MSC Lirica Cruise in April 2025 with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona

Hello everyone, So happy to be back on this Forum! We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break... We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona. Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice? For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves. Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!

Hi there,

I don’t know Ancona, but Kotor, Mykonos, and Santorini—with a good pair of shoes and a little help from TripAdvisor—have tons to see!

Thanks, but do you have any specific tips, especially for Mykonos and Santorini?

In Santorini, when you exit the cable car that goes up to Fira, you can take the small coastal trail leading to Oia. It’s a really nice walk at first through the houses, then through nature, with amazing viewpoints. After visiting Oia, you can head back by municipal bus or taxi.

In Mykonos, a city tour is super easy—it’s tiny. From the port, there are local buses that shuttle to the town. You can also walk, but the road can be a bit dangerous in some spots, so be careful.

Thanks, but do you have any specific tips, especially for Mykonos and Santorini?

Hi there, In Mykonos, the large ships now dock their passengers at the new port of Tourlos. From there, you can take the SeaBus shuttle boat for 2 € per trip to reach the old port of Mykonos. In Santorini, from the port of Fira, we took the cable car to get to the top of the town. In 2023, I think it was 6 € (or 9 € for a round trip). Try to leave as early as possible in the morning because if there are several ships anchored, there’ll be huge crowds at the cable car departure. Best regards

Thanks so much!

Thanks for your tips!

Hi there, No one’s talking about Ancona—maybe because there’s nothing *that* special to say about it. I did say “special,” though—otherwise, it’s a pretty Italian site, especially from the top of the hill. I haven’t checked what excursions are offered outside the city, but it might be worth a look. On the other hand, the maritime museum in Kotor is super informative, and here’s a fun fact in these turbulent times: in Kotor, a church, a mosque, and a synagogue have coexisted side by side for centuries without any issues…!

Hi there! So happy to be back on this forum too! For Santorini during our stop, we booked an excursion from the port to explore the caldera. The boat took us to the volcanic part of the caldera, and depending on the season, you can even swim in the warm waters. It was such a great time!

Thanks so much, Francis, for these details. I’ll definitely check out what MSC offers for Ancona and use it as inspiration. Have a great day.

Thanks so much, I’ll look into that excursion. Have a great day!

Hi Laurence, You’ll find info on visiting Kotor, Santorini, and Mykonos at https://escalescroisiere.fr

Thanks so much! !

Hello everyone, So happy to be back on this Forum! We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break... We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona. Could you help me plan the stops by sharing some tips, advice, etc.? For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but to organize them ourselves instead. Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to exchanging with you!

Good evening,

We’re taking the same cruise next August. I’d love to hear your tips for excursions or other great deals on board or during the stops. Thanks in advance.

Sylvie,

We’re back from a wonderful cruise on the LIRICA with so many amazing things to discover. I’ll give you a little summary and I’m available—along with anyone else who’s interested—for more details via PM. I can even send you the travel journal I prepared for the group: there were 12 of us, including 2 teens (16 years old) and a couple in their 80s—that explains some of our sightseeing choices.

Day 1 - VENICE: The port is really easy to find. We’d reserved a parking spot for 8 days = 145 €. Baggage drop-off is on the ground floor of the Cruise Terminal—everything is marked MSC—and check-in is upstairs. You reach the Lirica by water shuttle. It takes about 15/20 minutes. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 2 - KOTOR: Head up to the deck by 1 p.m. to watch the approach to the Bay of Kotor. It’s absolutely stunning! Two hours of breathtaking scenery. As soon as we arrived at the port, we took a red Hop On Hop Off bus. A one-hour tour covering the history and environment of the Bay. It costs 28 € and includes a visit to the old town. However, we preferred to explore the city on our own after the bus tour. It’s really pretty, and we discovered, among other things, a beautiful Orthodox church. Suggested evening attire: 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Warning: The ship is at anchor, so you need to take tenders to reach the port—about 15 minutes. You do this by getting a ticket in advance for each passenger. Tip: go as soon as ticket distribution opens (8:30 a.m. for us) because the higher your number, the later you leave, which means less time to explore.

Due to bad weather in Mykonos, we were rerouted to Corfu for the third day.

