MSC Magnifica: 71-Night World

Rome's cruise port is in Civitavecchia, a working port town about 80 kilometers northwest of the city. That distance is the single most important thing to understand about this stop.

Genoa cruise port is one of the main embarkation points for western Mediterranean itineraries, particularly for MSC and Costa Cruises, which both have roots here. The city is the capital of Liguria and the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, pesto, and focaccia, and it has a grittier, more working-class feel than the polished Italian cities most tourists flock to.

Marseille cruise port is France's busiest and one of the major stops on western Mediterranean itineraries. The city is France's second largest and its oldest, founded by Greek sailors over 2,600 years ago, and it has a rougher, more authentic edge than the polished Riviera towns further east.

Barcelona cruise port is the busiest in the Mediterranean, handling millions of passengers a year across multiple terminals. The city behind it earns that traffic.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, a 6.7-square-kilometer enclave dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, a 426-meter limestone monolith that guards the western entrance to the Mediterranean.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visually dramatic cities on earth, set between granite peaks, tropical forest, and Atlantic beaches. The city of about 6.

Buenos Aires is Argentina's capital and the primary embarkation port for cruise itineraries to Patagonia, the Falkland Islands, Antarctica, and around South America. The cruise terminal (Terminal de Cruceros Benito Quinquela Martin) is in the Puerto Madero/La Boca area on the Rio de la Plata, about 3 km from the city center.

Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia and the main cruise hub for the South Pacific, on the northwest coast of Tahiti. Ships dock at the Autonomous Port of Papeete, directly in the city center, about a 5-minute walk from the central market and waterfront.

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, home to about 1.7 million people spread across a narrow isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau Harbors.

Sydney cruise port is the main gateway to Australia and one of the most visually spectacular arrivals in the world. Ships sail past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House into one of the largest natural harbors on Earth, with the city rising up on all sides.