Sea cruises from Marseille, company: MSC Cruises — page 18

We recommend flying in the day before the cruise begins.

• Arrive at the port 2–3 hours before departure.
• When booking an airport–port transfer, allow at least 5 hours between landing and the scheduled sailing.

The starting price is €150 per person for a short open-jaw cruise of 3–4 nights (Marseille — Genoa — Civitavecchia). A standard 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise calling at Italy, Tunisia and Spain starts from €600 in an inside cabin. MSC Yacht Club (the premium zone) starts from €2,500 for 7 nights. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and exclude port charges and the service charge.

Marseille cruises run on four main itineraries: (1) Western Mediterranean — Italy (Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Livorno), Spain (Barcelona, the Balearics), Malta; (2) North Africa — Tunisia (La Goulette, ancient Carthage); (3) Western Mediterranean islands — Corsica, Sardinia (Cagliari, Olbia), Ibiza; (4) Atlantic and Northern Europe — transatlantic Grand Voyages of 11–15 nights to Bilbao, Brest and Warnemünde.

The main cruise lines departing from Marseille are MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises. MSC operates MSC Seaview, MSC World Europa, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Splendida and MSC Opera, plus the premium MSC Yacht Club zone. Costa operates Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana. Both belong to the Italian mass-market segment and use Marseille as a home port during the Western Mediterranean season.

Direct flights to Marseille from Eastern Europe are limited, but two alternative routes work well. First — fly into Nice (NCE) and take a TGV to Marseille (2 hours 40 minutes, from €30). Second — fly into Lyon (LYS) and take a TGV to Marseille (1 hour 40 minutes). From Tel Aviv (TLV) there are direct seasonal flights to Marseille. Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is 30 km from the cruise terminal; the shuttle bus takes 40 minutes.

Yes — if the trip's goal is to see Provence, it makes sense to take the cruise from Marseille and arrive in advance. A single-day port call during the cruise does not provide enough time to reach Aix-en-Provence (30 km from the port), Arles (75 km) or the Lubéron lavender fields (130 km). The optimal pre-cruise programme is 2 days: one for Aix-en-Provence and Arles, the second for Calanques National Park and the village of Cassis.

No — MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises operate a base fare on full-board terms, not full all-inclusive. The price covers the cabin, meals in main restaurants and the buffet, soft drinks with meals, onboard entertainment, pools and the fitness centre. Alcohol and drink packages, shore excursions, speciality restaurants and the spa are charged separately. A genuine all-inclusive format is offered only by ultra-luxury lines (Explora Journeys, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection).

Yes — both main lines in Marseille (MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises) specialise in the family segment. MSC operates the MSC Kids Club for ages 3–11 and the MSC Teens Club for teenagers aged 12–17. Under the Kids Sail Free programme, children under 18 can travel free in a cabin with two adults. Costa has an equivalent Costa Squok Club. The 7-night itineraries calling at Barcelona, Naples and Malta are considered optimal for families with school-age children.

High season is June to September: sea 22–25 °C, air 28–32 °C, prices about 30 % above average. Mid-season (April–May and October) is more comfortable in both temperature and price, particularly for active programmes in the ports and day trips into Provence. For the Lubéron lavender fields, July is optimal (full bloom). If price is the priority, choose departures in April, early May or late October to early November.