MSC Reveals Family Features Aboard New World Europa

Posted on 29 June, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises today revealed details of the facilities and activities designed for kids and families on board the new MSC World Europa, set to come into service in December 2022.

The ship will feature the largest kids’ area in MSC Cruises’ fleet spanning 766 square meters with seven distinct spaces dedicated to different ages from babies to 17 years old, the company said in a press release.

Matteo Mancini, Kids’ Entertainment Manager, MSC Cruises, said, “We have invested heavily in the entertainment offering for our younger guests, and we know they value the latest technology, trends and experiences. We have worked to introduce real innovations in both the design of the facilities as well as the development of an incredible program of activities, all carefully planned to ensure that the differing needs of all age groups are met – from our youngest guests through to teenagers. More than 350,000 young people who have travelled with us over the years and we have listened to their feedback. MSC World Europa reflects these learnings and we have been inspired to create experiences that blend technology and social media with activity and sport to create fresh and new entertainment for the kids who sail with us.”

The Kids’ Clubs are available from the youngest guests through to teens and activities are organized according to age group:

Especially for babies: Baby Club for toddlers up to 3 years, with qualified crew members
For the younger kids: Mini Club and Juniors Club (3 – 11 years)
For the older kids: Young Club and Teen Club (12 – 17 years) including a brand-new TEENS LAB, a totally immersive, tech-filled, modern room just for teens

MSC Cruises has dedicated childcare services to give parents the freedom to enjoy the ship, safe in the knowledge that their children are being cared for by dedicated and highly trained staff. Many of these services are offered in collaboration with Chicco – a leading global baby brand and a long-term MSC Cruises partner.

New:

LEGO CELEBRATION ROOM: The long-standing partnership between LEGO Group and MSC Cruises continues to surprise fans with a never-seen-before room celebrating LEGO’s “90 years of Play.”
HIGH-TECH ACTIVITIES: Pushing the boundaries of kids’ entertainment, MSC Cruises has developed exciting new activities blending games with high-tech features to create moments of pure pleasure. Within Juniors, Young & Teens Clubs, guests will have access to over 21 of the latest consoles, seven VR stations and more than 50 different videogames
3,2,1 KNOCK: This never-seen-before gameshow for the whole family is inspired by the challenges and colours of Asian entertainment: K-pop, Japanese games and tests that will leave the audience breathless
BEAT THE MUSIC: The whole family will be the star of an unmissable interactive and digital game show dedicated to music and suitable for all ages. For the first time on an MSC Cruises ship, guests will be able to play the game through a dedicated app. In this battle, parents work to identify the latest music their kids are listening to, while kids work to name the classics their parents love the most
Z ACTIVE: A brand new and exciting sports program for kids and teens including football, basketball, zorb ball and, for the first time on board, pickleball and hoverboards
DRONE ACADEMY 2.0: This high-tech and high-energy drone relay race comes to life at night thanks to fluo effects and glowing drones. New POV cameras and VR bring the experience to life while navigating 15 obstacles in the quickest time possible

Favourites:

CABIN 12006-THE EXPERIENCE: More than a cabin, Cabin 12006 is a live entertainment experience, with seven different activities including a family game show and a casting session with performances. The web series, with over four million views and two million interactions on the web, has been written and shot in collaboration with Viacom, the media group behind the kids’ channel Nickelodeon, to develop an original, authentic and high-quality web content for kids.
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 sees teams of 10-17 years battling it out to win the title of dance crew of the year.
LEGO EXPERIENCE ONBOARD: With a wide range of LEGO bricks and toys onboard, kids have the opportunity to express their creativity whenever and wherever they want! At the end of the LEGO® EXPERIENCE ONBOARD, each child will receive a diploma, certifying that he/she is now a Junior LEGO Master Builder.
MSC FOUNDATION JUNIOR AMBASSADORS: Thanks to the MSC Foundation, the MSC Group is committed to providing its young guests on board with tools for understanding projects such as environment, marine conservation, and education and community support.

MSC Cruise reveals New Dining Concepts for the upcoming MSC World Europa

Posted on 15 June, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises’ upcoming vessel World Europa will introduce seven new dining and drinking venues including a mixology bar and Indian tea house.

The new venues include The Gin Project, a dedicated gin bar with specialist gin experts helping guests mix their own cocktails from more than 70 craft gins available, while Elixir Mixology Bar is a new cocktail venue with an outdoor terrace and “liquor corner” for tasting spirits.

The Coffee Emporium will serve French, Italian, Turkish and Moroccan coffees and coffee brand Lavazza will develop an MSC signature roast which passengers can take home.

Raj Polo Tea House offers English breakfast teas, cold-brewed and iced tea selections and tea-infused cocktails and Chef’s Garden Kitchen features greenery grown onboard using a soilless farming style, which the line has termed farm-to-ocean cooking.

The new venue, Chef’s Garden Kitchen, uses a soilless farming method to grow its greenery La Pescaderia is a restaurant specialising in seafood and features a fresh fish display where guests may choose their fish to eat, while Luna Park Pizza & Burger is a buffet-style venue with family games and American cuisine offerings.

The Masters of the Sea, the line’s signature pub, will have a second floor onboard World Europa, which will feature a micro-brewery with MSC beers brewed on board.

The line’s specialist restaurant mainstays will also be onboard, such as Butcher’s Cut, Kaito Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar and Hola! Tacos & Cantina.

The ship is currently being built in Saint Nazaire and will welcome its first guests on board in December 2022 and sail to the Arabian Gulf region for its inaugural season.

Jacques Van Staden, MSC’s vice-president of food and beverage, said the culinary experience onboard the ship had been designed with the future in mind, such as the technology seen at Chef’s Garden Kitchen.

“Each new concept aims to go beyond what traditional venues achieved in the past and focus on crafted, artisanal and immersive experiences that will revolutionise the place dining holds in the overall cruise experience,” he said.

MSC CRUISES EXTENDS BELLISSIMA’S ARABIAN GULF SEASON

Posted on 31 January, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises has announced plans to extend its current season in the Arabian Gulf after the destination proved to be “particularly attractive” to its customers this winter.

Bellissima will finish its planned Red Sea itineraries homeporting in Jeddah on 26 March and then move to the Arabian Gulf to take over from Virtuosa on 2 April.

The vessel will then offer additional seven-night cruises calling in Dubai, Sir Bani Yas and Doha from 2 April through to 25 June.

Virtuosa, which has sailed the region since November 2021, will sail back to Europe to homeport in Southampton for the summer season.

In July, Bellissima will move to the Far East to perform its itineraries in Japan and China. Sales for the additional Bellissima cruises opened today.

The line said its Arabian Gulf sailings have proven to be “particularly attractive” to guests this winter, thanks to the “appeal of the itinerary” with extended stays in port and two overnights in Dubai.

Gianni Onorato, chief executive of MSC Cruises, said: “We have seen that the itineraries in the UAE and Qatar have been very popular with our guests and so to respond to this demand we have decided to extend our presence in the region.

“The decision to deploy MSC Bellissima for this extended part of the season was taken because this is a highly popular and well-appreciated ship with a richness of features, entertainment and dining as well as offering the MSC Yacht Club.”