperial River Cruises Russia" was founded in 1992 and operates on inland waterways in both Russia and Ukraine. Company's chartered ships navigate on the rivers Volga, Don, Neva, Svir, Dnieper (also on the Danube) and the Russian lakes Onega and Ladoga.

The most operated itineraries are between Moscow and St Petersburg (visiting Uglich, Kostrom, Yaroslavl, Goritzy). Specially designed itineraries visit Vladimir, Suzdal, Zagorsk, Solovki Island. Also offered are itineraries Moscow-Volgograd and Moscow-Rostov, roundtrips from Kiev, and even grand voyages connecting two seas - Baltic and Black. Also offered are themed cruises - especially on food and music, with live performances by grand orchestras and choirs.

Imperial River Cruises Russia has an exclusive partnership with "Orthodox Cruise Company" - one of Russia's largest tour operators. As their names suggest, both companies target mainly foreign tourists - booking in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia. Ships' capacity varies between 180-250 passengers. English (or German) speaking licensed tour guides are provided on all excursions. The daily onboard entertainment program offers live musical performances, folk shows, enrichment lectures.

Russian river cruise deals

  • Departure port (dock/berth), check-in, boarding and landing times are indicated on the company's website and on passenger boarding passes. Ship's exact departure time is clarified on the website the day prior departure.
  • Kids discount ticket prices are offered for children up to 14 years of age (14-yo including), the age being fixed on departure day.
  • Kids from 2 to 5 years of age (5-yo including) travel free of charge, but without providing an additional bed (if there are no free beds in the cabin). Shore excursions are also free of charge.
  • Toddlers (kids under 2) travel free of charge, but the bed, food, and tour services are not provided. Extra beds in staterooms (baby cribs, cots) are not available on the ship.
  • TWIN (double cabin) single supplement rate is 75%.
  • Ticket prices are inclusive of 3 meals a day. Onboard dining includes Breakfast (buffet style, drinks - cocoa, milk, juices, hot-cold dishes), Lunch (buffet style) and Dinner (waiter-served, 1 Starter, 1 Main course (choice of 3 / meat-fish-vegetarian), 1 Dessert (choice of 2 or fruits). Water in pitchers is always provided. Tea/coffee is served.
  • On embarkation day and disembarkation day (at the end of the voyage) meal times depend on landing times. If a land tour coincides with a meal time (lunch), passengers are provided with complimentary food at a local restaurant (cafe) or given "dry rations".
  • Ticket price inclusive onboard events are Welcome Aboard ("bread and salt" ceremony), Welcome Cocktail (complimentary 1 glass of champagne or juice per person), "Tea Ceremony" (with traditional pies), "Vodka Show" (blini and vodka tasting), Cocktail Party (once per cruise, complimentary 1 cocktail per person), Captain's Dinner (gourmet menu, once per cruise), mulled wine or ice tea (weather-depending / upon returning from excursions), complimentary Coffee Station (coffee, hot water, packed tea, milk, cocoa, cookies), 1 bottled water (0.33l pp per day in cabins). Tickets are also inclusive of foreign language speaking guide services, onboard entertainment (language class, singing lessons, live music, nightly dancing music, Wheelhouse tour).
  • Complimentary excursions are detailed in the ship's cruise itinerary program. Optional tours are available for onboard booking. For excursion services, foreigner passengers may be charged with additional fee pp per day (varies by cruise tour length).
  • Cruise tickets don't include land transfers (excepting foreign travel agency bookings), beverages and snacks (in onboard bars-lounges), phone calls, sauna visits, optional excursions, travel insurance, gratuities, personal spendings. Ticket prices include 18% VAT.
  • Smoking on the ship is allowed only in designated areas (marked with "Place for smoking" signs). Smoking is prohibited in all interior spaces and on open decks (except at designated areas).
  • On most ships are available health gymnastics and morning exercises (led by a certified physician/ship's doctor), oxygen cocktail, dietary food.
  • On most ships are provided (free of charge) the following medical services - emergency medical care (assistance required for sudden acute illnesses, conditions, exacerbation of chronic diseases), measurement of blood pressure and body temperature, primary treatment of wounds.
  • Boarding starts 2 hours prior to departure. All passengers must be boarded at least an hour prior to departure. Late passengers missing their cruise tour are not refunded.
  • Russia's main river cruise departure ports are Moscow , St Petersburg , Astrakhan , Nizhny Novgorod , Perm , Samara , Kazan , Volgograd , Rostov-on-Don , Saratov .

