MSC Cruises reports that it has opened bookings for its first Meraviglia Plus ship, the MSC Grandiosa. The new vessel, which is set to launch in November 2019 in the western Mediterranean, is now open for bookings by members of the MSC Voyagers Club loyalty program. Bookings for all other guests will open in two weeks, on March 19.
In a written statement MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato said that the MSC Grandiosa will mark the fifth new ship to join the MSC Cruises fleet in two and a half years. It will represent an evolution of the line’s Meraviglia prototype, which launched nine months ago, when it sails the Mediterranean during its inaugural winter 2019 / 2020 season.
The new ship will offer guests, among other features, two new shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea, created exclusively for MSC Grandiosa guests. The new shows are part of a long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil that will result in a total of eight original shows available on MSC Cruises’ four Meraviglia generation ships. MSC Grandiosa is the third ship to feature the exclusive entertainment concept. The four other Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows, two for each ship, have already been created for MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima.
MSC Grandiosa will showcase an even larger Mediterranean-style promenade, a signature feature of the Meraviglia and Meraviglia Plus prototypes. Serving as the social hub of the ship, the promenade has an array of shops and specialty restaurants, as well as a new bar and lounge, L’Atelier Bistrot, which will offer lounge seating with a stage and a dance floor. Impressionist art will also be on display in this space and have "terrace” seating with Parisian Bistrot tables and chairs along the promenade. Throughout the day and the evening, the promenade will host surprise performances, including flash mobs and themed parties, as well as projections on an even longer 323 ft. LED Sky screen.
The shipboard digital innovation program, MSC for Me, will allow guests to customize their vacation and enhance their cruise experience. Guests can expect new features, MSC said, offering a connected cruise experience to meet their individual needs.
Additional MSC Grandiosa highlights include:
- Seven nights in the western Mediterranean, calling at six Mediterranean ports including Genoa, Civitavecchia, Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona and Marseille. While in port, guests can enjoy a wide variety of shore activities, designed to meet the needs of a variety of cruise guests from families to adventurous couples.
- New family activities and entertainment. The DOREMI Lab will offer new themes each day, while the DOREMI Studio Lounge focuses on allowing children to have fun through the magic of music, with the possibility to record songs and star in their own music videos.
- A choice of at least 12 different dining venues onboard — ranging from specialty restaurants to the buffet. In addition, a new restaurant concept, exclusively for MSC Aurea experience guests, will be introduced in the Promenade of the ship.
- The MSC Yacht Club, the line’s “ship within a ship” concept, will continue to offer private areas and key features such as the Top Sail lounge, One Pool Deck, private restaurant and butler service.
Onorato said that the new ship will incorporate a number of hi-tech features as well, including advanced hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems, SCR-Catalysts, state-of-the-art waste management and recycling capabilities, emission-reducing energy and heat recovery systems, and highly advanced wastewater treatment.
When booking MSC Grandiosa over the initial, exclusive two-week booking period — in addition to benefitting from being able to have the first selection of staterooms — MSC Voyagers Club members will receive a special 5 percent early booking discount in addition to their current MSC Voyagers Club 5 percent loyalty discount. All other guests will enjoy a 5 percent early booking discount until September 4, 2018. MSC Grandiosa will commence sailing from Genoa, Italy, on November 16, 2019.
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