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Home / Cruise Lines / MSC Cruises / MSC Virtuosa / Northern Europe from Southampton Cruise

Northern Europe from Southampton Cruise

  • Departure DateSat 13th Aug 2022
  • MSC Cruises MSC Virtuosa
  • 12 Night Cruise From Southampton
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Itinerary

  • Southampton
  • Lisbon
  • Funchal
  • Gran Canaria
  • Tenerife
  • Lanzarote
  • Vigo
  • Southampton

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Day 1 - Southampton

Arrive: Sat 13 August 2022 / Depart: Sat 13 August 2022 at 16:00

Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus. Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls. Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London. For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Lisbon

Arrive: Tue 16 August 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 16 August 2022 at 18:00

Strung out over a series of hills facing the glistening waters of the broad estuary of the Tejo, Lisbon is one of Europe’s most handsome cities. Although its modern suburbs are ungainly, the historic centre is relatively compact and easy to explore in just a day when your MSC cruise takes you to the Lisbon. The oldest part of the city, the warren of streets that make up the Alfama, sits below the spectacularly sited Moorish Castelo de São Jorge, its ruined walls facing another hill, the Bairro Alto or upper town, famed for its bars, restaurants and vibrant nightlife. The valley between these hills makes up the Baixa., or lower town. The tall, imposing buildings that make up the Baixa (Lower Town) house some of Lisbon’s most interesting shops and cafés. A shore excursion on your MSC Mediterranean cruise can be the opportunity to reach via a narrow walkway the impressive Torre de Belém (Tower of Belém), an iconic symbol of Lisbon. It typifies M anueline style that was prominent during the reign of King Manuel, its windows and stairways embellished with arches and decorative symbols representing Portugal’s explorations into the New World. Built as a fortress to defend the mouth of the River Tejo, it took years to complete, though when it opened in 1520 it would have been near the centre of the river – the earthquake of 1755 shifted the river’s course. Today, visitors are free to explore the tower’s various levels, which include a terrace facing the river from where artillery would hav ed been fired. You can then climb a very steep spiral staircase up four lev el – framed view of the river – to a top terrace where you get a blowy panorama of Belém.

Day 5 - At Sea

Day 6 - Funchal

Arrive: Thu 18 August 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 18 August 2022 at 19:00

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. The more lively tourist attraction is instead in Calheta, on the south-west coast. Splendid yachts cruising across the Atlantic are moored in the port and if you want to go for a swim there are two beautiful beaches of golden sand; in spite of the modern structures Calheta dates back to the mid-15th century. This is where they make the “Aguardente”, the best white rhum, and fundamental ingredient of Madeira’s typical drink, the “Poncha” .

Day 7 - Gran Canaria

Arrive: Fri 19 August 2022 at 11:00 / Depart: Fri 19 August 2022 at 20:00

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas is a city (and municipality) on the island, Gran Canaria, which is one of the Canary Islands (Spain) located 210 kilometers off the northwestern coast of the African continent within the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the capital city of the province of Las Palmas and the co-capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, sharing this status with Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The city was founded on June 24, 1478, with the name "Real de Las Palmas" by Juan Rejón, head of the invading Castilian army, before engaging in war with the local Guanches (aboriginal people of the Canary Islands). In 1492, Christopher Columbus anchored in the Port of Las Palmas (and spent some time on the island) on his first trip to the Americas. He also stopped on the way back to Spain. Today, a museum is named after him -Casa Colón - in the Vegueta area of the city. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is today a cosmopolitan city. It has five beaches (Las Canteras, Las Alcaravaneras, San Cristobal, El Confital and La Laja) and a big seaport (Puerto de la Luz harbor) that was very important during the 70s and early 90s (and benefited greatly from the closure of the Suez Canal during the Arab-Israeli conflict).

Day 8 - Tenerife

Arrive: Sat 20 August 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 20 August 2022 at 18:00

Just off the coast of Africa, Tenerife is the largest Island in the Canary archipelago. The islands name literally means white (Ife) mountain (Tene), and refers to the eternal snows on top of theEl Teide volcano, which is also the regions highest summit. From the warm weather and beaches, to the art galleries and museums,Tenerife has a wide variety of attractions that showcase the Spanish culture that has been prevalent there since the late 1400s.

