Date
Port
Info
Arrive
Depart
29 Aug 2024
Hamburg
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19:00
Located between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Hamburg will fascinate you from the moment you first set eyes on its elegant and austere buildings looking onto the port, one of the largest in Europe. When you reach this destination on an MSC Cruise of Northern Europe, you can get a taste of its glorious history. Hamburg is a cosmopolitan, wealthy and fashionable city, with an aggressive economy, that still prides itself of the title “free Hanseatic city”. It has, in fact, never cut its umbilical cord with maritime trade that has its heart in the port where your cruise liner will be waiting for you. Many tourist come here to visit the Reeperbahn, the red light district, but if you want to take in the atmosphere of the city, you shouldn’t miss an excursion to Speicherstadt (Warehouse Town), where the cobbled streets, gables and turrets combine to make the area on the other side of Zollkanal (Tax Canal) a world apart from the city opposite. Another city icon, St Michaelis, at the western edge of the city centre by Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse, is Hamburg’s iconic church and no wonder. More than any other building, the “Michael” mirrors the city’s irrepressible spirit. Burned down after a lightning strike in1750, it was rebuilt in Baroque style under Ernst Georg Sonnin but it again accidently caught fire in1906. In 1945, the Allies obliterated the roof and decor of church number three. Reconstructed again to Sonnin’s plans, it is now the finest Baroque church in North Germany. Probably the most gratifying attraction during an excursion on an MSC Cruise is the scenery you can admire from one of the best views over Hamburg: the 360-degree panorama takes in Speicherstadt, the container port and shipping on the Elbe, the Alster lakes, and the five spires of the churches and Rathaus.
Sail on an MSC cruise to the unique and fiercely independent archipelago of Orkney! For an Orcadian, the Mainland means the largest island in Orkney rather than the rest of Scotland, and their history is inextricably linked with Scandinavia. Kirkwall, Orkney’s capital, has one great redeeming feature – its sandstone cathedral, without doubt the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland. Nowadays, the town is divided into two main focal points: the old harbour, at the north end of the town, where inter-island ferries come and go all year round, and the flagstoned main street, which changes its name four times as it twists its way south from the harbour past the cathedral. Standing at the very heart of Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral is the town’s most compelling sight. This beautiful red sandstone building was begun in 1137 by the Viking Earl Rognvald, who built the cathedral in honour of his uncle Magnus, killed on the orders of his cousin Håkon in 1117. To the south of the cathedral are the ruined remains of the Bishop’s Palace, residence of the Bishop of Orkney since the twelfth century. Most of what you see now, however, dates from the time of Bishop Robert Reid, sixteenth-century founder of Edinburgh University. A narrow spiral staircase takes you to the top for a good view over the cathedral and Kirkwall’s rooftops. MSC Northern Europe cruises also offer excursions to the heart of Orkney’s most important Neolithic ceremonial complex. The most visible part is the Stones of Stenness, originally a circle of twelve rock slabs, now just four, the tallest of which is more than 16ft high and remarkable for its incredible thinness.
Sail on an MSC cruise to the unique and fiercely independent archipelago of Orkney! For an Orcadian, the Mainland means the largest island in Orkney rather than the rest of Scotland, and their history is inextricably linked with Scandinavia. Kirkwall, Orkney’s capital, has one great redeeming feature – its sandstone cathedral, without doubt the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland. Nowadays, the town is divided into two main focal points: the old harbour, at the north end of the town, where inter-island ferries come and go all year round, and the flagstoned main street, which changes its name four times as it twists its way south from the harbour past the cathedral. Standing at the very heart of Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral is the town’s most compelling sight. This beautiful red sandstone building was begun in 1137 by the Viking Earl Rognvald, who built the cathedral in honour of his uncle Magnus, killed on the orders of his cousin Håkon in 1117. To the south of the cathedral are the ruined remains of the Bishop’s Palace, residence of the Bishop of Orkney since the twelfth century. Most of what you see now, however, dates from the time of Bishop Robert Reid, sixteenth-century founder of Edinburgh University. A narrow spiral staircase takes you to the top for a good view over the cathedral and Kirkwall’s rooftops. MSC Northern Europe cruises also offer excursions to the heart of Orkney’s most important Neolithic ceremonial complex. The most visible part is the Stones of Stenness, originally a circle of twelve rock slabs, now just four, the tallest of which is more than 16ft high and remarkable for its incredible thinness.
02 Sep 2024
Reykjavik
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Reykjavík is mirrored in the waters of its bay, as you can see when your cruise ship sets anchor in the port. The quays along the seafront host a variety of shops, live music clubs and cafés. Take a stroll down Frakkastigur up to Lækjartorg, to admire the Sólfar, also known as the Sun Voyager, a large modern steelsculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, that represents a Viking vessel, with the bow pointing towards the north. Go back in history as you reach the historic centre, in the districts of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata, where you can still see the remains of some primitive Icelandic dwellings. Also the church of Hallgrímur, probably the most important architectural monument in Reykjavik, is worth a visit. As you will discover during your MSC cruise of Northern Europe, geothermal energy positively conditions the life of the entire country and there is an abundance of spas. Don’t miss an excursion to the Þingvellir national park, in the south west region of the island, a UNESCO world heritage site since 2004. On the northern shores of the Þingvallavatn, the largest Icelandic lake, the Öxará river forms the Öxaráfoss waterfall in the vicinity of Almannagjá, the largest cleft in this land. If you like waterfalls, you should not miss a visit to Gullfoss, in the south east of the island: the river Hvítá here drops down 11 and then 21 metres forming the queen of all Icelandic waterfalls and then continues along a narrow gorge in the plateau. In this area we also find the Strokkur, the only geyser that regularly erupts every 4-8 minutes. Then proceed to Geysir, in the Haukadalur valley, the oldest known geyser, from which the term originates. Its eruptions spray boiling water up to 60 metres into the air, but often reach higher than 100 metres: it is the tallest of the active geysers.