Russian cruise ships

Currently, in Russia is operated a huge fleet of over 200 river cruise ships. All these vessels were built during the USSR (Soviet Union) times, roughly in the period between 1950-1990. Depending on class and series, these boats differ in terms of size, equipment (different engine designs), passenger capacity, onboard facilities and venues, cabins (types and number). Amenities additionally differ by shipowner (cruise company).

Russian river cruise ship

All these old-design Russian ships were completely refurbished and rebuilt for their new shipowners, Some of these ships are operated (via partnerships or under charter) also by foreign companies (like Viking, CroisiEurope, Uniworld, AMAwaterways, Grand Circle, Nicko). During their multi-million-dollar drydock refits, vessels passenger capacities were considerably reduced to improve travel comfort and safety.

Most boats are of the following classes:

  • "Rossiya" (Project 785, 36 vessels built 1952-1958)
  • "Baykal" (Project 646, 15 units built 1953-1956)
  • "Rodina" (Project 588, 49 vessels built 1954-1961)
  • "Oktyabrskaya Revolyutsiya" (Project 26-37, 14 units built 1957-1962)
  • "Dunay" (Project 305, 47 vessels built between 1959-1964)
  • "Kuybyshev" (Project OL400, 9 units built 1975-1983)
  • "Vladimir Ilyich" (Project 301, 22 vessels built between 1975-1983)
  • "Dmitri Furmanov" (Project 302, 27 vessels built between 1983-1991)

Regardless of their age, all these motor ships undergo regular drydock refurbishments , machinery and safety checks, scheduled repairs (including annual surveys). Drydocks are every 5 years and include repairs, hull inspection, propulsion-steering inspection, general maintenance works.

Each ship is equipped with life-saving appliances (lifeboats and rafts) in amounts exceeding the boat's max passenger and crew capacity. Each cabin is equipped with lifejackets with illustrated instructions in several languages. All ships are equipped with modern fire-fighting systems. Crew and staff are experienced and highly professional certified employees.

Itinerary of Russian River Cruises

CruiseMapper's "Russian River Cruises" itinerary section provides information on itineraries and ports of call offered by the largest Russian and European river cruise companies - Vodohod, Viking, Uniworld, Scenic, CroisiEurope. Each foreign company has a partnership with a local company and operates as a joint venture one or more Russian ships.

For detailed itinerary information (routes) visit our pages of the following departure ports - Saratov , Volgograd , Samara , Perm , Nizhny Novgorod , Cheboksary , Rostov-on-Don ,  Kazan , Astrakhan , Moscow , St Petersburg .

