MSC Cruises has announced that the cruise line will be making its first sailing to China as part of a Grand Voyage on MSC Lirica.
The newly-renovated MSC Lirica will make a maiden call in Shanghai on May 1, 2016, following a 60-day world cruise that departs March 3, 2016, from Rio de Janeiro.
MSC Cruises is offering travelers the opportunity to choose from three different versions of the Grand Voyage, with the ability to embark in either Rio de Janeiro in Brazil (60 nights), Genoa in Italy (41 nights) or Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (26 nights), before arriving in Shanghai.
Before setting sail, MSC Lirica will be fully renovated and enlarged under MSC Cruises’ Renaissance Program, which entails a comprehensive overhaul of the ship due to be completed in November 2015.
Prices for the full 60-day Grand Voyage on MSC Lirica will start at $4,799 per person. Included in the price are beverage and laundry packages, as well as eight shore excursions.
Brazil to Shanghai Grand Voyage Itinerary Details
During the first leg of MSC Lirica’s 60-day journey, the ship will depart on March 3, 2016, from Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro and sail north along the coast of Brazil – with calls in Buzios, Salvador, Maceio and Fortaleza. The ship will then cross the Atlantic on a northeast course towards the Canary Islands – with a stop in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife – before reaching mainland Europe and visiting Cadiz, Spain.
From there, MSC Lirica will call at the three largest ports in the Mediterranean – Barcelona, Spain; Marseille, France; and Genoa, Italy – providing travelers an opportunity to embark in any of these ports in Europe.
After leaving Genoa, MSC Lirica will call at Naples, Italy, and the island of Crete with Heraklion in Greece. The ship then heads south to Aqaba in Jordan; Muscat, Oman; and Khor Al Fakhan and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The ship is scheduled to stay in Dubai overnight and travelers interested in sailing from Dubai to Shanghai will have the ability to embark.
During the last leg of the journey, MSC Lirica sets sail towards the Indian cities of Goa and Cochin, prior to calling Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. The ship then heads to Phuket, Thailand, and Penang and Port Kelang/Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, before reaching Singapore.
After an overnight stay in Singapore, the ship will bring its guests to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and then to visit Hong Kong. Shanghai is the next call and includes an overnight stay before sailing across the China Sea to Fukuoka in Japan. From there, MSC Lirica returns to Shanghai on May 1, 2016.
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