MSC Meraviglia - Western Mediterranean from Barcelona

Where this cruise calls, day by day

7 ports and 1 sea day over 7 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Barcelona

   SpainDepart
   Barcelona port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   La Goulette (Tunis)

   TunisiaPort

   La Goulette is the port of Tunis, sitting where the lake meets the sea with the capital about twenty minutes inland. It is a straightforward call with two obvious targets: the scattered Roman ruins of Carthage on the headland, and Sidi Bou Said, a blue-and-white village on the cliff above. Expect firm haggling in the Tunis medina and a busy, unpolished port area.

   • The Antonine Baths and the Punic ports on the Carthage archaeological site
   • Sidi Bou Said's blue-shuttered lanes and the Cafe des Nattes
   • The Tunis medina and the courtyard of the Zitouna Mosque
   • The Bardo National Museum and its Roman mosaic collection

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at La Goulette, a short walk from the TGM light rail, which runs to Tunis in one direction and Carthage and Sidi Bou Said in the other.

   Best months

   Mar-May and Oct-Nov (Jul-Aug very hot)

4. Day 4

   Palermo, Sicily

   ItalyPort

   Palermo docks its ships in the middle of the city and the walk out is short, which suits a place best taken at street level. The layers are the draw: Norman kings hired Arab and Byzantine craftsmen, and the results look like nothing else in Europe. It is scruffy, chaotic and loud, with street food markets that are the real reason many people come.

   • The Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni, gold mosaics under a carved wooden ceiling
   • Monreale Cathedral, twenty minutes uphill, and its immense apse mosaic
   • The Ballaro and Capo street markets, and panelle or sfincione eaten standing up
   • The Capuchin Catacombs, if you have the stomach for them

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at the Stazione Marittima on the city waterfront; the Teatro Massimo and the Quattro Canti are a 15-20 minute walk inland.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug is very hot)

5. Day 5

   Naples

   ItalyPort
   Naples port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
6. Day 6

   Livorno (Florence/Pisa)

   ItalyPort
   Livorno (Florence/Pisa) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
7. Day 7

   Marseille

   FrancePort

   France's oldest city and its largest port, founded by Greek traders around 600 BC and still visibly a working, unpolished place. The Vieux-Port is the centre of gravity, with the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica on the hill above and the limestone inlets of the Calanques to the south. Marseille also serves as the gateway to Provence, with Aix-en-Provence about 40 minutes inland.

   • Notre-Dame de la Garde and the panorama over the harbour and islands
   • MuCEM and the Fort Saint-Jean footbridges at the harbour mouth
   • Le Panier, the hillside old quarter behind the Vieux-Port
   • A boat trip into the Calanques or a coach to Aix-en-Provence

   Getting ashore

   The cruise terminals sit in the commercial port several kilometres north of the centre, so a shuttle bus to the Joliette or Vieux-Port area is effectively compulsory.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (the mistral can blow cold and hard in spring)

8. Day 8

   Barcelona

   SpainArrive
   Barcelona port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore