Discover unbeatable cruise deals from the UK. Book affordable cruises to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe & beyond with Low Cost Cruises.
Need Any Help? Call Us
51 ST MATTHIAS ROAD NOTTINGHAM NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NG3 2HF
FRMRS | France | official_port
Since being designated a European Capital of Culture for 2013, with an estimated €660 million of funding in the bargain, Marseille has been in the throes of an extraordinary transformation, with no fewer than five major new arts centers, a beautifully refurbished port, revitalized neighborhoods, and a slew of new shops and restaurants. Once the underdog, this time-burnished city is now welcoming an influx of weekend tourists who have colonized entire neighborhoods and transformed them into elegant pieds-à-terre (or should we say, mer). The second-largest city in France, Marseille is one of Europe's most vibrant destinations. Feisty and fond of broad gestures, it is also as complicated and as cosmopolitan now as it was when a band of Phoenician Greeks first sailed into the harbor that is today's Vieux Port in 600 BC. Legend has it that on that same day a local chieftain's daughter, Gyptis, needed to choose a husband, and her wandering eyes settled on the Greeks' handsome commander Protis. Her dowry brought land near the mouth of the Rhône, where the Greeks founded Massalia, the most important Continental shipping port in antiquity. The port flourished for some 500 years as a typical Greek city, enjoying the full flush of classical culture, its gods, its democratic political system, its sports and theater, and its naval prowess. Caesar changed all that, besieging the city in 49 BC and seizing most of its colonies. In 1214 Marseille was seized again, this time by Charles d'Anjou, and was later annexed to France by Henri IV in 1481, but it was not until Louis XIV took the throne that the biggest transformations of the port began; he pulled down the city walls in 1666 and expanded the port to the Rive Neuve (New Riverbank). The city was devastated by plague in 1720, losing more than half its population. By the time of the Revolution, Marseille was on the rebound once again, with industries of soap manufacturing and oil processing flourishing, encouraging a wave of immigration from Provence and Italy. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Marseille became the greatest boomtown in 19th-century Europe. With a large influx of immigrants from areas as exotic as Tangiers, the city quickly acquired the multicultural population it maintains to this day.
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Magnifica | From : Marseille | Going On : 29 Jun 2025
MSCMA20250629MRSMRS
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Seaside | From : Marseille | Going On : 30 Jun 2025
MSCSE20250630MRSMRS
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Orchestra | From : Marseille | Going On : 02 Jul 2025
MSCOR20250702MRSMRS
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Splendida | From : Marseille | Going On : 03 Jul 2025
MSCSP20250703MRSMRS
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Grandiosa | From : Marseille | Going On : 04 Jul 2025
MSCGR20250704MRSMRS
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC World Europa | From : Marseille | Going On : 05 Jul 2025
MSCEU20250705MRSMRS
7 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Magnifica | From : Marseille | Going On : 06 Jul 2025
MSCMA20250706MRSMRS
10 Holiday Nights
Onboard : MSC Musica | From : Marseille | Going On : 06 Jul 2025
MSCMU20250706MRSMRS
Fill in your details and one of our team members will get in touch shortly to help you find the best cruise deals, answer your queries, and guide you every step of the way – with no pressure to book.
