New Feature: My Photo Dairy Story.

Posted on 15 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Part 1 MSC Virtuosa.

MSC Virtuosa Welcome to my First attempt to explain the images I have taken and some feedback about the ships and locations I have travelled on and too, so here goes.

MSC Virtuosa
Built in 2021 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France
Meraviglia Plus ship
Displacement 181,541 tons
Capacity 4842 double occupancies, (1704 crew)
Length 331.43mtrs, Beam 50mtrs, Height 64.9mtrs

MSC Virtuosa was launched and Christened during the Covid-19 Pandemic and her first voyages were around the UK coastline from Southampton, I took the above photo of her arriving in Southampton on the day we boarded her for a Baltic cruise in May 2022. Virtuosa’s name was used to pay homage to the ship designers describing them as someone highly skilled in any field of activity.
This ship is huge with 16 decks including 3 main decks with the bars, lounges, casinos, shopping and that Amazing LCD screen running nearly 100 meters called the main Galleria Virtuosa, a 3-minute video can be viewed from the following – link https://youtu.be/3JuMc0v3VR8

Outside or the topside is the main pool deck with two main pools and 4 round
jacuzzies and 2 jacuzzis jutting out over the side of the ship, at the rear of the ship is an Adult only pool surrounded by sun loungers and bartenders. On deck 15/16 is the indoor Tropical pool with the main pool and 4 large Jacuzzies all themed as a tropical forest there’s even a Monky and a Patriot in the palmtrees, this is a great area but can get a bit noisy when there are children around.

The main theatre called the Grand Theatre is where the ship’s singers and dancers perform great shows, and where guest acts tread the boards, there is a huge LCD screen around the back and sides of the stage giving the performances an extra Wow factor and that to a wonderful sound system and the show go up another level. On decks 7 and 8 is the Carousel Lounge where they perform 2 Fantastic Cirque Soleil shows with once again a huge 40-meter LCD screen to add that extra Wow to an already amazing show.
This is the end of Part 1 I hope you enjoyed this section, on quite cruise news days I’ll post a bit of a review and more of the photos I took around the ship, so stay tuned in.

Above is the Main Atrium with the

Galleria displaying the British Union Flag.

Transcend Cruises Offering Unique Charter Model on European Rivers

Posted on 15 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Transcend Cruises has already sold $20 million of the charter products ahead of its 2024 launch, said Matthew Shollar, CEO and co-founder.

The company is building two highly-customized riverboats for debut in Europe that are solely targeted at the charter market.

With a background in full-ship charters, Shollar said he had identified an opening in the market to essentially customize a ship for full-ship charters for groups, alumni associations, corporate clients and more.

“The physical hardware of the ships (in the market) doesn’t optimize itself (for charters),” he said. “The process for chartering is not optimal, taking retail departures out of inventory, and the software is not that flexible to be customized for the groups.”

The company’s two newbuilds will feature convertible staterooms, meaning 60 rooms or 30 double rooms (or a mix), depending on client specification. That means the ships are also smaller, capacity-wise than most of the European riverboat fleet which holds about 200 guests. There’s also a wellness area which is absent from most riverboats.

“This has opened up spaces for group locations,” he said, noting five spaces on each ship the entire group can meet and 10 additional spaces for breakout groups. Customized lighting and screens can be tailored to the client. In addition are storage areas for materials, an office for the charter client and even a separate reception desk if a group needs one.

“We’re not in the FIT business, we have no retail pricing, and we will never re-market to the guests on board as we have nothing to sell them,” Shollar said. “We are 100 per cent focused on the full-ship charter market.”

The company plans to operate a season similar to the mainstream European riverboat brands, going from March through New Year. If available, clients can select specific dates with a three-night minimum. Itineraries, the onboard product and destination experiences are fully customizable. Clients can also plan their own shore programs without penalty.

“We will have a customization team that will cover all the different elements for a flat fee. No markups,” Shollar said.

Shollar said the booking window for charters is between 12 and 36 months. With a normal shipbuilding cycle of 14 months, it’s possible the company is able to grow organically by selling inventory and then ordering more capacity.

The ships are also expected to be shallower, saving about 10 centimetres on draft, which could come in handy with water level issues. Battery packs will be used for peak shaving and for close-in manoeuvring.

MSC Cruises Launches New Family Options For Seascape

Posted on 14 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises today unveiled details of its MSC Seascape, which it said will elevate the family experience and provide children with endless options for onboard entertainment.

