Emerald Escapes – Riviera & Lisbon

About this cruise

No complicated itinerary, no back-to-back transfers, just the ports, the ship, and the sea in between. This 10-night sailing from Genoa on August 21, 2026 visits Marseille, Málaga and Cádiz, with additional stops along the Western Mediterranean. A few ports come in quick succession, which is great for sightseeing but means you'll appreciate the sea days when they arrive. The route threads through 4 countries along the Western Mediterranean coast: France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Don't rush through Málaga, which is known as Picasso's birthplace on the Costa del Sol. Around 9 hours per port on average, which is generous enough to go beyond the obvious. MSC Opera has 4 restaurants on board, which means you could eat somewhere different nearly every night. There are enough performances, events, and social mixers on a cruise this length that you couldn't do them all if you tried. And that's a good problem. Genoa itself is worth spending some time in. Don't just treat it as a departure point. The timing works well too: warm evenings on deck, late sunsets, and a lively atmosphere. All told, 7 ports across 10 nights covers a lot.