MSC Euribia

The 2023-built MSC Euribia cruise ship is MSC’s third and final MERAVIGLIA PLUS-class vessel, following sisterships MSC Grandiosa (2019) and MSC Virtuosa (2021). Euribia is MSC’s 22nd ship, built by STX France, and was scheduled for delivery in May and inauguration in June 2023. MERAVIGLIA PLUS vessels are an enlarged, upgraded evolution of the preceding MERAVIGLIA-Class liners MSC Meraviglia (2017) and MSC Bellissima (2019).

The vessel (IMO number 9901544) is Malta-flagged (MMSI 256281000) and registered in Valletta.

History – construction and ownership

MSC Cruises (MSC Crociere) is headquartered in Genoa and Naples. Established in 1960, MSC Crociere is a division of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) – the world’s 2nd largest container shipping company and the world’s largest privately owned cruise company.

By annual passenger volumes, MSC is ranked the world’s 3rd largest cruise shipowner, following Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group.

Decks and Cabins

MSC Euribia has 2405 staterooms (17 categories) with a maximum passenger capacity of 6334 (4810 lower berths). Approximately 75% of all cabins feature private step-out balconies. The largest accommodations are MSC Yacht Club Royal Suites (700 ft² / 65 m² plus a 430 ft² / 40 m² terrace with Jacuzzi).

The ship has 18 decks (3 crew-only, 15 passenger decks, 11 with cabins) and offers “cluster cabins” (interconnecting staterooms for families) accommodating up to 10 guests. The vessel features 95 Yacht Club Suites (with 24-hour butler service and exclusive facilities), 15 Interior Studios for solo travelers (no single supplement), and 60 ADA-compliant cabins for guests with disabilities or reduced mobility.

MSC Euribia’s total service area is 460,000 m² (4.95 million ft²), with public areas covering 35,000 m² (376,736 ft²), resulting in a 7.7 m² (83 ft²) public-space ratio per passenger. Amenities include 4 swimming pools (1 enclosed by a sliding roof and 1 reserved for Yacht Club), 9 outdoor whirlpool hot tubs, and 32 elevators (19 passenger lifts, including 1 for Yacht Club and 2 glass-walled panoramic Atrium elevators).

Shipboard dining options – Food and Drinks

The ship offers 12 dining venues (including 5 specialty restaurants) and 21 bars and lounges. Highlights include the Mediterranean Village (specialty dining) and the exclusive Yacht Club Restaurant. MSC’s Marketplace Buffet is complimentary, operates 20 hours daily, and serves international cuisine, Mediterranean specialties, itinerary-based dishes (using local produce), vegetarian/vegan offerings, and dietary menu selections.

Fine dining options include Kaito Sushi Bar, Kaito Teppanyaki, and Le Grill (combining an American-style steakhouse with a French brasserie).

Below is the complete list of MSC Euribia dining venues:

• 5 Main Restaurants (MDRs) serving traditional Italian meals and wines; open for breakfast (7–9:30 am), lunch (12–2 pm) and dinner (two seatings: 7 pm and 9:30 pm) with a 7-course menu plus vegan and vegetarian options.
• Eataly Restaurant (specialty dining and gourmet retail by the Eataly brand).
• La Piazzetta Restaurant (self-service buffet/pizzeria; offers afternoon tea and occasional midnight buffets; includes onboard pizzeria and seafood/steak specialties).
• Butcher’s Cut (American steakhouse with open kitchen).
• Jean-Philippe Maury Chocolaterie & Café and Crepes & Gelato (gourmet chocolate atelier, creperie, and specialty ice cream).
• Marketplace Buffet – 20-hour Lido restaurant, 1336 seats.
• Kaito Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar – classic Far Eastern cuisine combining grill-cooked dishes and sushi.
• Le Grill – specialty venue combining French brasserie and steakhouse, offering seafood platters and aged Black Angus beef.
• Champagne Bar – premium sparkling wines paired with caviar, oysters, and crab.
• Sky Lounge.
• Edge Cocktail Bar.
• (NEW) HOLA! Tacos & Cantina – Latin American and Mexican street-food venue.
• (NEW) Indochine Restaurant – Asian-Vietnamese cuisine with French influences.
• (NEW) Helios Wine Bar – premium wine bar featuring interactive multitouch tables and 96 signature wines.

