MSC Virtuosa

The 2020-launched/2021-inaugurated MSC Virtuosa cruise ship is MSC's second Meraviglia Plus-class vessel - with sistership MSC Grandiosa (2019). Meraviglia-Plus vessels are an upgraded (enlarged design) version of the previous Meraviglia-Class boats MSC Meraviglia (2017) and MSC Bellissima (2019).

History - construction and ownership

MSC Cruises (MSC Crociere) is a passenger shipping company headquartered in Genoa and Naples. It was established in 1960. Today, MSC Crociere is a subsidiary of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) - world's 2nd largest containership company. MSC Crociere is the world's largest privately-owned cruise company. By annual passenger shipping volumes, MSC is ranked world's 4th largest cruise company (after Carnival Corporation, RCCL-Royal Caribbean and NCL-Norwegian) with over 5% global market share.

Cruise itinerary program

MSC Virtuosa itinerary program during the maiden season in Europe is based on 5 homeports (Barcelona Spain, Genoa Italy, Civitavecchia-Rome, Palermo Sicily, Marseille France) and 7-day Western Mediterranean cruises. The 6-port roundtrip itineraries, along with the rotational homeports, also visit Malta (Valletta).

In mid-January 2021, MSC officially announced that Virtuosa ship will be deployed in Asia (homeported in China). Starting in 2022, MSC Virtuosa joins in Asia MSC Bellissima. MSC offers cruises in China since 2016 (with MSC Lirica), followed the deployments of Splendida (2018) and Bellissima (2021).

Cabins

MSC Virtuosa staterooms (2405 total, in 17 categories) provide max passenger capacity 5772 (4810 lower berths) and ~75% of all cabins are with private step-out balconies. The largest are the MSC Yacht Club Royal Suites (700 ft2 / 65 m2 plus 430 ft2 / 40 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi).

The cruise liner has 19 decks (5 crew-only, 14 passenger-accessible, 11 with cabins) and also features "cluster cabins" (up to 3 connecting staterooms for families) allowing up to three rooms to be interlinked for max capacity 10 guests.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The ship offers 12 new and creative dining options onboard. Among those are the Mediterranean Village (speciality restaurant) and the exclusive Yacht Club Fine Dining Restaurant. The buffet is open 20 hours per day for international cuisine, Mediterranean specialities, itinerary-based themed food (with locally sourced produce), healthy and dietary dishes. Fine dining options include Kaito Sushi Bar, Kaito Teppanyaki Restaurant and an American-style steakhouse featuring speciality meats from all around the world.

Follows the complete list of MSC Virtuosa restaurants and food bars.

• Main restaurant (dining room; offers different Italian traditional meals and wines; open for Breakfast 7-9:30 am, Lunch 12-2 pm, and Dinner with 2 fixed seatings at 7 pm and 9:30 pm, with a 7-course dinner menu; also features vegan and vegetarian meals)
• Eataly Restaurant (Eataly Food Chain designed food store and speciality restaurant)
• La Piazzetta Restaurant (self-service buffet and pizzeria; offers Afternoon tea and occasional midnight buffet; includes Onboard Pizzeria and steaks seafood speciality restaurant)
• Butcher's Cut (American steakhouse)
• chocolate "atelier" and creperie by renowned pastry chef Jean Philippe Maury
• buffet restaurant (open 20 hours a day)
• Kaito Sushi and Kaito Teppanyaki;

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Meraviglia Plus class ships feature new original shows. A total of eight shows are available on MSC Meraviglia and Meraviglia-plus ships. Each of the 4 ships sails with 2 new contrasting shows, with the first 2 debuted on MSC Meraviglia in June 2017.

MSC Virtuosa has a large water park connected to an indoor amusement park on two levels and to 2-deck entertainment space (interior promenade) housing specialty restaurants, bars, duty-free shops. The Promenade is covered by a LED dome ceiling (called “digital sky”) displaying visual shows.

Virtuosa also boasts cutting-edge wristband technology to make payments, book specialty restaurants and spa treatments, and allow parents to geo-locate their kids.

