Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus. Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls. Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London. For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.

Sail on an MSC cruise to the unique and fiercely independent archipelago of Orkney! For an Orcadian, the Mainland means the largest island in Orkney rather than the rest of Scotland, and their history is inextricably linked with Scandinavia. Kirkwall, Orkney’s capital, has one great redeeming feature – its sandstone cathedral, without doubt the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland. Nowadays, the town is divided into two main focal points: the old harbour, at the north end of the town, where inter-island ferries come and go all year round, and the flagstoned main street, which changes its name four times as it twists its way south from the harbour past the cathedral. Standing at the very heart of Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral is the town’s most compelling sight. This beautiful red sandstone building was begun in 1137 by the Viking Earl Rognvald, who built the cathedral in honour of his uncle Magnus, killed on the orders of his cousin Håkon in 1117. To the south of the cathedral are the ruined remains of the Bishop’s Palace, residence of the Bishop of Orkney since the twelfth century. Most of what you see now, however, dates from the time of Bishop Robert Reid, sixteenth-century founder of Edinburgh University. A narrow spiral staircase takes you to the top for a good view over the cathedral and Kirkwall’s rooftops. MSC Northern Europe cruises also offer excursions to the heart of Orkney’s most important Neolithic ceremonial complex. The most visible part is the Stones of Stenness, originally a circle of twelve rock slabs, now just four, the tallest of which is more than 16ft high and remarkable for its incredible thinness.

Måløy is one of the most important fishing ports in Norway. In 1997, Måløy was granted town status by the municipality

Molde is the most highly populated city in Norway which you can visit during your MSC cruise of Northern Europe. When you get to the city centre, you could visit the Romsdal museum where there is a model of a part of town as it was before the second world war and in which there were 35 buildings built between the 16th and 19th centuries. You can see for yourself on this vacation whether Norway has changed much or little! From Molde, a footpath takes you through the natural landscape to the panoramic viewpoint of Varden (407 metres a.s.l.) from where you can see the whole town and the splendid Romsdalsfjord. From Varden you have a full view of all 222 peaks, covered in snow all year round, that crown this area protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site. If you want to reach one of the most beautiful and wild settings found in these latitudes, during your MSC cruise, you can climb up Mount Romsdalseggen. The view is breath taking: mountains, waterfalls and rivers will appear in front of your eyes at every turn of direction; in order to allow everyone to take this excursion, different routes have been organized for both experts and families. And don’t miss the troll references: like the Trollstigen mountain road, one of the most popular routes amongst visitors or the majestic peaks and the Stigfossen Falls that seem to irrigate the Isterdalen valley. Half way between Trollstigen and the centre of Valldal, stop in Gudbrandsjuvet, a spectacular group of maelstroms about 5 metres wide and 20 metres deep that takes its name from the legendary outlaw who dived into it with the woman he had just kidnapped. Finally you reach the Face of the Troll, the largest vertical escarpment in Europe: 1,800 metres high to admire from the best viewpoint and picnic area not far from Åndalsnes.

Visiting Ålesund on an MSC cruise of Northern Europe means plunging into a fairytale atmosphere. After a devastating fire, the town was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century in art Amazing venue on the sea nouveau style. The streets of Ålesund are filled with turrets, spires and splendid decorations that make it truly unique; if you enjoy this style, you should visit the Jugendstilsenteret, the National Art Nouveau Centre. You can admire the centre of Ålesund from above by climbimg up the 418 steps that lead you to the panoramic heights of Mount Aksla with a view of the islands that surround the town and of the Sunnmøre Alps. In alternative you can reach the Sukkertoppen, the “sugar peak”, by taking a walk that starts from Hessa, just above the port where your MSC cruise ship is anchored. To get a closer look at the traditional architecture you should instead go the island of Godøy, where you can visit Alnes, a picturesque fisherman’s village built very close to the beach where you find local crafts and food sold in the courtyards. Book an excursion to the characteristic lighthouse from where you have a wonderful view of the ocean. You cannot claim to have visited Norway on an MSC cruise if you haven’t visited a fjord, so don’t miss an excursion to Geirangerfjord. Dropping from the tall mountains that surround it are wonderful waterfalls like the Brudesløret (the Bride’s Veil) and the De syv søstrene (Seven Sisters) or the Storseterfossen, behind which you can take a walk. And if you like more challenging paths you could climb up the Ørnevegen (the Eagle’s Path), twisting up from sea level to 620 metres above in just 11 hairpin bends!

Haugesund, an ancient Viking settlement located on the atmospheric Karmsundet sound, is surrounded by pristine Norwegian forests. This MSC Northern Europe Cruises destination boasts striking architecture including the Neo-Classical Town Hall and the charming Our Saviour’s Church.

Despite its pummelling by the Luftwaffe and some disastrous postwar urban sprawl, the thousand-year-old city of Southampton has retained some of its medieval charm in parts and reinvented itself as a twenty-first century shopping centre in others, with the giant glass-and-steel West Quay as its focus. Core of the modern town is the Civic Centre, a short walk east of the train station and home to the excellent Southampton City Art Gallery that’s particularly strong on contemporary British artists. The Western Esplanade runs alongside the best remaining bits of the old city walls. Rebuilt after a French attack in 1338, they incorporate God’s House Tower, at the southern end of the old town in Winkle Street, which currently houses the Museum of Archaeology. Best preserved of the city’s seven gates is Bargate, at the opposite end of the old town, at the head of the High Street; it’s an elaborate structure, cluttered with lions, classical figures and defensive apertures. A shore excursion on your MSC Northern Europe cruise from Southampton can be the opportunity to discover the capital of England, London. For the visitor, London is a thrilling place. Monuments from the capital’s glorious past are everywhere, from medieval banqueting halls and the great churches of Christopher Wren to the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist British Empire. You can relax in the city’s quiet Georgian squares, explore the narrow alleyways of the City of London, wander along the riverside walks, and uncover the quirks of what is still identifiably a collection of villages. The capital’s great historical landmarks – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and so on – draw in millions of tourists every year.