On Virtuosa and Euribia, MSC introduced two new specialty concepts: “HOLA! Tacos & Cantina” and “Ristorante Indochine.”

• HOLA! Tacos & Cantina serves Latin American and Mexican dishes, including blue corn tacos (also vegetarian), nachos, empanadas, tamales, tortilla soup, and Mexican desserts. Beverages highlight premium tequila and mezcal. The venue also features a Mexican Ice Cream Taco bar.
• Indochine offers Vietnamese cuisine “with a French twist,” including vegetarian and vegan dishes, family-style platters, papaya salads, Bo Bun, roasted snails, crepes, healthy options, an extensive wine list, and tropical cocktails.

Shipboard entertainment options – Fun and Sport

Meraviglia Plus-class ships feature new original productions. A total of eight shows are staged across Meraviglia and Meraviglia Plus vessels. Each ship carries two exclusive contrasting productions, with the first debuting on Meraviglia in 2017.

Exclusively for Euribia, MSC developed seven live production shows presented at Delphi Theatre each night. The shows include “Circus 1920” (acrobatic), “Generation Rock” (music), “Illuminicity” (technical), “Jukebox L!ve,” “Song Book – Ed Sheeran,” “Guest Entertainers,” and “Variety.”

Euribia also hosts a resident “Big Band at Sea,” a 19-piece ensemble performing nightly at the Carousel Lounge.

The ship features Savannah Aquapark (a large water park) connected to an indoor amusement complex spanning two levels, as well as a two-deck interior promenade lined with specialty restaurants, bars, and duty-free shops. The promenade is covered by a “digital sky” LED dome projecting immersive visual shows.

Euribia incorporates MSC’s wearable wristband technology enabling onboard payments, restaurant/spa reservations, and child geolocation.

Below is the complete list of MSC Euribia lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

• Euribia Atrium (multi-deck central entertainment hub)
• Cyber Library
• Cybercafe
• Delphi Theatre (945 seats; 1000 m²; three large-scale shows nightly)
• (NEW) L’Atelier Bistrot – bar and art lounge with jazz performances, dancefloor, and pop-up gallery
• 12 Cirque du Soleil shows weekly in Carousel Lounge (120 dinner seats + 290 drink seats), with shows like VIAGGIO, SONOR, COSMOS, EXENTRICKS; fitted with 80 kinetic LED lights
• Pre-Dinner Cocktail Bar; Cocktail Bar; Italian Coffee Bar
• Choclateria; Ice Cream
• Boutiques, jewelry shop, perfumery, duty-free, photo gallery, logo and fashion shops
• Red Gem Casino (slots and table games)
• Aft Bar Lounge
• Attic Club (nightclub)
• Promenade LED dome ceiling (480 m² digital sky)
• Solarium (adults-only relaxation area with pool and bar)
• Main Pool Area (Atmosphere Pool, Bamboo Pool, Horizon Pool)
• Sports and kids facilities, MSC Yacht Club venues
• Yacht Club Bar Lounge
• Balinese Spa (1100 ft²); Solarium upper level
• Gym, arcade, bowling, TV game rooms
• 4D Cinema; Flight Simulator
• Sportplex (team sports arena for basketball, football, volleyball; tennis court; transforms into disco at night)
• Yacht Club Restaurant
• Sliding Roof (Solarium pool)
• Piano Bar Lounge
• Doremi Lab; Team Sport Area
• Nursery, Kids Club (LEGO & Chicco), Junior, Young & Teen Clubs
• Cinema; Doremi Theatre; Studio; Night Club
• Sun Deck (pool)
• MSC Yacht Club open area (fleet’s largest), Pool Bar
• 2 Whirlpools; 2 Solariums; Savannah Aquapark (Champagne Bowl slide, Himalayan Bridge)
• 2-deck Super Amusement Park
• Power Walking/Jogging Track
• (NEW) MSC Starship Club

Euribia continues MSC’s tradition of featuring two Formula 1 VR racing simulators.

The MSC Foundation Center is an interactive educational space for children, transforming into a 3D Aquarium used for sustainability-focused learning. Guests may support MSC Foundation through donations or themed merchandise purchases.

The ship’s youth complex spans 700 m² (7535 ft²) across 10 rooms dedicated to activities for children aged 6 months to 17 years. Two rooms are themed around sustainability, and one focuses on digital technologies.

