DAY 01 ISTANBUL AIRPORT – MILAN – GENOA
Following our meeting at Istanbul Airport International Departures terminal at 04:30, we complete our check-in procedures and then depart for Milan at 06:50 with Turkish Airlines flight TK1873. Upon our arrival in Milan at local time 08:45, we transfer to the port of Genoa where our MSC World Asia ship is located, via our private vehicle waiting for us. After ship check-in and luggage procedures, settle into the cabins followed by free time. Our guide will hold a briefing introducing you to the ship and our tours after boarding, and afterward, you can enjoy the ship until dinner. Our ship will depart from the port at 16:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 02 NAPLES
Our ship will dock at the port of Naples at 13:00 in the morning. Guests who wish may join the optional “Sorrento & Capri Tour (Full Day)” organized by their guide. Sorrento is the city of lemon and orange trees, the homeland of mermaids, the country of colors, where the poet Torquato Tasso was born. Sorrento, which also hosted the famous Soviet writer Maxim Gorky in the 1920s, is a charming southern city where kindness and hospitality meet and are passed down from generation to generation. After our Sorrento tour, we depart for Capri. We arrive at the island of Capri after a journey we will make by fast ferry. Places to visit in Capri are the town of Capri located above the port and the “Anacapri” town at the very top of the hill, the Augustus Gardens, and the shopping street. Those who wish can take the chairlift from Anacapri to the highest point of the island and catch the chance to see a magnificent view. After the tour ends, we return to our ship. Our ship will leave the port at 20:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 03 MESSINA (TAORMINA)
Our ship will dock at the port of Messina at 09:00 in the morning. Free time for personal activities after morning breakfast. Guests who wish may join the optional “Taormina Tour” organized by our guide. On this tour, we will visit the world-famous town of Taormina by passing through slopes with magnificent views. Among the places we will see in Taormina are the Cathedral, Corvaja Palace, Roman Theater (from the outside), and Umberto Street. Following the free time we will give for shopping, return to our ship. Our ship will leave the port at 19:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 04 VALLETTA
Our ship will dock at the port of Valletta at 08:00 in the morning. Free time for personal activities after morning breakfast. Guests who wish may join our optional “Mosta & Valletta & Mdina & Marsaxlokk tour” organized by our guide. Our first stop is Mosta. On this tour, we visit the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, which has the third largest dome in Europe. The interior paintings of this massive basilica, whose dome has an outer diameter of 56.2 meters, were painted notably by the painter Giuseppe Cali. We will see the replica of the 200 kg unexploded bomb dropped by German Nazi planes during World War II in 1942 that pierced the dome and embedded itself in the church floor, and we will get information about the interior and exterior architecture of the church. Afterwards, we visit Mdina, the ancient capital of Malta, which served as the natural set where many scenes of the famous series Game of Thrones were filmed. While wandering the narrow streets of this medieval city known as the silent city, we will see the magnificent Saint Paul's Cathedral, Falson Palace built in the 13th century by the Falson family, one of Malta's noble families, the 17th-century Baroque-style Carmelite Priory, Vilhena Palace, and the old houses of Mdina. Then our tour will continue by visiting the fishing village named “Marsaxlokk”. You should not miss the view offered by the small charming fishing boats with colors and designs unique to Malta, called Luzzu. At the same time, we will have free time in this charming fishing village where an open market is set up, for guests who wish to have lunch at local restaurants offering menus consisting of fresh fish and seafood. After our free time, we will set off towards Valletta. We will carry out our Valletta city tour. Valletta was selected as the 2018 European Capital of Culture by the Council of the European Union. During our tour, we will have the opportunity to see the magnificent walled city of Valletta from the outside. After our bus tour, we will explore the city by walking through the vibrant streets of the capital Valletta accompanied by our guide. Our first stop will be the Upper Barrakka Gardens built on the upper section of the defense walls surrounding this majestic city. These gardens, built by the Knights of St. John, also offer a magnificent view of the Grand Harbour and the 3 walled ancient cities. At the end of our tour, we return to our ship. Our ship will leave the port at 17:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 05 CRUISING AT SEA
On this day spent cruising at sea, our ship will offer you many alternatives. Those who wish can benefit from the ship's outdoor and indoor pools, jacuzzis, and sunbathing areas. Those who want can shop at duty-free stores, try their luck at the casino, or enjoy various music and entertainment performed in dozens of bars. Different dining alternatives await you all day long. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 06 BARCELONA
Our ship will dock at the port of Barcelona at 08:00 in the morning. Free time for personal activities after morning breakfast. Departure for our optional “Barcelona City Tour” that our guests who wish can join, organized by our guide. Our city tour in Barcelona, one of Europe's most beautiful metropolises, will begin with our private bus waiting for us at the port. La Rambla Street, Christopher Columbus Monument, Maremagnum Artificial Port, Barceloneta Beach, Olympic area and port, Catalunya Square, Passeig de Gracia street where Gaudí's houses have been turned into a street museum, and his main work Sagrada Familia are among the places we will see. During our tour, we will go up to Montju&iumc;c hill and take landscape photos. After free time for shopping, we will return to our ship. Our ship will leave the port at 18:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 07 MARSEILLE / AIX-EN-PROVENCE
Our ship will dock at the port of Marseille at 08:00 in the morning. Free time for personal activities after morning breakfast. Departure for the “Marseille City Tour & Aix-en-Provence Tour” organized optionally by our guide. In Marseille, an important maritime city, we will start our tour by first visiting the “Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica” located on a high hill. Following this visit, the Longchamp Fountain, Saint-Charles railway station, old town, Hotel de Ville, and the marina area are some of the places to be seen. Afterwards, we will go to Aix-en-Provence, located 40 minutes away from Marseille. It will start with the 12th-century famous Saint-Sauveur Cathedral with its Romanesque facade and covered arched walkway. During our pleasant walk in the old district of the city afterwards, you will see the ancient inns located here and the Mazarin quarter designed in the 17th century by the brother of Cardinal Mazarin. Our ship will leave the port at 18:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
DAY 08 GENOA – MILAN – ISTANBUL AIRPORT
Our ship will dock at the port of Genoa at 08:00 in the morning. After morning breakfast, we carry out our ship disembarkation procedures and then leave the ship. We depart for Milan Airport with our private vehicle waiting for us at the port. Following our arrival at the airport, after our check-in and passport procedures, we depart for Istanbul at 19:25 with Turkish Airlines flight TK1816. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at local time 23:25. End of our tour.