Follows the complete list of MSC Virtuosa lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Virtuosa Atrium (multi-deck high central ship area with live entertainment)
• Cyber Library (Internet computers room and library)
• Cybercafe (Internet computers room)
• 985-seat Broadway Theatre (features grand-style show productions and classical concerts, with 2 shows per night - at 8:00 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.)
• (new) L’Atelier Bistrot - bar lounge with stage and large dancefloor
• 12 weekly Cirque du Soleil shows in Carousel Lounge, accommodating 120 passengers for dinner, plus additional 290 seated guests for drinks. The acrobatic show productions (VIAGGIO, SONOR, COSMOS, EXENTRICKS) each span 40 minutes. Carousel Lounge is fitted with 80x kinetic LED lights providing video and sound effects at specific moments during the show.
• Pre-Dinner Cocktail Bar; Cocktail Bar; Italian Coffee Bar
• Chocolata; Ice-Creams
• Boutique and Accessories Shop; Jewelry Shop; Duty-Free Shop; Perfumery; Temporary Shop; Fashion Shop; Logo Shop; Fashion and Jewelry Shop; Photo Gallery Shop
• Casino
• Aft Bar Lounge
• The ceiling covering the indoor promenade area is a 480 m2 LED screen - a digital sky transmitting live views (sunsets, sunrises, starry sky), also special events and shows.
• Solarium (adults-only relaxation area with Solarium Pool and Bar)
• Main Pool area (swimming pools, whirlpools, loungers) - 4 swimming pools (including a 25-metre Atmosphere pool - by night illuminated with special lighting, 10-metre indoor Bamboo pool, Horizon pool at the back of the ship - transformed into a dance space at night)
• sports and kids facilities, MSC Yacht Club Suites
• Yacht Club Bar Lounge
• 1,100-sq.metre Balinese spa; Solarium (adults-only relaxation area upper level)
• Gymnasium; Arcade Games; TV Games; Bowling
• 4D Cinema; Flight Simulator
• Team Sport Arena; Sports Bar
• Yacht Club exclusive Restaurant
• Sliding Roof (over the Solarium pool area)
• Piano Bar Lounge
• Doremi Lab; Team Sport Area
• Baby’s Club and Kids Club - LEGO and Chicco facilities; Junior Club; Young Club; Teen’s Area
• Cinema, Theatre Doremi, Night Club, Studio
• Sun Deck (outdoor area with a pool)
• MSC Yacht Club Open Area (fleet's largest), Pool Bar
• 2 Whirlpools; 2 Solariums; Aquapark featuring Champagne Bowl high-speed waterslide and Himalayan Bridge, that spans the width of ship's deck
• 2-deck Super Amusement Park
• Power Walking/Jogging Track
• MSC Starship Club

MSC Starship Club's Rob - the first-at-sea humanoid robot bartender

On Virtuosa MSC Cruises introduced fleet's first MSC Starship Club (MSC Starliner One Bar) spaceship-themed venue served by the industry's first humanoid robot bartender - named Rob. Working on this project for 6 years (since 2015), MSC partnered with experts from companies specializing in entertainment experiences, digital solutions, robotics, automation, and interior design.

MSC Starship Club provides integrated bar-and-entertainment experiences and its interior is marked by a cold-white ceiling, a digital art wall, 3D holographic projections, a 12-seat digital (touchscreen) table for personalized interactive galactic tours.

Rob mixes and serves cocktails while entertaining the guests by moving his body, head and arms (shaking-stirring-garnishing-pouring drinks) in a natural way. The humanoid barman speaks 8 languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese) and engages with his voice and human-like (LED face) expressions/emotions.

Between making and serving beverages, Rob interacts with the passengers, changes his facial expressions, dances, tells jokes, riddles, cosmic facts and trivia. Orders are placed in vertical digital cockpits. The drinks are served in futuristic, custom-made (MSC branded) souvenir glasses. The humanoid bartender can prepare a total of 16 "cosmic cocktails" (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) plus personalized (made-to-order) drinks using 40+ ingredients.

On February 1, 2016, MSC announced a ship order for two Meraviglia Plus-class liners. The newbuilds are with max capacity 6300 passengers, 200 additional cabins and longer (16 m / 50 ft) compared to Meraviglia-Class. Meraviglia-Plus vessels were scheduled for deliveries in November 2019 (Grandiosa) and April 2020 (Virtuosa).

Bookings on MSC Virtuosa cruises were opened on November 21, 2018 (for MSC Voyagers Club/loyalty program members) and on December 3 (for general customers). Sales for the inaugural cruise (November 8, 2020, from Genoa) were opened on October 7, 2018. The promo offer was for MSC Voyagers Club members only (exclusive access through October 21 midnight), who also received a special discount (5%) in addition to their regular 5% loyalty discount. All potential customers also receive 5% early-booking discount (through June 3, 2019).

