Christmas & New Year Cruise from Piraeus - MSC Sinfonia

Day 1: Larnaca - Athens

Flight Larnaca to Athens. Embarkation on MSC Sinfonia. The ship departs at 17:00.

Day 2: Izmir

The ship arrives at Izmir port at 07.00 and departs at 15.00.

Explore the historic Catholic shrine, House of the Virgin Mary, on glorious Mt. Koressos. A popular pilgrimage site (with visits from several popes), the venue is home to an array of sacred attractions including a wishing well, baptismal pool, cobbled courtyard garden, and chapel.

The Anglican Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist is one of Izmir’s most beloved religious locales. Dating back to 1862, the interior boasts a collection of fine paintings, a kaleidoscopic domed ceiling, and a majestic marble altar.

Step back in time to ancient Greece with a visit to Ephesus. This iconic city, southwest of Izmir, was founded in the 10th century BC, and offers a wealth of classical attractions. Feast your eyes on sublime stone carvings, columned buildings, and a truly impressive open-air theatre. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ephesus is celebrated for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Day 3: Istanbul

The ship arrives at Istanbul port at 09.00 and departs at 21.00.

There's a new aura of excitement in Istanbul these days, as this centre has become one the world's focal points for art, fashion, haute cuisine and nightlife. Of course there's always an abundance of ancient monuments and grand mosques with stunning frescoes to see here, like the Agia Sophia and Blue Mosque. Head to any park and you'll see why tulips have long been the symbol of this city. 

Famous for its Byzantine art, bustling bazaars, lavish palaces and exotic food, Istanbul has thousands of years of history to see with just a leisurely stroll.

Fun Fact: Don't miss the Agia Sophia, built in 537 CE, which was the largest church in the world for 900 years before the Seville Cathedral was built.

Fun Fact: Located on two continents, Europe and Asia and straddling the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul is the only transcontinental city in the world.

Day 4: Day at sea

Day at your leisure to explore and enjoy the megaship MSC Sinfonia. 

Day 5: Corfu

The ship arrives at Corfu port at 14.00 and departs at 21.00.

Peek beyond the City of Peaks
In every big family there are bound to be labels given to each child. There’s the leader, the mischief-maker, the one who goes with the flow — the list goes on. If Greece’s islands were to have such designations, Corfu would be the effortlessly chic tastemaker.

Corfu is simply dripping in history. Wander through the narrow cobblestone alleys and discover a world of adventure worthy of a fantasy film. Stumble upon historical landmines — like The Old Town’s stunning municipal building, which served as its first (and former) grand theater and opera house built during the Venetian empire. Admire The Palace of St. Michael & St. George, which provides a home to the Museum of Asian Art that displays Chinese, Japanese, and Greco-Buddhist masterpieces. Take in The Saint Spyridon Church’s bell tower – whose patron saint was said to have expelled the plague from the island. All the while appreciating the wafting aromas of local flora and fauna that are so expertly used for numerous liqueur and culinary infusions. It’s not that Corfu is pretentious, it’s just the classic Hollywood starlet of Greek Islands — emitting that aura of worldly sophistication that naturally makes you want more.   

Corfu gives you the freedom to relax with your toes in the sand sipping kumquat liqueur one minute and diving (literally and figuratively) into adventures unknown the next. You can choose from a number of sumptuous beaches to bask in the sun, peruse a new book under the shade of an umbrella or go for a swim in the iridescent waters. You can venture to hilltop ruins on horseback and sail the coast before plunging into the sea from the comfort of your own private vessel. You can picnic on a seaside cliff, explore groves of kumquats, pomegranates, pears and olives, hike the otherworldly scenic trails by foot (or by ATV) or — you can do it all.  In Corfu the sea is merely a starting point — and you’re in control of the dynamic story about to unfold.

Day 6: Bari, Italy

The ship arrives at Bari port at 07:00 and departs at 19:00.

Bari is the Sun of Italy. In its beautiful old town are many churches, while the ladies prepare the famous orecchiette on tables in the street.
The port of Bari, on the Adriatic coast, is primarily a passenger port. During the stop in Bari, visit this historic city and its surroundings, especially Matera, designated by UNESCO as the 2019 European Capital of Culture. “Bari Vecchia” is the old part of the city that, with its partly Norman and partly Swabian fortress, the Romanesque Basilica of Saint Nicholas built on the ruins of the Byzantine Palace, the 12th century cathedral of San Sabino and a dozen little churches of the same period, still bears the traces of conquerors who succeeded over the centuries.

Not to be missed: The Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Bari, Visit to the old town"Bari Vecchia", The Cathedral of San Sabino

Day 7: Day at sea

Day at your leisure to explore and enjoy the megaship MSC Sinfonia. 

Day 8: Athens - Larnaca

MSC Sinfonia ship arrives at Piraeus port at 07.00. Flight Athens to Larnaca.