• Baby Club Chicco Eco (nursery for ages under 3) features toys made from 70–80% recycled/organic plastics.
• MSC Foundation Youth Center (educational and environmental programs).
• Teens Club Extra Space – fitted with modern gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, VR) and table games.
• World Quest Room – quiz and geography-themed games.
• Caravaggio Room – art-themed investigative game about museum heists.

MSC’s supervised children’s programming runs from 9 am to midnight.

MSC Starship Club – Rob, the first humanoid robot bartender at sea

On Virtuosa and Euribia, MSC introduced the spaceship-themed “MSC Starship Club” (Starliner One Bar), served by the world’s first humanoid robot bartender, Rob. The concept was developed over six years through collaboration with specialists in robotics, automation, digital solutions, and entertainment design.

Rob prepares cocktails while performing natural body, head, and arm movements (shaking, stirring, garnishing, pouring). He speaks eight languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese) and uses expressive LED facial animations.

Between drink preparations, Rob interacts with guests, changes expressions, dances, tells jokes, riddles, and cosmic trivia. Orders are placed via vertical digital cockpits, and beverages are served in futuristic custom MSC-branded glasses. Rob can create 16 “cosmic cocktails” plus personalized drinks using over 40 ingredients.

Itineraries

MSC Euribia’s itinerary program (homeports and destinations) was announced on March 31, 2022, with bookings opening the same day.

The inaugural season (2023) began with the Maiden Voyage on June 10, departing roundtrip from Kiel, Germany. The 7-day Norwegian Fjords itinerary was offered as a dual-homeport program from Copenhagen, Denmark and Kiel. Ports visited included Hellesylt/Geirangerfjord/Sunnylvsfjord, Alesund, and Flam/Aurlandsfjord.

Inaugural cruise fares started from EUR 770 (USD 855 / GBP 650) per person (double occupancy).

For 2024, Euribia was again deployed in Northern Europe, mainly operating 7-day roundtrip itineraries from Kiel and Copenhagen to ports in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the UK. For winter 2024–2025, MSC deployed Euribia in the Red Sea, offering November–April 7-day roundtrips from the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) and from Qatar (Doha).

The vessel (built by STX France at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, yard/hull number V34) has a volume of 181,541 GT, a deadweight tonnage of 19,610 tons, and a maximum draught of 9 m. The powerplant consists of four Wärtsilä dual-fuel marine diesel engines (2x 12V46DF and 2x 16V46DF) with a combined output of 64 MW (85,830 hp). Propulsion is provided by two Azipod thrusters with a total output of 40 MW (53,640 hp). The registered shipowner is VISTA 5 COMPANIA NAVIERA SA, and the registered manager is MSC CRUISE MANAGEMENT UK LTD.

On February 1, 2016, MSC announced an order for two Meraviglia Plus-class vessels. With this contract, MSC became France’s largest private foreign investor, with more than USD 8.6 billion in export contracts over a five-year period.

The newbuilds have a maximum passenger capacity of 6300 and, compared to the original Meraviglia class, feature 200 additional staterooms and an extended length of 16 m (50 ft). The first two Meraviglia Plus-class vessels were delivered in November 2019 (Grandiosa) and February 2021 (Virtuosa).

Construction of Euribia (yard/hull number I34) officially began on June 28, 2021, marked by the steel-cutting ceremony at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique Shipyard in Saint-Nazaire. The event was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago (MSC’s Executive Chairman) and Laurent Castaing (Chantiers’ General Manager). Euribia was announced as MSC’s “most environmentally advanced ship to date,” and the company’s second LNG-powered newbuild, following the WORLD-Class MSC World Europa (2022). LNG is currently the cleanest marine fuel available at scale, significantly reducing emissions of SOx (99%), soot particles (98%), and NOx (85%).

The keel-laying/coin ceremony was held on December 2, 2021. On the same day, MSC World Europa was launched at the French yard. Euribia’s keel-laying godmothers were Valentina Mancini (MSC’s Corporate Brand Manager) and Anna Claire Juventin (the shipyard’s Quality Control Manager).

• Both ceremonies were attended by Pierfrancesco Vago and Laurent Castaing.
• World Europa and Euribia became the 15th and 16th MSC vessels constructed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

Euribia was launched/floated out on June 20, 2022.

Sea trials in the Bay of Biscay were conducted between April 19–23, 2023, successfully testing all machinery (engines, propulsion, safety systems), fuel consumption, maximum speed, and emergency stop capabilities.

