MSC Reveals Family Features Aboard New World Europa

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:

MSC World Europa
  • 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.

10 Talking points about the MSC Meraviglia.

Image result for MSC Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia will be one of the worlds largest ship in terms of passenger capacity.
  • Bigger is better – When it launches in June, MSC Meraviglia will become one of the largest ships in the world, catering for 4,500 passengers at double occupancy, Max. Cap. of 5,714 pax., and a crew of 1,536.
 
  • Prepare for launch – Meraviglia is due to be christened in Le Havre on June 3rd 2017, and will then sail on a range of itineraries around the western Mediterranean; out of three home ports Genoa, Barcelona, and Marseille.
 
  •  Cabins with a view – The ship will have a total of 2,244 cabins across 14 categories – 75% of all cabins will have balconies. These include 23 interlinked “cluster” cabins that can be used by families or groups of up to 10 people, plus 8 suites with balconies and whirlpool baths.
 
  • They will entertain you – A major selling point will be nightly performances of two exclusive shows by Canadian theatrical producer Cirque du Soleil, who will be the head line act of the programme offering 20 hours of daily entertainment. The major onboard venue will be the 985-seat Broadway Theatre, while other facilities include an 80 meter LED screen with daily shows,a full size bowling ally, casino and 10 dancing floors to boogie the night away.
 
  • Image result for MSC Meraviglia
  • Making a bigger splash – Onboard water-based activities will be based around four pools and the ships Aqua Park with three water slides including the high speed Champagne bowl slide plus a Himalayan Bridge across the entire width of the deck.
 
  • Fun for all the Family – As well as the water parks there will be a amusement park and children’s area located on the same deck. Doremi Tech Lab will allow kids to try the latest technology and the Lego Experience onboard is sure to be a big hit. There will also be a room especially for babies and their families, that has been created with Italian baby research centre Chicco. There is also a separate room for the Teens.
 
  • A feast for cruisers – Meraviglia will offer 12 separate dinning options, including Katio Sushi Bar and Butchers Cut American Steakhouse, as well as a chocolate “Atelier” and creperie from pastry chef Jean Phillippe Maury. Flexible dining will be on offer with 8 sittings per night at selected dining venues and fresh food will be available at the buffet 20 hours a day. There will be a choice of 20 bars and lounges for pre- and after dinner drinks.
 
  • Shop to you drop – Onboard shops will feature a range of 300 brands plus 250 products that will be exclusive to MSC. The line also say there will be a 15% on average in its shops compared with shore prices.
 
  • Relax and get Pampered – The ship will feature a 1,100sqm Balinese-themed MSC Aureau Spa offering an extensive range of 20 massages and 26 facials. There will also be a gym and walking track for the more energetic.
 
  • Enhanced Yacht Club – The MSC Yacht Club is an exclusive area of the ship featuring Royal and Deluxe suites, 24 hour butler service, a private treatment room in the Spa, private pool on the ships highest deck and a separate 130 seat restaurant. The club will accommodate 78 suites, 15 inside cabins and 2 apartments.

The stretching of MSC Sinfonia is underway

MSC Cruises’ €200m Renaissance Program will see the second ship in drydock for the next 10 weeks as the MSC Sinfonia arrived in Sicily for her stretching.

Fincantieri’s marine engineers will carefully bisect MSC Sinfonia’s hull, after which the two halves of the ships will be slowly drawn apart.

On January 20-21 they will insert a prebuilt 2,200-ton, 24-metre midsection containing 193 extra cabins. Then they will refit and renew much of the ship’s interior, bringing an enhanced sense of comfort and space.

On Jan. 9, the new midsection was floated into the shipyard and hauled into the drydock area where MSC Sinfonia will remain for the duration of her stay.

Once the work is complete and sea trials completed, the larger MSC Sinfonia will weigh anchor from the shipyard on March 25 for Genoa, from where she’ll begin for her maiden cruise to Ajaccio, Barcelona and Marseille.

MSC Sinfonia will feature new purpose-built areas for children created in partnership with Chicco and LEGO,  and a new Baby Club, Mini Club, Young Club and Teens Club. MSC Cruises has also reimagined the onboard dining experiences, keeping the buffet open 20 hours per day and installing fresh new dining spaces, a brand new lounge and an extended restaurant.

The ship’s MSC Aurea Spa will also be enriched with additional massage areas, and a new outdoor spray park will be added on deck 13 – an exciting series of playful water features and jets.

The remainder of the Renaissance Program will progress according to the following schedule:

•    MSC Opera: 2 May to 4 July 2015
•    MSC Lirica: 31 August to 2 November 2015

MSC Cruises currently carries roughly 40,000 guests per day, but by 2022 will double its capacity to 80,000 guests a day – 3.4 million per year – once the Renaissance Programme is completed and the last of seven planned ships is delivered.