loader picture

48 nights Melbourne, Adelaide, Penneshaw, Albany, Busselton, Fremantle, Fremantle, Male, Port Victoria, Nosy B

Cruise Region : Round the world cruises, Australia / New Zealand, Pacific cruises, Oceania
Company : MSC Cruises
Ship : MSC Magnifica
Journey Start : Tue 18 Mar 2025
Journey End : Mon 05 May 2025
Count Nights : 48 nights

Schedule

Day Port Date Arrival Departure
1 Melbourne / Australia Tue 18 Mar 20:00
2 Day at sea / Sea Wed 19 Mar
3 Adelaide / Australia Thu 20 Mar 07:00 19:00
4 Pennecho / Australia Fri 21 Mar 08:00 20:00
5 Day at sea / Sea Sat 22 Mar
6 Day at sea / Sea Sun 23 Mar
7 Albany / Australia Mon 24 Mar 07:00 17:00
8 Busselton Tue 25 Mar 10:00 22:00
9 Samson / Australia Wed 26 Mar 08:00 23:59
10 Samson / Australia Thu 27 Mar 00:01 18:00
11 Day at sea / Sea Fri 28 Mar
12 Day at sea / Sea Sat 29 Mar
13 Day at sea / Sea Sun 30 Mar
14 Day at sea / Sea Mon 31 Mar
15 Day at sea / Sea Tue 01 Apr
16 Day at sea / Sea Wed 02 Apr
17 Day at sea / Sea Thu 03 Apr
18 Little ones / Maldives Fri 04 Apr 07:00 17:00
19 Day at sea / Sea Sat 05 Apr
20 Day at sea / Sea Sun 06 Apr
21 Victoria, MAE Island / Seychelles Mon 07 Apr 10:00 18:00
22 Day at sea / Sea Tue 08 Apr
23 Nosy Be / Madagascar Wed 09 Apr 09:00 18:00
24 Day at sea / Sea Thu 10 Apr
25 Day at sea / Sea Fri 11 Apr
26 Day at sea / Sea Sat 12 Apr
27 Day at sea / Sea Sun 13 Apr
28 Port Elizabeth / South Africa Mon 14 Apr 08:00 18:00
29 Day at sea / Sea Tue 15 Apr
30 Cape Town / South Africa Wed 16 Apr 08:00 18:00
31 Day at sea / Sea Thu 17 Apr
32 Walvis Bay / Namibia Fri 18 Apr 09:00 18:00
33 Day at sea / Sea Sat 19 Apr
34 Day at sea / Sea Sun 20 Apr
35 Day at sea / Sea Mon 21 Apr
36 Day at sea / Sea Tue 22 Apr
37 Day at sea / Sea Wed 23 Apr
38 Day at sea / Sea Thu 24 Apr
39 Day at sea / Sea Fri 25 Apr
40 Dakar / Senegal Sat 26 Apr 08:00 19:00
41 Day at sea / Sea Sun 27 Apr
42 Day at sea / Sea Mon 28 Apr
43 Puerto Del Rosario-Fuerteventura / Spain Tue 29 Apr 08:00 17:00
44 Day at sea / Sea Wed 30 Apr
45 Day at sea / Sea Thu 01 May
46 Day at sea / Sea Fri 02 May
47 Sicily Palermo / Italy Sat 03 May 07:00 18:00
48 Rome (Civitavecchia) / Italy Sun 04 May 08:00 19:00
49 Genoa / Italy Mon 05 May 08:00

The cruise booking conditions may vary depending on the itinerary, season, and selected package. However, the basic conditions include:

1. **Deposit and Full Payment:**
   - A deposit of 30% is required to confirm the booking.
   - Full payment is usually required 60-90 days prior to departure. For late bookings, full payment may be required immediately.

2. **Cancellation and Penalties:**
   - Cancellation penalties depend on the time remaining before departure. The closer to the departure date, the higher the penalties.

   - More than 60 days before departure: €50 per person
   - 59 to 30 days: 30% of the total price
   - 29 to 22 days: 50%
   - 21 to 15 days: 70%
   - Less than 14 days before departure: 100%

3. **Booking Changes:**
   - Passenger substitutions are subject to an additional fee of €50 per person.

4. **Insurance:**
   - It is recommended to purchase travel or medical insurance to cover potential costs in case of cancellation or changes to the booking, as well as medical expenses during the cruise.

5. **Document Requirements:**
   - All passengers must have valid passports and visas for visiting countries (if required by the destination) on the cruise itinerary. The responsibility for obtaining visas lies with the passengers.

  • Accommodation in a cabin of the selected category
  • Meals in the restaurant (buffet) on the "buffet" system, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks in the cafe and pizzeria throughout the day. Water, juices, tea, coffee from machines are available in the buffet free of charge 24 hours.
  • Meals in the main restaurant "a la carte". As a rule, all liners have two or three main restaurants with menu service. The dishes in such restaurants are more refined and varied than in the buffet. Drinks are ordered for an additional fee.
  • Entertainment on board, such as animation, master classes, aerobics, evening performances in the theatre, live music in bars, discos.
  • Access to all public areas of the liner: fitness center (gym), swimming pools, jacuzzis by the pools, water park, library, mini-clubs for children.
  • Services of educators in mini-clubs for children from 6 months to 17 years
  • Games on sports grounds, including tennis, mini-football, basketball, badminton, mini-golf and others.
  • Use of watercraft during embarkation or disembarkation in ports if the liner does not enter the port.
  • Luggage transportation at the beginning and end of the cruise.
  • Service charge, gratuity will be added at the end of the booking in the amount of 12 euros per night per guest.
  • Depending on the cabin category, you may be provided with additional services free of charge. For example, ALL INCLUSIVE drinks in bars and restaurants, cabin service with free delivery 24 hours, use of the spa center.

Important: MSC reserves the right to change the cabin to the same category or higher. However, MSC will do everything possible to avoid changing the cabin.

Additional costs:

  • insurance (medical insurance, travel cancellation insurance)
  • airfare, rail transport (transportation costs to the port of departure and from the port of arrival of the ship)
  • transfers (from the airport/train station to the sea port and back)
  • excursions
  • pre- and post-cruise hotel reservations if you want to extend your holiday on land.

Additionally paid on the liner:

  • visiting alternative bars and restaurants
  • services of spa centers, hairdressers, beauty salons
  • medical services
  • laundry, ironing
  • casino
  • slot machines, etc. depending on the specific liner.

For any purchase of goods on the liner in bars, restaurants, shops and services in the spa center, hairdresser, etc. you will be additionally charged a service fee, which will average 15% of the purchase price.

 

 

The standard cruise fare typically does not include a drink package. You may choose and add an appropriate drink package to your cruise.

Drink package rules:

- All guests sharing a cabin, including children over 3 years old, must book a drink package. For children, a MINORS PACKAGE is available.
- Seating together in the main restaurant for dinner is only possible if all guests have booked the same drink package or none at all.
- Packages are for personal use only; cruise cards cannot be shared. Only one drink can be ordered per request. If misuse of the package occurs, the cruise company reserves the right to block the package without refunding the remaining days.
- Drink packages are valid every day throughout the cruise and cannot be purchased for individual days.
- Packages are not valid in specialty bars, cafés, and restaurants, including:
  - Venchi 1878 establishments, Jean-Philippe Maury venues, MSC Virtuosa Starship Club, MSC World Europa Coffee Emporium, MSC World Europa Raj Polo Tea Room.
- Due to Saudi Arabian law, alcoholic drinks are not available while docked in Saudi Arabian ports. Alcoholic beverages will only be available once the ship leaves the port and is at sea.
- Drink packages purchased onboard will be more expensive than those bought when booking the cruise.
- Detailed lists of drink packages will be available onboard.
- Packages are valid on Sir Bani Yas and Ocean Cay islands.

Prices per person, per day:

Mediterranean; Northern Europe; UAE & Persian Gulf; Red Sea; Caribbean from Fort-de-France*

EASY PACKAGE (adults 18+)  
- Cruises 1-7 days: €43  
- Cruises 8+ days: €39  

√ a selection of classic cocktails, house spirits and mixed drinks

√ non-alcoholic cocktails

√ dedicated selection of house wines by the glass, beer, sodas, fruit juices

√ bottled mineral water

√ classic hot drink (espresso, cappuccino, coffee latte, hot tea)

 Valid: 24/7 in select onboard bars, main restaurants, and buffet (excluding specialty restaurants).

EASY PLUS PACKAGE (adults 18+)
- Cruises 1-7 days: €57  
- Cruises 8+ days: €54  
All drinks priced up to €9 or $10*

√ frozen and classic cocktails, variety of spirit brands, liquors and cordials

√ a selection of wine by the glass

√ a 10% discount on bottled wines purchased onboard

√ a wide variety of draft and bottled beers, non-alcoholic cocktails, soft drinks

√ mineral water

√ coffee drinks, hot chocolate and hot teas

The Easy Plus Package covers all the above served at our bars, buffet, main restaurant and specialty restaurants. What’s more, it also includes Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and other exclusive MSC destinations.

*€9 for European, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, Egypt, Red Sea & Saudi Arabia, and Antilles cruises; $10 for Caribbean, Northern America, South America and Asia cruises.
Valid: 24/7 in onboard bars, main restaurants, buffet, and specialty restaurants.

PREMIUM EXTRA PACKAGE (adults 18+) 
- Cruises 1-7 days: €77  
- Cruises 8+ days: €74  

All drinks priced up to €14 or $16* 
√ an extensive variety of frozen and classic cocktails, premium brand spirits, liquors and cordials

√ a varied selection of wines and champagne by the glass

√ a 25% discount on bottles of wine and champagne purchased on board

√ our entire selection of draft, craft and bottled beers, sodas, fruit juices

√ mineral water, energy drinks

√ co­ffee drinks, hot chocolate and teas

Valid: 24/7 in onboard bars, main restaurants, buffet, and specialty restaurants.

ALCOHOL-FREE PACKAGE (adults 18+)
- Cruises 1-7 days: €26  
- Cruises 8+ days: €24  

√ a wide choice of alcohol-free cocktails, sodas, energy drinks

√  mineral water, flavored water, fruit juices

√  classic coff­ee drinks and coff­ee specialties, hot chocolate, hot teas, soft-serve ice cream

Valid: 24/7 in onboard bars, main restaurants, buffet (excluding specialty restaurants).

MINORS PACKAGE (children 3-17 years)**  
- Cruises 1-7 days: €18  
- Cruises 8+ days: €17  
√ alcohol-free cocktails, sodas, energy drinks

√ mineral water, flavored water, fruit juices

√ a selection of coffee drinks, hot chocolate, hot tea and soft-serve ice cream.

Applicable for minors (age respective of the country/operation area) who are part of a group/family purchasing an adult package.
Valid: 24/7 in select onboard bars, main restaurants, and buffet (excluding specialty restaurants).

Prices and rules are similar for other regions, with minor variations in costs for South America, Asia, and the Far East.

Interior

Interior

from: 3 859€
Oceanview

Oceanview

from: 4 789€
Balcony

Balcony

from: 5 719€
Detailed cruise program
  • Day 1: 20:00

    Melbourne / Australia

    Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Its name refers to an urban agglomeration of 9,992.5 km2 (3,858.1 sq mi), comprising a metropolitan area with 31 municipalities, and is also the common name for its city centre. The city occupies much of the coastline of Port Phillip bay and spreads into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of approximately 4.9 million (19% of the population of Australia), and its inhabitants are referred to as "Melburnians".

    The city was founded on 30 August 1835, in what was the British colony of New South Wales, by free settlers from the colony of Van Diemen’s Land. It was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837 and named in honour of the British Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847, after which it became the capital of the new colony of Victoria in 1851. In the wake of the 1850s Victorian gold rush, the city entered the "Marvellous Melbourne" boom period, transforming into one of the most important cities in the British Empire and one of the largest and wealthiest in the world. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as interim seat of government of the new nation until Canberra became the permanent capital in 1927. Today, it is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region and ranks 20th in the Global Financial Centres Index.

