By
Rebecca Gibson |
MSC Cruises has partnered with Italian tour operator Going to introduce new ‘Stay & Cruise’ packages for guests sailing on East Mediterranean voyages this summer.
Guests will be offered the opportunity to spend up to two days exploring either Venice, Italy, or Athens, Greece, before they embark on their seven-night cruises. The ‘Venice Viewpoint’ package will be available to those sailing on MSC Armonia, MSC Fantasia, MSC Musica and MSC Sinfonia from the Italian ports of Venice/Marghera, Monfalcone/Venice and Trieste. Meanwhile, guests embarking on MSC Lirica’s itineraries from the port of Piraeus in Greece can choose the ‘Athens Attractions’ option.
As part of the packages, guests will receive two nights’ accommodation in a four-star hotel, breakfast, a half-day city excursion, luggage transfers from the hotel to cabins onboard the cruise ship and private ground transportation to their embarkation port. MSC Cruises’ staff will be available in hotel to provide guests with information.
Guests can also book air travel through MSC Cruises and add it to their ‘Stay & Cruise’ packages.
MSC Cruises plans to roll out ‘Stay & Cruise’ offerings to guests sailing on cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida, in late summer 2022, as well as those from New York in summer 2023.
“Up to two days spent in the magnificent cities of ether Venice or Athens will be a fantastic prelude to our guests’ seven-night cruises in the East Mediterranean and should be especially attractive for those that will fly into Italy and Greece for their summer holiday so that they can really make the most out of their trip,” said Achille Staiano, vice president of global sales at MSC Cruises.
“Similarly, when we roll out the ‘Stay & Cruise’ programme later this year in the USA we’ll see many more Europeans join our cruise ships to take advantage of having a truly memorable time in Miami and Orlando. Plus from summer 2023, New York will prove a strong pull for those who want to explore the Big Apple prior to their cruise.”