Jewel of the Med – Sicily & Barcelona

About this cruise

You board in Palermo on August 27, 2026 for 7 nights visiting Valletta, Barcelona, Marseille, Livorno (Florence/Pisa) and Cagliari, and you come back from this kind of trip wondering why you don't do it more often. 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: Malta, Spain, France and Italy. If one port sticks with you, it'll probably be Cagliari, Sardinia's sun-bleached capital of flamingos and fortresses. Around 9 hours per port on average, which is generous enough to go beyond the obvious. MSC Splendida has 6 restaurants on board, which means you could eat somewhere different nearly every night. Palermo 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. It's the kind of trip you actually remember afterwards.