Day 9 - Lanzarote

Arrive: Sun 21 August 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 21 August 2022 at 18:00

Day 10 - At Sea

Day 11 - Vigo

Arrive: Tue 23 August 2022 at 12:00 / Depart: Tue 23 August 2022 at 18:00

Few cities enjoy such a magnificent natural setting as Vigo. Arrayed along the sloping southern shoreline of its namesake estuary, it enjoys superb views not only of the bay itself, surrounded by green forest ridges, but also out towards the ocean. It’s undeniably magnificent when seen from your MSC cruise ship as it enters the harbour during its tour of the Northern Europe. These days, cruise passengers mingle with tourists arriving at the Estación Marítima de Ría off the Cangas ferry, and set off to explore the steep, cobbled streets that climb up into Vigo’s old city, known as O Berbés and crammed with shops, bars and restaurants. Along the seafront early in the morning, kiosks revive fishermen with strong coffee, while there and in the lively daily market hall nearby, the Mercado da Pedra, their catch is sold. Immediately below, on the aptly named Rúa da Pescadería, women set out plates of fresh oysters on permanent granite tables to tempt passers-by. A stiff but enjoyable excursion up from the old town, mostly along stone staircases, brings you to the top of the Castro hill. So named for the circular ancient ruins still visible on one side, and also the site of a seventeenth-century castle, the hill enjoys comprehensive views. The Museo Quiñones de León is the focal point of the large Parque de Castrelos, the extensive formal gardens and woodlands which begin 2km southwest of Castro hill. A nice excursion from Vigo is Pontevedra: a lovely old city, set slightly back from the sea at the point where the Río Lérez begins to widen out into the bay. A maze of pedestrianized flagstoned alleyways, interspersed with colonnaded squares, granite crosses and squat stone houses with floral balconies, the old quarter is always lively, making it perfect for a night out enjoying the local food and drink.

Day 12 - At Sea

Day 13 - Southampton

Arrive: Thu 25 August 2022 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 25 August 2022

Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus. Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls. Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London. For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.

MSC Virtuosa From MSC Cruises

MSC Virtuosa’s namesake comes from the word virtuoso, meaning someone highly skilled in any field of activity, and so MSC Virtuosa was named to pay homage to the skill and expertise of the MSC Cruises architects and shipyard partners at Les Chantiers de l’Atlantique who designed and built this innovative class of ships. This new cruise ship is one of the two largest in MSC Cruises’ fleet, along with her sister ship MSC Grandiosa, boasting an impressive array of guest features all coming together in perfect harmony to deliver the ultimate cruise holiday experience.

Ship Cabins

Interior Bella

Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Studio Interior FANTASTICA

Relaxing armchair Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Deluxe Ocean View FANTASTICA

Window with sea view Relaxing armchair Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Junior Ocean View with obstructed view FANTASTICA

Window with sea view Relaxing armchair Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Ocean View Bella

Ocean View Bella

Balcony Aurea

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Balcony Bella

Balcony Bella

Deluxe Balcony With Partial View FANTASTICA

Surface 17 sqm, balcony 6 sqm, deck 8-14. Sitting area with sofa. Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area with hairdryer. Comfortable double or single beds (on request). Interactive TV, telephone, Wifi connection available (for a fee), safe and minibar. ZOE - in-cabin Bluetooth speaker.

Studio Balcony FANTASTICA

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

Grand Suite Aurea with Terrace and Whirlpool

Large balcony with a private whirlpool bath Walk-in closet Sitting area with double sofa bed Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available

MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Comfortable double or single beds (on request) Spacious wardrobe Bathroom with shower or bathtub , vanity area with hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, Wifi connection included, safe and minibar Surface approx. 28 sq.m.

MSC Yacht Club Duplex Suite with Jacuzzi

Balcony Sitting area with sofa Spacious closet Bathroom with shower or bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Complimentary Wi-Fi

Premium Suite Aurea

Balcony Spacious closet Bathroom with bathtub, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available Accommodates up to 6 guests

Premium Suite Aurea with Terrace and Whirlpool

Large balcony with a private whirlpool bath Walk-in closet Sitting area with double sofa bed Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer Interactive TV, telephone, safe and minibar Wi-Fi access available
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