  • Day 2:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 3: 07:00-19:00

    Adelaide / Australia

    Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia, and the fifth-most populous city of Australia. In June 2017, Adelaide had an estimated resident population of 1,333,927. Adelaide is home to more than 75 percent of the South Australian population, making it the most centralised population of any state in Australia.

  • Day 4: 08:00-20:00

    Pennecho / Australia

  • Day 5:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 6:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 7: 07:00-17:00

    Albany / Australia

    Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. Albany is the oldest colonial settlement in Western Australia, predating Perth and Fremantle by over two years.

    The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a part of King George Sound. The central business district is bounded by Mount Clarence to the east and Mount Melville to the west. The city is in the local government area of the City of Albany.

  • Day 8: 10:00-22:00

    Busselton

  • Day 9: 08:00-23:59

    Samson / Australia

  • Day 10: 00:01-18:00

    Samson / Australia

  • Day 11:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 12:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 13:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 14:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 15:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 16:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 17:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 18: 07:00-17:00

    Little ones / Maldives

    Мале — это столица Мальдивской республики, которая расположена в центре архипелага. Территория составляет всего два квадратных километра, из-за чего город не может иметь все, что положено столице. Поэтому крупные предприятия, концерны, и важные государственные объекты, такие например как аэропорт, находятся на соседних островах. Несмотря на маленькие размеры, остров довольно густо населён, поэтому его территорию искусственно расширяют. Сегодня Мале единственный город в стране, который имеет асфальтированные дороги и высотные дома. Но, не смотря на это, город сохранил красоту дикой природы и прелесть белых пляжей с чистой морской водой.

  • Day 19:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 20:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 21: 10:00-18:00

    Victoria, MAE Island / Seychelles

  • Day 22:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 23: 09:00-18:00

    Nosy Be / Madagascar

  • Day 24:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 25:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 26:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 27:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 28: 08:00-18:00

    Port Elizabeth / South Africa

  • Day 29:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 30: 08:00-18:00

    Cape Town / South Africa

    Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa, colloquially named the Mother City. It is the legislative capital of South Africa and primate city of the Western Cape province. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.

    The Parliament of South Africa sits in Cape Town. The other two capitals are located in Pretoria (the administrative capital where the Presidency is based) and Bloemfontein (the judicial capital where the Supreme Court of Appeal is located). The city is known for its harbour, for its natural setting in the Cape Floristic Region, and for landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point. As of 2014, it is the 10th most populous city in Africa and home to 64% of the Western Cape's population. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa. The city was named the World Design Capital for 2014 by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design. In 2014, Cape Town was named the best place in the world to visit by both The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph.

    Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town, as the oldest urban area in South Africa, was developed by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a supply station for Dutch ships sailing to East Africa, India, and the Far East. Jan van Riebeeck's arrival on 6 April 1652 established Dutch Cape Colony, the first permanent European settlement in South Africa. Cape Town outgrew its original purpose as the first European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope, becoming the economic and cultural hub of the Cape Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the development of Johannesburg, Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa.

  • Day 31:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 32: 09:00-18:00

    Walvis Bay / Namibia

  • Day 33:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 34:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 35:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 36:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 37:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 38:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 39:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 40: 08:00-19:00

    Dakar / Senegal

    Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 2.45 million.

    The area around Dakar was settled in the 15th century. The Portuguese established a presence on the island of Gorée off the coast of Cap-Vert and used it as a base for the Atlantic slave trade. France took over the island in 1677. Following the abolition of the slave trade and French annexation of the mainland area in the 19th century, Dakar grew into a major regional port and a major city of the French colonial empire. In 1902, Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa. From 1959 to 1960, Dakar was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation. In 1960, it became the capital of the independent Republic of Senegal.

  • Day 41:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 42:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 43: 08:00-17:00

    Puerto Del Rosario-Fuerteventura / Spain

  • Day 44:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 45:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 46:

    Day at sea / Sea

  • Day 47: 07:00-18:00

    Sicily Palermo / Italy

    Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy. It is one of the five Italian autonomous regions, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as Regione Siciliana.

    Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,329 m (10,922 ft) high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.

    The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and, for the next 600 years, it was the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, which was subsequently ruled by the Hohenstaufen, the Capetian House of Anjou, Spain, and the House of Habsburg. It was finally unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region on 15th May 1946, 18 days before the Italian constitutional referendum of 1946. Albeit, much of the autonomy still remains unapplied, especially financial autonomy, because the autonomy-activating laws have been deferred to be approved by the parithetic committee (50% Italian State, 50% Regione Siciliana), since 1946.

    Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Erice and Selinunte.

  • Day 48: 08:00-19:00

    Rome (Civitavecchia) / Italy

    Rome is the capital city and a special comune of Italy (named Comune di Roma Capitale). Rome also serves as the capital of the Lazio region. With 2,872,800 residents in 1,285 km2(496.1 sq mi), it is also the country's most populated comune. It is the fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. It is the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome, which has a population of 4,355,725 residents, thus making it the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the Tiber. The Vatican City (the smallest country in the world) is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.

    Rome's history spans 28 centuries. While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at around 753 BC, the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe. The city's early population originated from a mix of Latins, Etruscans, and Sabines. Eventually, the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as the birthplace of Western civilization and by some as the first ever metropolis. It was first called The Eternal City (Latin: Urbs Aeterna; Italian: La Città Eterna) by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC, and the expression was also taken up by Ovid, Virgil, and Livy. Rome is also called the "Caput Mundi" (Capital of the World). After the fall of the Western Empire, which marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, Rome slowly fell under the political control of the Papacy, which had settled in the city since the 1st century AD, until in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. Beginning with the Renaissance, almost all the popes since Nicholas V (1447–1455) pursued over four hundred years a coherent architectural and urban programme aimed at making the city the artistic and cultural centre of the world. In this way, Rome became first one of the major centres of the Italian Renaissance, and then the birthplace of both the Baroque style and Neoclassicism. Famous artists, painters, sculptors and architects made Rome the centre of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 1871, Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, which, in 1946, became the Italian Republic.

    Rome has the status of a global city. In 2016, Rome ranked as the 14th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The famous Vatican Museums are among the world's most visited museums while the Colosseum was the most popular tourist attraction in world with 7.4 million visitors in 2018. Host city for the 1960 Summer Olympics, Rome is the seat of several specialized agencies of the United Nations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The city also hosts the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as well as the headquarters of many international business companies such as Eni, Enel, TIM, Leonardo S.p.A., and national and international banks such as Unicredit and BNL. Its business district, called EUR, is the base of many companies involved in the oil industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and financial services. Rome is also an important fashion and design centre thanks to renowned international brands centered in the city. Rome's Cinecittà Studios have been the set of many Academy Award–winning movies.

  • Day 49: 08:00

    Genoa / Italy

    Genoa is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of Genoa, which in 2015 became the Metropolitan City of Genoa, counted 855,834 resident persons. Over 1.5 million people live in the wider metropolitan area stretching along the Italian Riviera.

     Located on the Gulf of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea, Genoa has historically been one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean: it is currently the busiest in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea and twelfth-busiest in the European Union. Genoa has been nicknamed la Superba ("the proud one") due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks. Part of the old town of Genoa was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006 as Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli. The city's rich cultural history in art, music and cuisine allowed it to become the 2004 European Capital of Culture. It is the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, Andrea Doria, Niccolò Paganini, Giuseppe Mazzini, Renzo Piano and Grimaldo Canella, founder of the House of Grimaldi, among others.

    Genoa, which forms the southern corner of the Milan-Turin-Genoa industrial triangle of Northwest Italy, is one of the country's major economic centers. The city has hosted massive shipyards and steelworks since the 19th century, and its solid financial sector dates back to the Middle Ages. The Bank of Saint George, founded in 1407, is among the oldest in the world and has played an important role in the city's prosperity since the middle of the 15th century. Today a number of leading Italian companies are based in the city, including Fincantieri, Selex ES, Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo STS, Edoardo Raffinerie Garrone, Piaggio Aerospace, Mediterranean Shipping Company and Costa Cruises.