Volga River cruise ports highlights

  • St Petersburg (Russia's second-largest city - after Moscow) was built by Tzar Peter the Great in 1703. It is located in the Neva River delta (Gulf of Finland's east coast). Saint Petersburg includes the territories of more than 130 islands interconnected by over 300 bridges. The city has a huge number of cultural and historical sights, architectural landmarks, museums, magnificent palaces (Russian Tsars' former residences), grand parks, wide avenues, bridges, numerous monuments. Among its most famous tourist attractions are the Hermitage museum (housing over 2 million pieces of art). Two days is never enough to see everything in this remarkable city. However, passengers will usually visit the Hermitage, admire the city's 19th-century architecture during a canal cruise tour, take in a cultural performance, visit one of the Versailles-style palaces in St. Petersburg's countryside (Pushkin or Peterhof).
  • Moscow (Russian Federation's capital and largest city) was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. The city was destroyed several times - by the Mongolians, Napoleon, the Nazis. The heart of the city lies in the Red Square, which contains Lenin's Tomb, St Basil's Cathedral, and GUM Department Store. Kremlin's red walls also border the square. Inside the fort are the Armoury (containing the Faberge eggs) and 9 onion-domed churches. Art-fans can seek out Pushkin Gallery or see a show at Bolshoi Theatre.
  • Yaroslavl is one of the Golden Ring cities of Russia, and the largest city to visit during the middle of your Volga cruise. The town is famous for its gorgeous churches. It also offers several pedestrian-only streets full of shops and cafes, as well as a lovely embankment used as a park.
  • Uglich has a provincial setting. It was found in the 10th century and was a scene of some of medieval Russian history's most remarkable events. Here were exiled the Ivan Terrible’s 7th wife and her son Tsarevich Dmitry. Soon after, Tsarevich was mysteriously murdered here. Soon after, a dedicated to this event church ("Church of St. Demetrius on the Blood") was erected. Within the Uglich Kremlin walls is the town's oldest building - "Prince’s Palace". Other attractions are St. John’s Church and the Transfiguration Cathedral.
  • Astrakhan was founded at the end of the 13th century and is located on the Volga's left bank. Port’s activities extend 100 km downstream and over 300 km upstream along the river. The city is a major trading center and its main business is freight shipping (coal, timber, salt, food, industrial products). Astrakhan is not linked to the railroad network. Cargoes are transferred by floating cranes from river ships to seagoing vessels.
  • Goritsy is a small village on River Sheksna, famous for its Resurrection Convent, At approx 4 ml (7 km) from Goritsy is Kirillov - a pilgrimage site with many historical and architectural monuments. Among those are the Kirillo-Belozerski monastery, Ferapont monastery (UNESCO site), 12 churches, 25 civil monuments.
  • Kizhi Island (Lake Onega) is located approx 70 km (40 ml) to the northeast of Petrozavodsk. The island has two onion-domed churches. Also here is the 17th-century-built 22-domed church - constructed without using a single nail. Its "Church of the Transfiguration of our Savior" and "Church of the Intercession" were rebuilt several times and are preserved in their original 17th-century design.
  • Mandrogi (Mandroga) is a small village on the Svir river recently created as a tourist attraction. It features small wooden log cabin houses. Its “town of masters” is a market for hand-made Russian art craft, including paintings, painted wooden dolls, embroidery, pottery. Other attractions are the elk nursery and the quail farm, horse-riding tours, food tasting (pastry), vodka tasting (museum of Russian vodka).
  • Kostroma is also one of the Golden Ring cities, and once was one of Russia's 3 largest cities - after Moscow and Yaroslavl, It is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma. Among the attractions are the St Ipathy monastery, an open-air museum (traditional wooden architecture- izbas, mills, churches are gathered in one place).
  • Kizhi is famous the whole world over. It has become the symbol of the grandeur of unique Russian culture. Visiting the Kizhi Islands gives a great chance to appreciate the enchanting medieval atmosphere and get acquainted with the customs and free spirit of men living in a spacious area with a rigorous climate
  • Kazan. The largest port in the Volga basin, it transships cargoes transported by water alone or by water and rail. The port receives coal from Kuznetsk Basin for Kazan's heat and electric power plant, food and industrial products, and ships out products of city's enterprises and Siberian timber. The port includes Tsentral’nyi, Kama, and Volga cargo areas, as well as a number of landings, the biggest of which is Naberezhnye Chelny and Chistopol’. The basin of the Tsentral’nyi Cargo Area and passenger area are protected by a breakwater.
  • Novgorod (Nizhniy Novgorod) is an ancient stronghold founded by Gran Prince Yuri as a frontier post, is now the 5th largest city of Russia as well as one of the main centers of river tourism in the country. In the 19th century, Nizhniy became the trade center of the whole state as it was the place of the biggest fair in the Russian Empire. A proverb of that time says: "Moscow is the heart of Russia, St. Petersburg is its head, and Nizhniy Novgorod - its pocketbook". The city was renamed "Gorky" in Soviet times, in honor of the writer Maxim Gorky, born there. Until 1990, Nizhniy Novgorod was “closed” to foreigners as USSR protected its military secrets. Nizhniy Novgorod is included in the UNESCO list of 100 cities constituting world cultural and historical value.
  • Samara - during the Soviet period the city was named Kuybyshev, in honor of the Soviet party figure Valerian Kuybyshev. The shortest ways from Central and Western Europe to Kazakhstan, Siberia, and Central Asia run through Samara. The city has a rich cultural heritage: Alexey Tolstoy spent his childhood and youth there. Maxim Gorky started his literary career in the city - he worked in "Samara Newspaper". The Czech writer Yaroslav Gashek also worked in Samara, during the Civil war. Famous artists like Ilya Repin, Ivan Ayvazovsky, Vasily Surikov, lived in the city. During the Great Patriotic War, the Seventh Symphony of Dmitry Shostakovich was performed in Samara for the first time.
  • Tver - the White Trinity Church (1564) is the sole ancient monument of Tver as in 1763, there was a great fire after which the city was rebuilt in Neoclassical style. There are also a lot of buildings of Catherine the Great. Tver State University is highly rated in the region. In 1931, Tver received the name Kalinin, in honor of the Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin. The city was occupied by the German army in 1941. Only 2 months later it became the first big city in Europe liberated from the occupation.
  • Ulyanovsk is located on the right bank of the Kuibyshev Reservoir. Port's activities extend 90 km downstream and 100 km upstream along the Volga. The port unloads mineral construction materials, food, and industrial products for the cities of Saransk and Uljanovsk, and ships out coal from Kuznetsk Basin, automobiles, foodstuffs. Its passenger area was rebuilt in 1969 and includes a large number of landings, the biggest being Melekess and Sengilei. The basin of the port of Ulyanovsk is protected by a breakwater.
  • Saratov (founded in 1590) is the capital city of a huge province that as size equals the territories of Albania, Belgium and Switzerland combined. In the late 19th century, Saratov became a center for industry and trade, Among the city's attractions, are Moskovskaya street (Europe's longest straight street), one of Europe's longest bridges (2,8 km long), children’s theater, puppet theater, Russia’s oldest circus, musical conservatory, beaches, Art Galleries, Lipki Park, two large casinos.
  • Volgograd (currently Stalingrad) was founded in 1589. This is a major port and shipping hub linking Donets Basin with the Urals and Upper Volga Region. It ships grain, coal, food, and industrial products upstream and receives mineral construction materials and timber. The port’s districts are situated within the cities of Volzhsk and Volgograd (Tsentral’nyi). Kamyshin is the biggest landing belonging to the port. Among Volgograd's attractions is the Mamayev Hill with numerous sculptures devoted to the WW2 victims and topped with the world’s largest freestanding statue “Mother Russia” (height 52 m / 171 ft). Adjacent is the "Museum of the Defense" (war artifacts, weapons, uniforms).

