28 August 2009

Cruise line issues 2010 Europe programme

The 11^th ship to be added to the MSC Cruises fleet is to run Mediterranean cruises from Venice next summer.

MSC Magnifica will enter service in March as the newest in the Italian company’s Musica class of vessels.

The new ship will offer seven-night Eastern Mediterranean itineraries calling at Bari, Katakolon (for Olympia), Izmir, Istanbul and Dubrovnik.

MSC Magnifica will then offer the line's first Canada/New England autumn foliage cruises.

MSC’s 2010 Europe programme includes 16 Mediterranean and 11 Northern European itineraries covering more than 60 ports of call.

Departure ports include Dover, Barcelona, Rome (Civitavecchia), Venice, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Naples, Genoa, Bari, Marseille and Kiel.

MSC Opera will sail from Dover offering three different 11-night itineraries between May and August.

A new 11-night sailing to Iceland and the Shetland Islands will see MSC Poesia depart from Kiel on June 4 calling at Bergen, Torshavn, Faroe Islands; Akureyri, Isafjordur, and Hafnarfjordur in Iceland; and Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.

The company’s ships sailing the Mediterranean will include the two newest, MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida. The sister-ships with their MSC Yacht Club areas will sail a range of seven-night cruises.

by Phil Davies