It was May 2025 when I decided that I just have to go book myself another cruise. In case you didn’t know, May was my FIRST cruise with the Royal Caribbean Cruise line going to Bermuda and it was just a magical time that I just knew cruising was for me. You can find my blog post here.

Weather in Italy in November:

I had told myself that year I would wait to book another one, and while I waited to go, I did not wait to book. I had heard a lot of conflicting reviews about the MSC cruise line, but the price was unmatchable, and I am so happy I went! I wanted to explore a little bit more than Bermuda and so I had decided to explore Europe. I was a little nervous with going in November; was it going to be too cold? Well, I was wrong and I had a friend who said the same- so it wasn’t just me- but Italy was warm! I often had to leave my jacket in the bus because I never needed it! On average, it was about 74 F degrees! Warm but not sweltering hot, and a nice refreshment from the 55 F degrees back in the US. Now, I can’t guarantee it will be the same for you- but on November 10th, 2025, it was.

Genoa vs. Genova:

You may have heard it called Genoa, you may have heard it called Genova. Is it the same place or not? Genova is the way the locals say it, whereas Genoa is the English name. You can use either term, but in case you’re thinking “this looks familiar, but I went to Genoa, not Genova” that’s why!

BUS TOUR:

The night before the excursion, my cabin steward had given me an envelope with the excursion ticket. It will say where you meet, at what time and any other important information you may need. I met at the Aft Lounge at 1pm and was escorted down the stairs, off the ship to our bus. Because MSC is a European cruiseline, there are many different languages the passengers will speak. Excursion groups are generally separated by languages. For this one, I was on a bus with both English and German-speaking people.

Personally, I thought it was easy to understand what our tour guide, Angeline- was saying, but some others next to me- from Singapore said they struggled. Italian is a very sing-song language and not everyone is used to that; I think it can throw people off, but the pronunciation of the words was clear, to me at least! Angeline would switch between German and English, speaking likely a couple minutes in each- back and forth.

Boccadasse:

Our first stop from the bus wasn’t too far from the port and we first went to Boccadasse, which is a small and colorful village with gorgeous sea views, winding paths and nothing short of Italian Architecture. You may have seen this image on puzzles, but seeing it in person is something else!

Boccadasse was reportedly originally founded in 1000 AD by Spanish Fisherman seeking refuge from a storm on the seas, but it wasn’t formerly part of Genova until 1873. Despite the tourists and us being now in the 21st century, the village hasn’t lost it’s character, with pastel colored buildings and picturesque views over the water. Much of this is likely due to pushback and protests from locals in 20th century when there plans to demolish this lovely village for a new road. Thank goodness for the locals!

Piazza De Ferrari

Next up, we went to Piazza De Ferrari. There were public bathrooms here if you needed to use one! Piazza De Ferrari is the main square in Genova. In the center sits a large fountain, which is great for photos if not too many people are also taking selfies and photos! Piazza De Ferrari is in the middle of the historical and modern center and has many shops and restaurant down cobbled pathways to explore. Once we were dropped off here, we were allowed to explore on our own and have some free time until it was time to head back.

When you go here, one thing that I definitely recommend is the Chiesa del Gesù e dei Santi Ambrogio e Andrea, which is Baroque-era Jesuit church. It’s not too far from the fountain, perhaps a 2-5 minute walk or so and the inside, similar to many of the other European Churchs I’ve explored during this trip are elaborate, detailed and so intricately done.

Whenever I travel, in addition to sharing photos on my socials, I have a couple friends that I will always send photos to. If they can’t be there, then maybe they can live vicariously through me! And one said something so true; in comparison to the architecture in Europe- our (American) buildings look so ugly! I mean look at some of these buildings!

Besides the church, the area was definitely nice, there were coffee stops and a few restaurants along the way, ample options for souvenir shopping or snacks. Many of the places do take card, which was a big relief for me as I didn’t have Euros at the time.

I will say of the places I went on this cruise, I absolutely loved Italy, yet it was the one language I couldn’t speak at all. I speak basic French and Spanish, but as for Italian? Really nothing, until the end of the trip where I learned Hello and Thank you; Buongiorno and Grazie!

Do I recommend this Excursion?

I really truly do. I loved being able to learn about the history of Genova by a local and seeing some of the top attractions. The free time was also nice to explore what I wanted on my own. All of the MSC excursions I had gone to, offered some free time during the trip which was nice because I may not be interested in what others are and vice-versa. As another passenger said to me- “If I was just doing this alone, I’d just see a nice view or building, but having a guide to explain the history makes it so much more rich of an experience” and I totally agree! It was a shorter excursion than most of the others I had gone on, were- which I didn’t mind, but just something to note. (Most of the others were 4-5 hours long). The price was good for what you got and yes- you can likely get something similar cheaper ($50-100 for some with a guide or bus tour, through something like Viator) but the reason I often get excursions from the cruise line is because there’s more insurance, especially if you’re late. The ship may not wait for you if you’re late coming from an outside provider, but they WILL if you’re coming from an excursion booked through the cruise line!

Cheers Friends & Travelers!

~ Backroad Butterflies ~

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