All ships listed here operate on Russian waterways. To this long list should be additionally added the following boats, which are currently listed in the fleets of their own companies:

  • Scenic Tsar (company Scenic Cruises )
  • River Victoria (company Uniworld )
  • Viking Rurik , Viking Akun , Viking Helgi , Viking Ingvar , Viking Truvor (company Viking Cruises )

Viking River Cruises in Russia - Itinerary "Waterways of the Tsars"

Viking's itinerary is named "Waterways of the Tsars" (13-day cruise) inclusive of:

  • all transfers and port charges
  • Riverview stateroom
  • 10 guided tours (audio headsets provided)
  • all onboard meals (including 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 12 dinners, Welcome Cocktail Reception, Gala Dinner)
  • complimentary beverages (wine, beer, and soft drinks with all dinners and lunches)
  • complimentary Wi-Fi
  • visiting four UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • enrichment events (onshore live music and dance performances), onboard Russian language lessons, history-themed lectures, Russian cooking workshop, Russian tea time).
  • Viking's Russian cruise fares are between USD 5,100 - 5,600 PP. Prices are inclusive of international airfare from 30 USA airports.
  • Airport transfers (meet & greet) are included only when flights are purchased through Viking Cruises.

Optional (additionally priced) extensions are:

  • (pre-cruise) 2-night Moscow hotel package (Radisson Royal Hotel or similar), with included 2 breakfasts, Moscow Subway guided tour, Viking host services.
  • (post-cruise) 3-night Helsinki hotel package (Radisson Blu Plaza or similar), with included 3 breakfasts, guided walking tour, Viking host services, train travel (St Petersburg to Helsinki), all hotel and ship transfers.

Itineraries are two: northbound (Moscow to St Petersburg) or the reverse southbound (St Petersburg to Moscow).

