South Africa

Pricing based on departure date: 22 December 2025

A journey of a thousand souls

Peerless wildlife, brilliant beaches and scenery as spectacular as you'll find anywhere in the world.

The beaches of the Indian Ocean on one side, deserts stretching towards the Atlantic on the other. A land of contrasts, the southernmost part of Africa offers a travel experience which is one of a kind, where nature reigns with breath-taking landscapes, from volcanoes to giant reefs of smooth, dark granite rock and soft skies and lagoons suspended in time. This is the background to life in this great and multifaceted continent.

This is the perfect itinerary to enhance the ultimate exploration of Africa.

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS:

Explosion of colour - Durban

When you alight from your MSC cruise in Durban – South Africa’s third-largest city and the continent’s largest port – you will be captured by its tropical colours and holidaying people.

A shore excursion on your MSC South Africa cruise can be the opportunity to discover Durban’s second-largest ethnic group, its Indian population, whose mosques, bazaars and temples are juxtaposed with the Victorian buildings of the colonial centre.

The pulsing warren of bazaars, alleyways and mosques that makes up the Indian area around Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street is ripe for exploration, and there are some excellent restaurants around Durban’s photogenic harbour area. Durban’s city centre grew around the arrival point of the first white settlers, and the remains of the historical heart are concentrated around Francis Farewell Square.

Durban’s expansive beachfront on the eastern edge of the centre has one of the city’s busiest concentrations of restaurants, a surfeit of tacky family entertainment. Durban’s beachfront, a high-energy holiday strip just east of the centre, is South Africa’s most developed seaside. MSC South Africa cruises also offer excursions to the 6km-stretch of the beach from the Umgeni River in the north to the Point in the south, traditionally called the Golden Mile.

Mozambique’s Calling Card - Pomene

Smiling and hospitable people, magical beaches, colonial cities and hut villages, baobab and mangrove forests, unspoiled islands and some of the most stunning beaches on the African continent.

Your MSC South Africa cruise welcomes you to Mozambique, a natural portent just waiting to be discovered. Between the capital Maputo, in the South, and Pemba, in the North of the State, there are 2000 kilometres of coastline, characterised by stretches of white sand that blend into the horizon, blue lagoons and unexplored coral reefs.

During your holiday with MSC Cruises you can disembark in Pomene Bay, one of the most picturesque sites in Mozambique. The lagoon that protects this extraordinary bay, set between the blue Indian Ocean and the waters where the mangroves grow – these extraordinary plants appear to float on the surface of the water, like a forest in a fairy tale – is part of the Pomene Nature Reserve, a protected marine area that has managed to preserve its authentic and wild beauty thanks to its remote location.

A MSC Cruises excursion to this sun-kissed place offers you the opportunity to relax with long walks or horseback riding on the beach, to explore the surrounding nature with the help of a guide, immersing yourself in lush leafy vegetation, with an abundance of different species, or watch the sunset while lying on the fine sand of Pomene Bay. Your MSC cruise ship will take you to an African paradise that is also famous for diving and snorkelling, perfect for lovers of the underwater world. Mozambique is a land full of natural beauty spots that never cease to surprise and amaze.

A spectacular uninhabited island - Portuguese Island

Set between the African coast and the Indian Ocean, Portuguese Island is a small, uninhabited island: one of the enchanting destinations of an MSC cruise to Southern Africa. It is located at the external limit of Maputo Bay, host to the capital of Mozambique, under the cover of Inhaca Island, the chosen location for some of the most luxurious resorts of the entire continent.

During your holiday, take some time between dips in the warm, crystalline ocean waters to stroll around this island. It is six kilometres long, about an hour walk on sand that caresses the soles of your feet (during the central hours of the day, it is best to wear open sandals because the sand becomes very hot), with only the blue of the water and the green of the low vegetation for company.

The mild effort involved will be repaid in kiosks serving refreshing beverages and local food. If you like rum, try the Tipo Tinto, which is distilled from local sugar cane. There is also no lack of beach activities: in addition to all the services available for those who just want to lay in the sun undisturbed, such as beach umbrellas, deckchairs and sunbeds, there is equipment for playing beach volleyball and beach tennis.

However, a piece of advice for all: don’t stop as soon as you get off the tender t that brings you to the island, look for a more secluded bay; they are just a short, pleasant stroll away. For those who wish it, it is also possible to circumnavigate the island and admire the coast and the bay of Maputo in a traditional dhow: boats with a triangular sail of Middle-Eastern origins that have sailed the waters of the Indian Ocean for centuries. 

