Merchants' Wake – Malta, Sicily & Marseille
About this cruise
Long enough to properly switch off but not so long you need to reorganise your entire life. This 7-night round-trip sailing from Barcelona on May 28, 2027 visits Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Messina and Valletta. Expect a run of consecutive ports, 5 stops total, with the busiest days packed close together. The sea days around them feel earned. The route threads through 3 countries along the Western Mediterranean coast: France, Italy and Malta. If one port sticks with you, it'll probably be Messina, Sicily's gateway to Mount Etna and Taormina. Roughly 9 hours ashore per stop. No need to rush. MSC World Asia launched in 2026, so everything on board is still new. You can tell. Barcelona itself is worth spending some time in. Don't just treat it as a departure point. And May is a good time to go. Mild weather, things starting to bloom, and fewer people than summer. It's the kind of trip you actually remember afterwards.