Vessel's construction started with the keel-laying (coin) ceremony held on February 27, 2019, at St Nazaire's Chantiers de l’Atlantique Shipyard. The ship was rescheduled for delivery in November 2020. On the same day (Feb 27), to MSC was delivered the liner Bellissima. During the traditional keel-laying, two shipyard employees placed 2 special-edition coins (under hull’s first keel block) for good luck. Ceremony's godmothers were Helen Huang (MSC Cruises China's President) and Elise Guerin (shipyard's Project Manager).

The vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) on December 1, 2019, following the delivery of MSC Grandiosa (October 31) and the steel-cutting of MSC Europa (also on Oct 31). Chantiers de l’Atlantique officially delivered Virtuosa to MSC on February 1, 2021. The ceremony was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago (MSC's Executive Chairman) and his family (the wife Alexa Aponte-Vago and the children) and Laurent Castaing (shipbuilder's General Manager).

Meraviglia Plus-Class ship technology

New features on Meraviglia-Plus ships include the first at sea fine-art museum (with original artworks), longer (111 m / 36 ft) indoor promenade (Galleria) and larger LED screen (95x6 m / 280x20 ft) for pool deck's outdoor theater. The extra space in the Galleria allows two additional restaurants. MSC signed an exclusive partnership with Samsung (providing the digital technology) and Cirque du Soleil (providing live shipboard programming).

Meraviglia Plus-class ships are also fleet's most technologically-advanced, implementing latest marine engine technologies. Their machinery includes hybrid scrubbers (exhaust gas cleaning systems), SCR (selective catalytic reduction system converting NOx into diatomic nitrogen), most efficient waste plant, latest wastewater treatment system, superior recycling capabilities, emission-reducing, and fuel-efficient heat recovery system.

MSC's ZOE

On February 1, 2019, MSC officially revealed the in-cabin digital assistant ZOE. The technology ("cruise industry first") was developed by Harman International (US-based company, a fully-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics). Harman International has developed digital audio solutions for major corporations (Including Google, Microsoft, Amazon).

ZOE is an artificial intelligence device (voice-enabled, with advanced voice recognition software) available in all passenger staterooms. ZOE speaks 7 languages, answer cruise-related questions, provides info on shipboard services-activities-facilities, makes reservations and bookings.

The digital device features far-field microphones, top-quality speaker, quad-core processor (for fast response times), direct phone connection (through Bluetooth). The system can also upgrade its own database to answer previously unanswerable questions.

Passenger data (including itinerary/tour and shipboard preferences) is stored in the Cloud Storage system and used on the next scheduled voyage.

The device (sized ~15 cm) can be activated whenever passengers choose. A waiver must be signed to agree for their personal data to be stored.

Starting with Bellissima (2019), ZOE is now available on all newbuild MSC liners and introduced fleetwide over 2019-2024.

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2021

MSC Virtuosa was eventually rescheduled to enter service on April 16 (inaugural cruise date) starting a mini-season in the Mediterranean (4 voyages/3- 4-10-night itineraries) before the Med-Baltic repositioning to Germany, where started the Northern European program (roundtrips from Kiel/7-day and 14-day B2Bs) on May 8.

4-day roundtrip Mediterranean ($400 pp with double occupancy)

(repositioning) 10-day from Genoa to Kiel (from $400 pp)

(inaugural Norway-Baltic Cruise) 14-day B2B-back-to-back "Northern Europe" - $1270 pp

(Mediterranean) 9-day itinerary ($700 pp)

(Inaugural Suez Canal relocation) 25-day from Genoa to Dubai and Doha ($2430 pp)

(Inaugural Red Sea cruise/roundtrips from the UAE and Quatar) 7-day from Dubai ($450 pp)

Godspeed to the new ship!

Inaugural cruise 2020 (CANCELLED)

The vessel was planned for inauguration in 2020, but due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, it was rescheduled for 2021 April. Next table show's ship's Maiden Voyage scheduled for 2020.

(Maiden Voyage) 7-day Inaugural Cruise from Genoa

Next are listed the planned/cancelled for 2020 maiden departures from the other 4 homeports, also showing times during homeport stays.

7-day Inaugural Cruise from Rome

7-day Inaugural Cruise from Palermo

7-day Inaugural Cruise from Barcelona

7-day Inaugural Cruise from Marseille

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