Day 3 - CORFU: We arrived at 12 p.m. and disembarked quickly to make the most of the stop. However, a disappointment: MSC provides a bus to leave the port for 12 €/person! Actually, it’s very doable on foot for those who enjoy walking (about 30 minutes to the city). Like the day before, we chose to take a red Hop On Hop Off bus. A one-hour ride that dropped us off in the heart of the city. From there, we wandered through the pedestrian streets and alleys. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 4 – At Sea: Since the Lirica is much smaller than the cruise ships we’d taken before, there weren’t too many activities for this day at sea. If you want a quiet spot outside, go to the stern of the ship, either on Deck 11 (at the end of the buffet restaurant) or on the lower decks—10, 9, 8... There are deck chairs and not many people. Suggested evening attire: Elegant (Gala)

Day 5 – SANTORINI: The Fira cable car was still under maintenance due to earthquakes, so we disembarked at the Athinios port. (Warning: The ship is at anchor, so you need to take tenders to reach the port—about 15 minutes. You do this by getting a ticket in advance for each passenger. Tip: go as soon as ticket distribution opens (6:30 a.m. for us) because the higher your number, the later you leave, which means less time to explore.) When we arrived at the port, dozens of free MSC buses were waiting for passengers to take them by road to Fira. About a 20-minute ride through the Santorini countryside. In Fira, at the large parking lot where the bus dropped us off, we took a bus to Oia (2 €/person) which dropped us in the heart of the town—about 15 minutes. OIA: It’s truly enchanting, like stepping into a postcard. We had a lovely walk for a few hours before taking a bus back to Fira. FIRA: We strolled through the town, discovering the monuments we’d seen from afar. And of course, some shopping too! Around 4 p.m., we took an MSC bus back down to the port to catch the tender and return to the ship. Suggested evening attire: White

Day 6 – At Sea: Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 7 – ANCONA: We discovered a beautiful Italian city in the Marche region. Everything here breathes Italy! The 19th-century buildings, the ancient ruins, etc. At the port exit, city maps are handed out with different routes to follow. We chose "From Sea to Sea" and walked up the very long pedestrian street to reach the monument dedicated to World War I. From there, we climbed to the cathedral overlooking the city. A lovely walk, but quite steep. On the way back, we took an elevator that brought us quickly down to sea level, about 500 meters from the port. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 8 – VENICE: We had to leave the cabin by 7:30 a.m. at the latest. We disembarked at 9:20 a.m. We picked up our luggage at the exit of the Lirica and took an MSC bus to the Venice Cruise Terminal parking lot (no water shuttle this time). We decided to stay in Venice on Saturday and only return to France on Sunday. From the port parking lot, we walked to the People Mover—a kind of aerial tram (1.5 €/person)—which took us to Piazzale Roma. From there, we bought day passes for the Vaporetto (25 €/person) and went up the Grand Canal to our accommodations. A magical day in Venice under beautiful sunshine and warm summer weather.

I hope this information is helpful. Happy cruise planning!

Hello! I’m going on my very first cruise in September—Mykonos, Santorini, and Kusadasi. A few questions: Apart from Ephesus, Naples, and Pompeii, I’m pretty unfamiliar with Santorini and Mykonos. I’ve been following your posts about Santorini (thanks for those!). Any recommendations for Mykonos? I’ll be spending 3 days in Rome before the cruise. At the end of the cruise, I don’t plan to return to Rome. Could you tell me what transport to take from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino Airport? Thanks so much! Françoise

Hi Françoise, welcome to the "club" of cruise lovers—it’s great here among people who enjoy sharing and receiving information.

I see you’ve already been gathering info for your trip, and your question really interests me because I faced the same issue a few years ago: going directly from Civitavecchia to the airport. I couldn’t find any details, either because I missed them or because there aren’t many cruisers in that situation—which I’d find surprising.

I hope someone can provide answers that I’ll benefit from too!

Have a wonderful cruise with beautiful stops. Don’t hesitate to share a trip report when you return—even if we’ve visited a stop multiple times, there’s always more to discover! Francis.

Hi Francis, Thanks for the welcome message. I feel a little less alone with my first cruise 🙂 And for your quick reply. It’s true that I’ve started gathering info on this forum—it’s a real goldmine! Of course, I’ll do a trip report on the cruise. I’m sailing with MSC Divina. The only thing I’m worried about is the unlikely scenario that there won’t be transportation from the port of Civitavecchia to the airport. I don’t think all passengers will head to Rome by taking the bus or train. I’m open to any great tips for this cruise, which runs from September 26 to October 3. Thanks again, Have a great day, Françoise

Good evening Catherine, Thanks for this summary—it’s really helpful for the different stops! Especially for Santorini.

Good evening Laurence,

I’m writing to you following your post from last year.

I’m traveling from Lisbon to Venice on September 25th, and before the cruise, I’ll spend 2 days in Venice.

Is it easy to get to the Terminal? When should I leave my hotel?

2 questions: In Kotor, which you visited by hop-on hop-off bus, are there other ways to get around? Tuk-tuks? Local buses to explore the old town?

Corfu.