viking-cruises-russia-itinerary-map

  • (Day 1) Moscow arrival, airport to ship transfer, onboard dinner
  • (Day 2) half-day Moscow tour (Bolshoi Theater, Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, GUM Department Store, Moscow Metro)
  • (Day 3) free time full-day Moscow touring, or an optional morning tour to Tretyakov Gallery Russian fine art museum). Other optional tours are in the afternoon (Cosmonaut Museum, Jewish Moscow) and in the evening (Moscow by Night).
  • (Day 4) Moscow tour to Kremlin (Tsar’s Canon, Tsar’s Bell, 2 cathedrals), scenic Moscow Canal cruise (after lunch) as the ships departs the city.
  • (Day 5) Uglich arrival (after lunch), disembarkation for a guided walking tour (Kremlin of Uglich, Church of St Dmitry on the Blood, tea at a local family home), before dinner departure
  • (Day 6) Yaroslavl arrival in the morning, guided tour (covered food market, handcrafted souvenirs shopping), free time, ship lunch, departure.
  • (Day 7) Kuzino morning arrival, tour to Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (guided walk- wooden chapels, Assumption Cathedral, museum), children’s school, ship lunch, afternoon departure.
  • (Day 8) Kizhi Island (Lake Onega cruising) afternoon arrival, walking tour (Open Air Museum of Architecture- wooden houses, windmills, churches, Preobranzhenskaya Church), evening departure.
  • (Day 9) Mandrogy (Svir River cruising) afternoon arrival (Vodka Museum, handmade Russian craft shopping, optional banya / Russian bathhouse visit, optional tour (matryoshka doll making workshop), Lake Ladoga cruising to Neva River.
  • (Day 10) — St Petersburg (Neva River cruising), early morning arrival, onboard breakfast, guided tour (Winter Palace, Hermitage Museum), onboard dinner and evening live Russian ballet performance.
  • (Day 11) St Petersburg tour to Pushkin district (Catherine Palace), ship lunch, city tour (St Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress, Nevsky Prospekt), optional evening folklore performance.
  • (Day 12) free time St Petersburg touring (optional morning tour to Peterhof Palace, optional afternoon kommunalka tour, optional St Petersburg canal cruise from), onboard lunch and dinner.
  • (Day 13) St Petersburg - onboard breakfast, ship disembarkation, ship to airport transfer for the return flight.

Uniworld Cruises in Russia - itinerary "Imperial Waterways of Russia"

The 13-day long itinerary is named "Imperial Waterways of Russia" and operated by the ship River Victoria. Uniworld's Russian cruise fares range between USD 5,200 and 9,900 PP (depending on cabin category.

  • Day 1 – Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport arrival, ship transfer, embarkation)
  • Day 2 – Moscow (city tour, metro tour, Arbat Street) - Bolshoi Theatre, Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, Russian lunch included, onboard Captain’s Welcome Reception, Gala Dinner
  • Day 3 – Moscow (Kremlin, Armory Museum)
  • Day 4 – Moscow (leisure day)
  • Day 5 – Moscow Canal and Volga River cruising to Uglich (walking tour)
  • Day 6 – Yaroslavl (Lake Rybinsk cruising) - city tour
  • Day 7 – Goritsy (Lake Onega cruising) - monasteries, St Cyril of the White Lake Monastery, Children’s Arts and Crafts,
  • Day 8 – Kizhi Island (Lake Onega cruising) - Open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture
  • Day 9 – Svir River cruising to Mandrogi, Lake Ladoga cruising - Mandrogi walk tour (picnic lunch)
  • Day 10 – St Petersburg (city tour, canal cruise, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, ballet performance at Alexandrinsky Theatre)
  • Day 11 – St Petersburg (Catherine Palace, Pushkin Park)
  • Day 12 – St Petersburg (Winter Palace - Hermitage Museum, Captain’s Farewell Reception, Gala Dinner)
  • Day 13 – St Petersburg (disembarkation, transfer and return flight).

Scenic River Cruises in Russia - itinerary "The Imperial Wonders Of Russia"

The itinerary is operated by Scenic Tzar and named "Imperial Jewels of Russia". Its duration is 15-day, along Volga and Svir rivers. Scenic Cruises deals are inclusive of:

  • Scenic Enrich - handcrafted, Scenic passengers exclusive tour experiences (private shows, family meals prepared by local hosts)
  • Scenic Sundowners - exclusive cocktail events
  • all onboard meals (including complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with lunches and dinners)
  • onboard doctor
  • onboard entertainment
  • in-cabin room service
  • Wi-Fi internet (Mac mini infotainment system via the cabin's TV)
  • all gratuities
  • Scenic's Russian cruise fares are USD 11,500 PP.

Day-by-day itinerary info: Day 1 (Moscow), Day 2 (Moscow, Sundowners canal cruise), Day 3 (Moscow - Kremlin), Day 4 (Moscow - Cosmonaut meeting), Day 5 (Moscow - Tretyakov Gallery), Day 6 (Uglich), Day 7 (Yaroslavl - city tour), Day 8 (Goritsy - Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery), Day 9 (Kizhi Island - Church of Transfiguration), Day 10 (Mandrogi - Museum village), Day 11 (St Petersburg - Hermitage), Day 12 (St Petersburg - Peterhof Palace), Day 13 (St Petersburg - Private Ballet performance), Day 14 (St Petersburg - canal cruise), Day 15 (return flight).

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