Aegean & Adriatic from Istanbul with MSC Splendida 2023

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Discover for yourself the beauty of one of Greece's most popular islands, known as "the green island" because of its 3 million olive trees and flower-strewn countryside. Her Adriatic-style villages offer you a fascinating mixture of old tavernas, new cafes, Byzantine churches, discos, and shops, plus an amazing old city between two fortresses.

 

Bari is a large seaside city with a castle and interesting old town center.The old town was the heart of pre-Roman and Roman Bari.

 

A few kilometers from the Slovenian border, the city port is a beautiful excursion route with its wide beach and historical monuments.
The city’s historic landmarks: the Church of San Giusto and surrounding medieval complex, the Miramare Castle, and the Habsburgian atmosphere of Piazza Italia. An hour’s bus ride from Trieste is the elegant and fascinating town of Aquileia, known among other things for its mosaics.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Katakolon is a small holiday port town in Ilia, in the western part of Greece. Katakolon is known as the ‘gateway to Olympia’ as it lies just East of the ancient city of Olympic, which was the birthplace of the Olympic games.
Katakolon really is a destination for everyone and all passengers will come away with greater understanding of the ancient Hellenic civilisations. Enjoy the best deals on the extraordinary Olympia archaeological museum, which is the most important in Greece. Here you can view exhibits of pottery, bronzes, Roman sculptures, artefacts from the Olympic Games and terracotta sculptures dating from 480 BC.

 

Piraeus is the main port of Athens, the biggest in Greece, and one of the most important in the Mediterranean Sea. Piraeus is walking distance from Kastella, a hill strewn with beautiful houses that offers a majestic view of the Saronic Gulf. Other points of interest include an archaeological museum, Mikrolimano, where you can enjoy an ouzo accompanied by seafood mezedes.

 

With its popular beaches and European-style shops and restaurants along the waterfront, Kusadasi is primarily regarded as a resort town frequented by cruise ships and populated by European holiday-goers. Kusadasi is a lively resort that has something to offer everyone. Whether you like exploring, relaxing on one of the many beautiful beaches or snapping up a bargain, Kusadasi has it allPigeon Island, also known as Bird Island, is the symbol of Kusadasi and where the name Kusadasi (meaning Bird Island) originated from. Visit the ancient city of Ephesus and the Virgin Mary’s House The large set of Aegean ruins at Ephesus—including the House of Virgin Mary, Basilica of St. John, and Temple of Artemis—lure travelers away from the city, as do the smaller but equally important sites at Priene, Didyma, and Miletus.

 

Istanbul is supremely exotic, warmly welcoming, and quite unique – after all, where else can you tour Europe and Asia on the very same afternoon? Must sees include Haghia Sophia, decorated in 30 million tiny mosaic tiles, the greatest church in Christendom for 1000 years, then a mosque and now a museum; and Topkapi, palace of sultans, complete with harem quarters. And of course shopping in the Grand Bazaar, a medieval version of a mall, for unusual gifts to take home, stopping along the way in a café for a cup of Turkish coffee or mint tea.