So, is it unnecessary to take the bus provided by MSC? You can just leave the ship with the tender and explore everything on foot.

This is my second cruise, and I’m sailing on the Armonia with some really lovely stops, plus Venice.

Thank you, and thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Have a good evening.

Françoise

We’re back from a wonderful cruise on the LIRICA with so many amazing things to discover. I’ll give you a "little" summary and remain available—along with anyone else who’s interested—for more details via PM. I can even send you the travel journal I prepared for the group: there were 12 of us, including 2 teens (16 years old) and a couple in their 80s—which explains some of our sightseeing choices.

Day 1 - VENICE: The port is very easy to find. We had reserved a parking spot for 8 days = 145 €. Baggage drop-off is on the ground floor of the cruise terminal—everything is signposted for MSC—and check-in is upstairs. You reach the Lirica by tender. It takes about 15/20 minutes. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 2 - KOTOR: Head to the deck by 1 PM to watch the ship sail into the Bay of Kotor. It’s truly stunning! Two hours of breathtaking scenery. As soon as we arrived at the port, we took a red hop-on hop-off bus. A 1-hour tour covering the history and environment of the Bay. It costs 28 € and includes a visit to the old town. However, we preferred to explore the city on our own after the bus tour. It’s very pretty, and we discovered, among other things, a beautiful Orthodox church. Suggested evening attire: 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Note: The ship anchors offshore, so you’ll need to take tenders to reach the port—about 15 minutes. You’ll need to get a ticket in advance for each passenger. Tip: Go as soon as ticket distribution starts (8:30 AM for us) because the higher your number, the later you’ll disembark, which means less time to explore.

Due to bad weather in Mykonos, we were rerouted to Corfu on the third day.

Day 3 - CORFU: We arrived at 12 PM and disembarked quickly to make the most of the stop. However, there was a letdown: MSC provides a bus to leave the port for 12 € per person! Actually, it’s very doable on foot for those who enjoy walking (about 30 minutes to the city). Like the day before, we chose to take a red hop-on hop-off bus. A 1-hour ride that dropped us off in the heart of the city. From there, we wandered through the pedestrian streets and alleys. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 4 – At sea: Since the Lirica is much smaller than the cruise ships we’d taken before, there weren’t too many activities for this sea day. If you’re looking for a quiet outdoor spot: head to the stern of the ship, either on deck 11 (at the end of the buffet restaurant) or on the lower decks—10, 9, 8... There are lounge chairs and hardly anyone around. Suggested evening attire: Elegant (Gala)

Day 5 – SANTORINI: Since the Fira cable car was still under maintenance due to earthquakes, we disembarked at the Athinios port. (Note: The ship anchors offshore, so you’ll need to take tenders to reach the port—about 15 minutes. You’ll need to get a ticket in advance for each passenger. Tip: Go as soon as ticket distribution starts (6:30 AM for us) because the higher your number, the later you’ll disembark, which means less time to explore.) Once at the port, dozens of free MSC buses were waiting to take passengers to Fira by road. About a 20-minute ride through the Santorini countryside. In Fira, at the large parking lot where the bus dropped us off, we took a bus to Oia (2 € per person), which takes you to the heart of the town—about 15 minutes. OIA: It’s truly enchanting, like stepping into a postcard. We spent a few hours exploring before taking a bus back to Fira. FIRA: We wandered through the town, discovering monuments we’d only seen from afar. And of course, some shopping! Around 4 PM, we took an MSC bus back down to the port to catch the tender and return to the ship. Suggested evening attire: White

Day 6 – At sea: Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 7 – ANCONA: A discovery of a beautiful Italian city in the Marche region. Everything here breathes Italy! The 19th-century buildings, the ancient ruins, etc. At the port exit, city maps are handed out with different routes to follow. We chose "From the sea to the sea" and walked up the city’s long pedestrian street to reach the monument dedicated to World War I. From there, we climbed to the cathedral overlooking the city. A lovely walk, but quite steep. On the way back, we took an elevator that brought us quickly down to sea level, about 500 meters from the port. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 8 – VENICE: We had to leave our cabin by 7:30 AM at the latest. We disembarked at 9:20 AM. We picked up our luggage at the exit of the Lirica and took an MSC-provided bus to the Venice cruise terminal parking lot (no tender this time). We chose to stay in Venice on Saturday and return to France on Sunday. From the port parking lot, we walked to the People Mover—a kind of elevated tram (1.5 € per person)—which took us to Piazzale Roma. From there, we bought day passes for the Vaporetto (25 € per person) and traveled up the Grand Canal to our accommodations. A magical day in Venice under beautiful sunshine and warm summer weather.

I hope this information is helpful. Happy cruise preparations!