MSC Euribia was delivered to MSC on May 31, 2023. Delivery documents were signed by Pierfrancesco Vago and Laurent Castaing.

The vessel’s powerplant includes four Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines (12V and 16V) operating primarily on LNG and occasionally on ULSFO (ultra-low-sulfur marine gas oil, 0.1% sulfur). Euribia is also equipped with shore-power connectivity, allowing the ship to shut down its engines and draw electricity from the local grid when available. Additional advanced systems include an IMO-compliant wastewater treatment system (RESOLUTION MEPC 227/64), ballast water treatment (meeting IMO Ballast Water Management Convention standards), an Underwater Radiated Noise Management System (Bureau Veritas URN), an intelligent HVAC system (with automated energy recovery), shipwide LED lighting (AI-controlled), and an automatic DCS (Data Collection System for remote monitoring and real-time analytics). The hull and engine room are engineered to minimize noise and vibrations.

Unlike her Meraviglia Plus-class sisterships, Euribia features exclusive hull artwork created by Alex Flaemig (Undercover Design). The design, selected via an international online competition (TalentHouse.com), carries the theme and hashtag “#SaveTheSea.”

The ship is named after Eurybia (“wide-force”), the Greek goddess of mastery over the seas. In mythology, Eurybia was one of the Titans—the daughter of Pontus and Gaea, wife of Crius, and mother of Astraeus, Perses, and Pallas. The original 12 Titans were children of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth) and included six males (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus) and six females (Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys).

In February 2023, MSC announced that Euribia’s christening ceremony would take place on June 8 in Port Copenhagen, Denmark. The naming event preceded the Maiden Voyage departing from Germany on June 10. In May, MSC confirmed the ship’s godmother as Sophia Loren (1934-born Italian actress), with Sarah Backhaus Grunewald (1984-born Danish model, actress, and TV presenter) serving as Master of Ceremony. The ceremony included live performances, notably by Christophe Le Friant (Bob Sinclar). Euribia became the 19th MSC vessel named by Sophia Loren, beginning with MSC Lirica in 2003.

Inaugural itineraries (2023)

The tables below show the ship’s inaugural cruise. The Maiden Voyage is currently the only itinerary (7-day “Norwegian Fjords”) scheduled for the season. Fares started from EUR 855 (USD 935) per person (double occupancy).

The itinerary is offered roundtrip from both Germany (Kiel) and Denmark (Copenhagen).

Godspeed!

Meraviglia Plus-Class ship technology

New features on Meraviglia Plus-class ships include the first fine-art museum at sea (with original works), a longer indoor promenade (Galleria, 111 m / 364 ft), and a larger LED screen (95x6 m / 312x20 ft) for the outdoor theater on the pool deck. The expanded Galleria accommodates two additional restaurants. MSC has exclusive partnerships with Samsung (digital technology provider) and Cirque du Soleil (shipboard entertainment programming).

Meraviglia Plus-class vessels are among the fleet’s most technologically advanced, incorporating the latest marine engine and sustainability systems. Their machinery includes hybrid exhaust-gas scrubbers, SCR (selective catalytic reduction) systems converting NOx into nitrogen, high-efficiency waste management plants, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment systems, enhanced recycling capabilities, emission-reducing configurations, and fuel-efficient heat-recovery systems.

MSC's ZOE

On February 1, 2019, MSC officially introduced its in-cabin digital assistant, ZOE. The technology—an industry first—was developed by Harman International (USA), a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics known for producing advanced digital audio solutions for major corporations including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

ZOE is a voice-enabled artificial intelligence system with advanced voice-recognition software, available in all staterooms. It speaks seven languages, answers cruise-related questions, provides information about onboard services, activities, and facilities, and makes reservations and bookings.

The device features far-field microphones, a high-quality speaker, a quad-core processor for rapid responses, and Bluetooth-based phone connectivity. It can also update its database to answer previously unsupported questions.

Passenger data—including itinerary details and onboard preferences—is stored in cloud-based systems and reused on future voyages.

The device (approx. 15 cm tall) can be activated at any time. Guests must sign a waiver agreeing to the storage of their personal data.

Starting with MSC Bellissima (2019), ZOE is available on all new MSC ships and has been introduced fleetwide between 2019 and 2024.