MSC for me – Connect. Enjoy. Just Be.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE MSC FOR ME APP TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CRUISE

MSC for Me means your time on board is literally in your own hands, interconnecting in real time with the ship and crew to enjoy each moment in your own special way. Discover the latest interactive feature of MSC for Me.

Choose your experience

Your cruise experience is at the centre of everything we do. To help make your holiday with us truly memorable, we give you the chance to tailor your experience to your needs and desires. For example, you can either leave the choice of cabin to us and benefit from the best rates available, or choose your own ideal cabin and location, while enjoying extra flexibility and additional benefits to make your cruise even more special.

The Aurea Experience will make your client’s cruise unforgettable as they will, not only be able to choose among the most spacious and best located Suites, Balcony and Ocean View cabins  on the higher decks but also enjoy additional, exclusive benefits. 

 When choosing the Aurea experience, on top of all the benefits of Fantastica, Guests will enjoy priority embarkation and disembarkation, they will be welcomed with a prosecco & chocolate package, and their cabin will be equipped with bathrobe, slippers and bathroom amenities. During their holiday they will be able to dine any time they choose in a dedicated restaurant or area, relax in the private sundeck and access the Thermal area.

Available with Suites, Balcony and Ocean View cabins in the best locations on board.

AUREA Experience at a glance:

BOOKING FLEXIBILITY

• Opportunity to choose the cabin and its location
• 1 free cruise change*

COMFORT

• Modern ships and elegant cabins
• MSC for Me (where available)
• Suites, Balcony and Ocean View cabins in the best locations
  

FOOD & DRINKS BENEFITS

• Discounted drink package option available at the time of booking
• Extensive buffet with a wide array of cuisine
• Main restaurants serving gourmet meals accommodating a variety of dietary restrictions
• Free time dining with My Choice dining in a dedicated restaurant or area
• Specialty restaurants package: exclusive pre cruise offer available up to 2 days prior to embarkation**
• Breakfast in cabin (free delivery)
• 24-hour room service (free delivery)
• Welcome package (Prosecco + chocolate)
  
   

SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Varied programme of Broadway-style theatre shows
• Pool area
• Open-air sports facilities
• Well-equipped gym with panoramic view
• Entertainment activities for adults, infants and children
• Recreational activities for children

RELAXATION & WELLBEING

• Free access to the Top Exclusive Solarium
• Relaxation amenities in each cabin (including bathrobe and slippers)
• Pillow menu
• Access to thermal area (for adults only)
• Access to thermal area (for adults only, upon reservation)
• Balinese massage: exclusive pre cruise offer available up to 2 days prior to embarkation***
• 10% discount on all spa treatments purchased on board
  
   

SERVICES

• Qualified multilingual personnel
• Priority boarding & luggage drop off

OTHER PRIVILEGES

• MSC Voyagers Club points

* The free cruise change is applicable either on the cruise dates or on the destination. Such change needs to be performed up to 30 calendar days before departure, for a new cruise to sail within 90 calendar days from the original departure.
** Except on MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia and MSC World Cruises
*** Except on MSC World Cruises

Even before MSC Opera sets sail, stepping on board is like embarking on a voyage of discovery. With its impressive array of new features and facilities, the ship is now even better equipped to satisfy every need

We’ve added spacious new cabins with balconies to delight our guests with superb panoramic views.  We’ve enlarged the restaurant and buffet areas to serve up an even greater variety of culinary treats.  We’ve included a new 319 m2 area to fill with music and dancing. With the help of prestigious partners like Chicco, LEGO® and Namco®, we’ve created fabulous new play areas for children of all ages, starting with an exciting Spray Park packed with fun water features. And to offer even more routes to relaxation, we’ve enhanced the lavish MSC Aurea Spa with more space for massages.

All this is just a taste of what a cruise on MSC Opera can offer. There’s a world of new experiences to discover on board, day after day, moment after moment. 

Because MSC Opera is the ship that suits you.

Durban, Pomene (Mozambique), Portuguese Island (Mozambique), Durban

All fares are displayed in AUD, and pricing is per person based on twin share occupancy unless stated otherwise. Although all due care is taken to keep information as up-to-date as possible, pricing and availability are subject to change without notice: due to varying timing schedules of supplier automated update processes; currency fluctuations; fuel surcharges or government tax & fee changes and may not be guaranteed until paid in full. Gratuities may be an additional onboard charge depending on particular cruise line selected. Please ask your cruise consultant for any clarification of Terms & Conditions.