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7 Night Mediterranean - Eastern Cruise

DEPARTURE
May 26, 2025
SHIP
MSC Opera
PRICE FROM
£759 pp
DURATION
7 Nights

Itinerary

Piraeus

Greece
Day 1

It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.

DURATION
7 Nights
MSC Opera
by MSC Cruises
FROM
Piraeus, Greece
DEPARTURE
May 26, 2025
ARRIVAL AT
Piraeus
ARRIVAL
Jun 2, 2025
LIFESTYLE
Accessible Cruising
Family
Romantic Getaway

About this cruise

A refined style, precious materials and attention to detail make MSC Opera a cruise ship that really is something to sing about! She is built along more classic lines than her sisters in the Musica and Fantasia classes, making for a special atmosphere on board while enabling you to visit those destinations that are inaccessible to larger vessels.

Available dates

May 2025

Stateroom Options

  • InsideFROM£759 pp
  • OceanviewFROM£889 pp
  • BalconyFROM£1,189 pp
  • SuiteFROM£1,669 pp
Choose a Cabin

Fast, Simple, Secure booking

No Booking Fees

No Hidden Fees

ABTA No. P7264
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L'Approdo Restaurant

L'Approdo Restaurant is located on deck 6.

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L'Approdo Restaurant

L'Approdo Restaurant is located on deck 6.

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L'Approdo Restaurant

L'Approdo Restaurant is located on deck 6.

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La Caravella Restaurant

La Caravella Restaurant is located on deck 5.

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La Caravella Restaurant

La Caravella Restaurant is located on deck 5.

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La Caravella Restaurant

La Caravella Restaurant is located on deck 5.

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La Caravella Restaurant

La Caravella Restaurant is located on deck 5.

Ship icon

MSC Opera

MSC Cruises

FROM

£759 pp

  • What's included?
  • The below amenities and services are included in your selected cruise fare. By choosing a promotion during the booking process you may be entitled to additional amenities or services, depending on the particular offer.

    Included benefits

    • Flights, when booked as a fly-cruise package. All fly-cruise packages by MSC Cruises are financially protected by the ATOL scheme under no 4316. ATOL Certificates are sent following booking confirmation.

    Bella Experience

    • Cabin type selection (Guarantee cabins only - cabin number will be disclosed prior to departure)
    • Modern Ships & Elegant cabins
    • Cruise change for a fee
    • MSC for Me app (Available for guests travelling on MSC Seashore, MSC Virtuosa, MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview.The MSC for Me programme is also available on MSC Splendida and on MSC Magnifica, however it has reduced programme features.)
    • Discounted drink package option available at the time of booking
    • Extensive buffet with a wide array of cuisine
    • Main restaurants serving gourmet meals accommodating a variety of dietary restrictions
    • Gratuities
    • Varied programme of Broadway-style theatre shows available almost every day
    • Pool area
    • Open-air sports facilities (Power Walking Track, Basketball, etc)
    • Well-equipped gym with panoramic view
    • Entertainment activities for adults, infants and children (Clubs, etc) & Recreational activities for children
    • Qualified multilingual personnel

    Fantastica Experience includes all Bella benefits, plus:

    • 1 free cruise change
    • 24-hour room service (delivery for a fee)
    •  Breakfast in cabin (delivery for free)
    • Chance to request preferred dinner sitting (subject to availability)
    • 20% discount on a dedicated speciality restaurant prepaid package
    • Available with Balcony, Oceanview, and Interior Cabins

    Aurea Experience includes all Fantastica benefits, plus:

    • 24-hour room service (delivery is free)
    • Welcome package (Prosecco + chocolate)
    • Free time dining with My Choice dining in a dedicated restaurant or area
    • Free access to the Top Exclusive Solarium
    • Relaxation amenities in each cabin (including bathrobe and slippers)
    • Access to thermal area (for adults only)
    • 40% discount on a dedicated Spa prepaid package
    • 10% discount on all spa treatments purchased on board
    • Pillow menu
    • Priority boarding & luggage drop off
    • Available with Suites and Balcony cabins in the best locations (highest decks or close to the Spa)
    • MSC Yacht Club (Available on board MSC World Europa, MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Virtuosa, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Bellissima, MSC Seaview, MSC Seaside, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia):
    • Private Entrance (Dedicated priority check-in and check-out as well as priority departure and return on excursion days)
    • 24 hour Classic Butler Service and Dedicated Concierge
    • Private venues & elegant amenities
    • An exclusive fine-dining restaurant
    • Unlimited Drinks
    • Superior suite accommodation
    •  A complete all-inclusive experience
    • Privileged access to the industry-leading amenities, entertainment & services of the ship
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