The ship will feature 98 hours of live entertainment per cruise, 700 square meters of dedicated kids’ space and cutting-edge amusement options when she launches in December 2022, offering seven-night cruises in the Caribbean following her New York christening.

“We have invested heavily in the entertainment proposition for our youngest guests. We know they value the latest technology, trends and happenings more than any other group, and we lead the way in creating special holidays,” said MSC Cruises’ Global Head of Entertainment Steve Leatham. “The ship programming is full of innovations in hardware and software, and we have taken care to ensure that all age groups have exclusive access to all the amazing venues and spaces onboard this amazing ship. We are working with many partners and producing much of the content ourselves, ensuring everything is relevant and fits with our amazing ships.”

MSC Seascape will offer one of the largest children’s areas in the fleet with 700 square meters of dedicated space featuring a fresh, futuristic design. New spaces include:

TWO LEGO ROOMS: The cruise line will build on its partnership with LEGO, debuting two exclusively designed LEGO rooms that cater to different experience levels. One room will offer LEGO DUPLO for ages 3 to 6, and the other room will cater to Juniors ages 7 to 11 with LEGO bricks and the opportunity to earn a certificate for becoming a LEGO Master Builder.
THREE NEW CONCEPT SPACES FOR TEENS: Guests aged 12 to 17 will enjoy three new concept spaces with varying themes to engage with other kids their age. The first space will centre around “Future” and features a technology area with the latest generation consoles, VR and screens. The “Chill Out” area will offer a place to teens to talk, exchange social media contacts and challenge each other to games of ping pong and foozeball. And the third space celebrates “Music” as a disco with light and sound effects, where kids will choose their own music late into the night.

Family entertainment will bring together people of all ages aboard MSC Seascape, with live interactive games incorporating the latest technology. New game shows launching on MSC Seascape include:

BREAK THE WALL: During this new high-tech game, guests will stand in front of a giant technological wall that will determine which surprise tests must be performed on stage in front of a jury composed of the audience. Bringing an element of surprise and laughter, kids of all ages will be talking about this game for the entire trip.
VIKINGS: For the first time on board an MSC Cruises ship, families can participate in an “edutaining” game that will teach participants about the history of Vikings while presenting them with a fun unprecedented challenge at sea.
CABIN 12006 – THE SECRET GAME: Inspired by the MSC original “Cabin 12006” web series, this immersive experience combines music, videos, Tik Tok trials, memory games, and more as guests try their hand at solving mysteries on board.
BEAT THE MUSIC: During this interactive and digital game show dedicated to music suitable for all ages, the whole family will be the star of the show. Guests can play the game through a dedicated app where parents will be challenged to know the latest music hits their kids are listening to and kids will have to guess the classics their parents love. With eliminations and prizes, the game is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of the cruise.

“With MSC Seascape, we want to surprise and leave Generation Z speechless. We’ve listened to the 350,000 young people who have travelled with us over the years and followed their trends and requests,” said MSC Cruises Corporate Kids Entertainment Manager Matteo Mancini. “We will offer even more space and new experiences for teenagers, have exclusive game shows for this age group and the first “edutainment” game show dedicated to the history, bringing in the concepts of new technology and social media.”

Other activities and entertainment onboard:

DOREMILAND, THE DOCUMENTARY: All cabins with children and teenagers will include an exclusive travel talk broadcast in the form of a documentary, immersing parents and kids in all the services and activities that await them during the cruise. This sensational behind-the-scenes documentary shows guests the secrets behind the creation of MSC’s family product.
MSC DANCE CREW: Developed in partnership with Fremantle, the production company behind the globally successful TV talent shows including Idols, The X Factor and Got Talent Series, this competition experience has teams of 10- to 17-year-olds battle to win the title of dance crew of the year.
CABIN 12006-THE EXPERIENCE: MSC’s original web series, “Cabin 12006,” is now also a live entertainment experience consisting of seven different activities including a family game show and a casting session with performances.
TEENS CLUB: This room entirely dedicated to teenagers includes endless options for entertainment including a PlayStation5, Xbox X Series, Nintendo Switch, foosball, VR, table tennis, and billiards.
TLS TEENS LATE SHOW: Each week, teens will be the cast of a real “Late Show” live from the Teens Club that will focus on trends, music charts, guest stars, the most loved TV series, and games and prizes.
MSC FOUNDATION JUNIOR AMBASSADORS: The MSC Foundation provides young guests with the tools for understanding projects such as marine conservation, making them the centre of dedicated activities involved in bettering the world.