11 Night Cruise sailing return from Barcelona onboard Splendida.

MSC Splendida, the second in MSC Cruises’ luxurious “Fantasia” class of cruise ships. Her cutting-edge technology combined with her luxurious features have produced a heaven where dreams become reality. MSC Splendida is a ship looking to the future but drawing from its past, where you will find golden bliss enclosed within one cruise ship. MSC Cruises has laid out a 6-star service for highly-demanding guests who enjoy the pleasures of life with the MSC Yacht Club, a VIP area complete with 99 spacious suites and 24 hour butler service. In the Top Sail Lounge, with its Skydome, guests may also delight their palate under a dome of sparkling stars. Luxury cruising at it's finest.

For their well-being, guests may partake in the MSC Aurea Spa with its highly-trained staff. In the spa, MSC Cruises combines the magic of Balinese massage with the traditional well-being that comes from water treatments, a legacy from ancient Roman times. Saunas, Turkish bath, solarium, relaxation room, thalassotherapy, massage room, whirlpool – guests may make use of all facilities in a relaxing and pleasant environment. For those seeking more sporty activities, there is a sun-kissed exercise room suspended above water. Every area was designed in order to re-balance the body’s harmony and let inner beauty shine through. For entertainment, on-board MSC Splendida there are 4 swimming pools, a squash court, the possibility of living the thrills of Formula 1 through a simulator, and more… MSC Cruises has always been sensitive to environmental issues and MSC Splendida is at the cutting edge ecologically. It is equipped with the most innovative technological systems to guarantee savings in energy and protection of the environment, such as the water processing systems. All of this ensures that MSC Splendida may boast the title of ECO SHIP.

Highlights of this cruise:

Barcelona, Spain
One of the busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean, the seaside city of Barcelona is known for its iconic architecture, colourful culture, and world-class drinking and dining. Explore Antoni Gaudí’s surreal Sagrada Família, the famous boulevard of the Ramblas, the medieval Barri Gótic, and the Museu Picasso. But there’s even more to discover in this sprawling Spanish city, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination: from hidden tapas bars and fabulous food markets to Europe’s biggest football stadium. An MSC Cruises excursion to Sagrada Família offers you the unmissable gift of visiting Gaudí’s ingenious Roman Catholic basilica. Journey to this architectural feat with the option of an electrically assisted Mercedes-Benz eBike which you can then use to ride through the city. On your travels, discover the nearby town of Santa Coloma de Cervelló and take in Gaudi’s incredible Church of Colonia Güell. Or visit his other architectural masterworks — Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. Choose an adventurous MSC Cruises excursion to the majestic Montserrat Mountains. See Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona’s lively boulevard, and pause to marvel at Gaudí’s Sagrada Família. Then, travel through picturesque countryside to the rugged sandstone peaks of the Montserrat Mountains where the Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat is situated. Founded in the 11th-century, the monastery still houses over 70 monks and functions to this day. Discover the charming village of Sant Sadurni and visit the prestigious Vilarnau Wine Cellars. There, you’ll learn how Spanish cava wine is made and you’ll get to partake in a tasting session.

Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca, an impressive port city on Morocco’s magical coast, is an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. Discover Mauresque architecture, attractive beaches, and the colourful Old Medina. Place Mohammed V, a square of symbolic significance, is resplendent with palm trees and a majestic fountain. Beyond the port, two extraordinary cities await your discovery — vibrant Marrakech and beautiful Rabat. An enchanting adventure awaits, on an MSC Cruises excursion, across the buzzing city of Casablanca. Enjoy a scenic journey through streets and squares before stopping at an authentic Habous district market. Visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Lourdes and the Hassan II Mosque — the largest mosque in Africa. Resting on a peninsula overlooking the Atlantic, take in spectacular sea views and fine architectural craftsmanship. Visit Marrakech on an MSC Cruises excursion, a Moroccan imperial city known as the 'Pearl of the South'. Here, you’ll discover the ornately decorated Saadian Tombs and the mesmerising 19th-century Bahia Palace. Afterwards, take in Marrakech’s iconic market square, Jemaa el-Fnaa. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is brimming with merchants, performers, restaurants, food stalls, snake charmers, storytellers, and henna artists.

