MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia to Sail With Shows From Cirque du Soleil

MSC Cruises’ new flagship, the MSC Meraviglia, will sail with shows from Cirque du Soleil.

As part of the Cirque du Soleil at Sea program Cirque du Soleil will create a total of eight original shows available exclusively on the line’s new Meraviglia generation of ships, which will begin coming into service June 4, 2017, with the launch of the MSC Meraviglia.

MSC Cruises announced the details on two of the upcoming shows, which will debut on the MSC Meraviglia. VIAGGIO is “the story of a passionate and eccentric artist who hears the call of his Faceless Muse,” according to an announcement from the cruise line. “Mysterious and seductive, she beckons him into the vivid world of his unbridled imagination to complete his masterpiece. With each stroke of his paintbrush, the painter reveals the details of his grandiose tableau.”

The second show, SONOR, is a sound-based production that “takes guests on an auditory adventure with dancers, acrobats and characters,” MSC said.

Each show will be paired with its own cocktail or dinner experience, according to the cruise line, with the menus, table settings and visual effects designed to complement the show. Each dining experience will start an hour before show time and will include animation from the performers, and live music, along with a table d'hôte three-course menu. The menu for SONOR will aim to offer dishes that “not only trick the eye but the senses,” while the menu for VIAGGIO will aim to create “a universe of color.”

Other guests will be able to enjoy a Cocktail & Show experience that will begin a half hour before show time and will include a signature cocktail and snacks.

Guests must pre-book Cirque du Soleil at Sea either before the cruise or onboard. The shows will take place in the MSC Meraviglia’s Carousel Lounge, which was purpose-built with special rigging and technology to meet Cirque du Soleil’s specific needs, the cruise line said.

The MSC Meraviglia is part of a big new fleet expansion for MSC Cruises that’s set to debut over the next several years. By late 2019 MSC Cruises will have three ships sailing from PortMiami: the MSC Meraviglia, the MSC Divina (which is currently homeporting there) and the new MSC Seaside, which is set to launch later this year. In all a $10.2 billion investment plan by the line will see 11 new next-generation cruise ships come into service by 2026, including four Meraviglia- and Meravilgia Plus-class ships, three new Seaside-class ships, and four ships in the new World Class, which are set to begin sailing in 2022.

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