Mediterranean from Naples

Naples is a large, sprawling Mediterranean port, with a centre that has many different focuses just waiting to be discovered on an MSC Mediterranean cruise excursion.brMSC Mediterranean cruises also offer excursions to Pompeii. One of Campanias most important Roman commercial centres a moneyed resort for wealthy patricians and a trading town that exported wine and fish the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 in effect froze the towns way of life as it stood at the time.brTrips can also be taken to the island of Capri, place of legend, home to the mythical Sirens and a much-eulogized playground of the super-rich in the years since though now it has settled down to a lucrative existence as a target for day-trippers from the mainland.br brDefinitely worth a visit, but these days the origins of much of the purple prose may be hard to find.

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The UNESCO-protected port of Valletta, the capital of the island of Malta, is one of the must-see stops for every Mediterranean cruise of merit.brYou can admire this port, constructed in the second half of the 16th century by the Frenchman Jean de la Valette and moulded by the religious and military Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, from your MSC ship even before disembarking. The over 300 monuments rising in little more than half a square kilometre make this a place with one of the greatest density of historical attractions to visit during a cruise, not mentioning other attractions such as its beaches, seaside locales and restaurants.brAn excursion to the island can start right from its capital, Valletta, which enchants the cruise-goer with its famous Maltese balconies, which decorate the facades of houses in its old quarter. Surrounded by a multitude of churches, which the islanders assure are as many as the days of the year, the St. Johns Co-Cathedral is one of Maltas biggest tourist attractions.brThe National Museum of Archaeology, on the other hand, hosts prehistoric artefacts found on the island. By the Grand Harbour, one can visit the underground passages of Auberge de Castille and the beautiful Baracca Gardens, which overlook the harbour; at night, when the city gates would close, its porticoes served as shelter for travellers. To get a taste of the life of Maltas ancient nobility, visit Casa Rocca Piccola.brA 16th century Palazzo now the residence of the 9th Marquis De Piro, it has period furnishings and has a bomb shelter built for protection against bombings during the Second World War. The set of the film Popeye can still be seen from Maltas largest beach, as well as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha with a fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Christ; according to tradition, Saint Luke, who was shipwrecked on the island with Saint Paul, is the author of this Byzantine-style fresco.br

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Genoa is marvellously eclectic, vibrant and full of rough-edged style; its a great cruise excursion.brIndeed La Superba (The Superb), as it was known at the height of its authority as a Mediterranean superpower, boasts more zest and intrigue than all the surrounding coastal resorts put together.brDuring a holiday to Genoa you can explore its old town: a dense and fascinating warren of medieval alleyways home to large palazzi built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by Genoas wealthy mercantile families and now transformed into museums and art galleries. You should seek out the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Palazzo Ducale, and the Renaissance palaces of Via Garibaldi which contain the cream of Genoas art collections, as well as furniture and decor from the grandest days of the citys past, when its ships sailed to all corners of the Mediterranean Sea.brThe Acquario di Genova is the citys pride and joy, parked like a giant ocean liner on the waterfront, with seventy tanks housing sea creatures from all the worlds major habitats, including the worlds biggest reconstruction of a Caribbean coral reef. Its a great aquarium by any standards, the second largest in Europe by capacity, and boasts a fashionably ecology-conscious slant and excellent background information in Italian and English.brJust 35 km south of Genoa, theres no denying the appeal of Portofino, tucked into a protected inlet surrounded by lush cypress- and olive-clad slopes. Its an A-list resort that has been attracting high-flying bankers, celebs and their hangers-on for years, as evidenced by the flotillas of giant yachts usually anchored just outside. Its a tiny place that is attractive yet somehow off-putting at the same time, with a quota of fancy shops, bars and restaurants for a place twice its size.br

Naples is a large, sprawling Mediterranean port, with a centre that has many different focuses just waiting to be discovered on an MSC Mediterranean cruise excursion.brMSC Mediterranean cruises also offer excursions to Pompeii. One of Campanias most important Roman commercial centres a moneyed resort for wealthy patricians and a trading town that exported wine and fish the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 in effect froze the towns way of life as it stood at the time.brTrips can also be taken to the island of Capri, place of legend, home to the mythical Sirens and a much-eulogized playground of the super-rich in the years since though now it has settled down to a lucrative existence as a target for day-trippers from the mainland.br brDefinitely worth a visit, but these days the origins of much of the purple prose may be hard to find.