Funchal, Madeira
As you arrive in Funchal on an MSC cruise, your ship will cast anchor in a bay protected by mountains rising straight up behind the port. The name, Funchal, derives from that of the fennel plant, the funcho still used today in the traditional sweets known as rebuçados de funcho, that one can find anywhere on the island of Madeira. An excursion will take you around the town centre, to visit historic churches, from the A Sé Cathedral, with its inlaid ceiling, to the majestic Church of the Incarnation, to the church of Carmo without a vault. Another MSC excursion will take you up to the village of Monte, from where one can admire a spectacular view of the Funchal bay. You can visit its 18th century church and the tomb of the last Austrian emperor, Charles I, and stroll around the magnificent botanic gardens. But if you like heights, there’s nothing more impressive than the Cabo Girão and its 589 metre tall cliffs, amongst the highest in the world, at the foot of which lie the cultivated lands known as Fajãs do Cabo Girão. If you’re looking for an equipped beach during your MSC cruise, another excursion will take you to Machico. Founded in the 15th century, it hosts the oldest religious building on the island, the Capela dos Milagres, and the fortresses of São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Amparo built in the beginning of the 16th century.

Civitavecchia, Italy
Discover the culture and colour of Civitavecchia, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination. This Italian gem is an enjoyable flight from many European and non-European cities. Celebrated for its 16th-century Michelangelo Fort, ancient Taurine Baths, and marble Vanvitelli fountain, the port is a convenient starting point for visiting Rome, Italy’s regal and romantic capital. Not far from Civitavecchia lies Rome, one of the world’s most distinguished cities. Be entranced by its many architectural wonders including the famous Colosseum. An ancient amphitheatre in the centre of the capital, built between 70 and 80 AD, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was commissioned by Roman Emperor Vespasian to entertain more than 50,000 people! On this MSC Cruises excursion, you’ll take a peek inside the arena, imagining the gladiator fights and mock sea-battles that took place at its centre. Then, visit the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, a short walk from the amphitheatre. The Trevi Fountain is an icon of Rome, a Baroque beauty uniting architecture, sculpture, rocks, and water. Admire the spectacle on an MSC Cruises excursion and see this 18th-cenury landmark close-up. Showcasing mythological figures, including Triton on a shell-shaped chariot, the Trevi Fountain is an Italian masterwork. This landmark structure has featured in films such as La Dolce Vita and Roman Holiday. A journey to Rome isn’t complete without a visit to Vatican City, located in the heart of the Italian Capital. Pick an MSC Cruises excursion to see St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel. If you arrive in Rome on a Sunday, you’ll be able to attend the Pope's noon Angelus Prayer. Or enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican Museums which houses works by Da Vinci, Caravaggio, van Gogh, Dali, Picasso, and Gaugin.

Genoa, Italy
Genoa is marvellously eclectic, vibrant and full of rough-edged style; it’s a great cruise excursion. Indeed “La Superba” (The Superb), as it was known at the height of its authority as a Mediterranean superpower, boasts more zest and intrigue than all the surrounding coastal resorts put together. During a holiday to Genoa you can explore its old town: a dense and fascinating warren of medieval alleyways home to large palazzi built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by Genoa’s wealthy mercantile families and now transformed into museums and art galleries. You should seek out the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Palazzo Ducale, and the Renaissance palaces of Via Garibaldi which contain the cream of Genoa’s art collections, as well as furniture and decor from the grandest days of the city’s past, when its ships sailed to all corners of the Mediterranean Sea. The Acquario di Genova is the city’s pride and joy, parked like a giant ocean liner on the waterfront, with seventy tanks housing sea creatures from all the world’s major habitats, including the world’s biggest reconstruction of a Caribbean coral reef. It’s a great aquarium by any standards, the second largest in Europe by capacity, and boasts a fashionably ecology-conscious slant and excellent background information in Italian and English. Just 35 km south of Genoa, there’s no denying the appeal of Portofino, tucked into a protected inlet surrounded by lush cypress- and olive-clad slopes. It’s an A-list resort that has been attracting high-flying bankers, celebs and their hangers-on for years, as evidenced by the flotillas of giant yachts usually anchored just outside. It’s a tiny place that is attractive yet somehow off-putting at the same time, with a quota of fancy shops, bars and restaurants for a place twice its size.