03 Sep 2024
Isafjordur (Iceland)
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Ísafjörður (ice fjord in Icelandic) is a town in the north west of Iceland. The town draws its name from the fjörd and the fjord was given name simultaneously to the island. Ísafjörður is the largest town in the peninsula of Vestfirðir, and the seat of the Ísafjarðarbær municipality, which includes the nearby Hnífsdalur, Flateyri, Suðureyri, and Þingeyri. It is located on a spit of sand, or eyri, in the Skutulsfjörður fjord which meets the waters of the larger Isafjarðardjúp fjord. Fishing has been the main industry in Ísafjörður, and the town has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. A vast decline in the fishing industry, due to many reasons such as political fishing restrictions in the early eighties and natural causes, has led the inhabitants to seek work elsewhere making the population numbers decreasing. The harbor also serves ferries to nearby settlements as well as larger cruise ships for tourists visiting the area. Despite its size, small population, and historical isolation from the rest of the country, the town has a rather urban atmosphere.
04 Sep 2024
Akureyri (Iceland)
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Akureyri is a town in the northern part of Lýðveldið Ísland (Republic of Iceland). It is the second largest urban area after the Greater Reykjavík area but is the fourth largest municipality in Iceland after Hafnarfjörður, Kópavogur and Reykjavík. The city is nicknamed the “Capital of North Iceland.” The area was settled in the 9th century but did not receive a municipal charter until 1786. The area has a warm climate due to geographical factors. Akeureyri is an important port and fisheries centre. It is a regional population centre and has not lost population due to the city being a tourist center. There is a thriving cultural scene in Akureyri. There are bars and well-known restaurants (such as “Greifinn and Bautinn”). The Icelandic folk dance ensemble “Vefarinn” comes from Akureyri. Folk culture in general is more prevalent in Akureyri than in Reykjavík. During the summer there are several festivals in Akureyri and its surroundings. One example is the medieval festival held every summer at Gásir.
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles (160 km) off the north coast of mainland Great Britain on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland. Lerwick is a name with roots in Old Norse and its local descendant, Norn, which was spoken in Shetland until the mid-19th century. The name “Lerwick” means bay of clay. Lerwick has strong ties with Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway (Lerwick has a friendship agreement with Måløy in Norway), and this is reflected in the street names of Lerwick. The first settlement to be known as Lerwick was founded in the seventeenth century as a herring and white fish seaport to trade with the Dutch fishing fleet. This settlement was on the mainland (west) side of Bressay Sound, a natural harbour with south and north entrances between the Shetland mainland and the island of Bressay. Fort Charlotte was built in the mid 17th Century on Lerwick’s waterfront and permanent stone built buildings began to be erected around ‘the fort’ and along the shoreline. The principal concentration of buildings was in the ‘lanes’ area; a steep hillside stretching from the shoreline to Hillhead at the top. As Lerwick became more prosperous through sea trade and the fishing industry during the 19th century, the town expanded to the west of Hillhead. Lerwick Town Hall was built during this period of expansion.
08 Sep 2024
Hamburg
07:00
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Located between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Hamburg will fascinate you from the moment you first set eyes on its elegant and austere buildings looking onto the port, one of the largest in Europe. When you reach this destination on an MSC Cruise of Northern Europe, you can get a taste of its glorious history. Hamburg is a cosmopolitan, wealthy and fashionable city, with an aggressive economy, that still prides itself of the title “free Hanseatic city”. It has, in fact, never cut its umbilical cord with maritime trade that has its heart in the port where your cruise liner will be waiting for you. Many tourist come here to visit the Reeperbahn, the red light district, but if you want to take in the atmosphere of the city, you shouldn’t miss an excursion to Speicherstadt (Warehouse Town), where the cobbled streets, gables and turrets combine to make the area on the other side of Zollkanal (Tax Canal) a world apart from the city opposite. Another city icon, St Michaelis, at the western edge of the city centre by Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse, is Hamburg’s iconic church and no wonder. More than any other building, the “Michael” mirrors the city’s irrepressible spirit. Burned down after a lightning strike in1750, it was rebuilt in Baroque style under Ernst Georg Sonnin but it again accidently caught fire in1906. In 1945, the Allies obliterated the roof and decor of church number three. Reconstructed again to Sonnin’s plans, it is now the finest Baroque church in North Germany. Probably the most gratifying attraction during an excursion on an MSC Cruise is the scenery you can admire from one of the best views over Hamburg: the 360-degree panorama takes in Speicherstadt, the container port and shipping on the Elbe, the Alster lakes, and the five spires of the churches and Rathaus.