When MSC Grandiosa sets sail later this year she will become the third Meraviglia-class ship to enter MSC Cruises’ fleet and the first of three Meraviglia-Plus ships. Grandiosa will also become the fifth ship to enter the Italian cruise line’s fleet in just two and a half years. So why should we be excited about this new ship?
A SHIP FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
MSC Cruises‘ Meraviglia generation ships have been designed to meet every need of today’s cruise Guest. The extraordinary design, wide array of facilities and entertainment make these ships ideal for the whole family. MSC Grandiosa will become the largest ship in the MSC Cruises fleet and as the first Meraviglia-Plus ship be further enriched, with more cabins, more public space and some exciting new features.
The iconic Mediterranean Promenade is again the heart of the ship, but MSC Grandiosa will showcase a larger promenade. The promenade provides a varied entertainment programme – including flash mobs and themed parties, as well as the ideal place to shop, eat and drink, all under the awe-inspiring projections on an 98.5-metre LED Sky screen.
MSC Grandiosa takes the onboard shopping experience to a new level and the indoor promenade is at the centre of that experience. Here, in the shopping mall-style boutiques, guests will find their favourite brands of clothing, jewellery, technology and more.
The speciality restaurants, including the new restaurant concept L’Atelier Bistrot, are also located here. L’Atelier Bistrot is a French-inspired bar with lounge area, which also offers a stage and dance floor as well as a seated terrace.
The entertainment highlights will be two brand new shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea. The shows are created by world-leader in live entertainment, Cirque du Soleil as part of a unique long-term with MSC Cruises.
NEW KIDS ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES
Each year MSC Cruises welcomes over 350,000 children onboard its ships. To make sure these “little” cruisers have an amazing time on board, the ships feature a comprehensive entertainment schedule offering hundreds of hours of activities each week, up to 700 m2 of dedicated kids space with rooms for different age groups as well as exhilarating aqua parks, high-tech virtual games arcade and much much more.
With the launch of MSC Grandiosa, the cruise line is introducing three brand new activities: MSC Dance Crew, The Drone Academy and Spy Mission, as well as a new web series targeted at teenagers.
MSC DANCE CREW – developed in partnership with Fremantle, the production company behind TV talent shows like Idols, The X Factor and the Got Talent series, sees teams of 12-17 year olds battling it out to win the title of dance crew of the year.
THE DRONE ACADEMY – taking place in MSC Grandiosa’s Sportsplex venue, this high-tech and high-energy drone relay race comes to life at night thanks to fluo effects and glowing drones. Teens are trained on drone piloting skills before competing in teams to race through the 390m2 arena navigating 15 obstacles in the quickest time possible.
SPY MISSION – young audiences play a central role in a new immersive, roaming spy experience. Blending the lines between reality and fiction, guests are led through a number of different scenes, taking place throughout the ship, to unravel unique storylines, follow clues and solve the mystery to win a host of MSC Cruises prizes.
These elements are just the latest enhancements to MSC Cruises’ family offering that already includes: The LEGO Experience, DOREBRO – a dedicated sports programme for kids of all ages, a range of services for babies and toddlers – including the Baby-Club for children under 3 as well as a dedicated childcare service, Family Explorer Club – the tailor-made shore excursion programme to meet the needs of the whole family and Masterchef at Sea Juniors.
NEW SMART FEATURES TO “MSC FOR ME”
MSC for Me is a multi-channel digital programme that enables guests to interact with the ship and the crew members anytime and anyplace to better serve their needs, save time and really get the most of their holiday. Since its introduction on board MSC Meraviglia in 2017, MSC Cruises has introduced this digital innovation programme on MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Splendida and MSC Bellissima, each time adding more features to improve guest experience.
March 2019 saw the introduction of ZOE, the world’s first virtual personal cruise assistant, to MSC for Me onboard MSC Bellissima. ZOE, developed in partnership with HARMAN and Samsung Electronics, is MSC Cruises’ industry leading voice-enabled artificial intelligence (AI) device found in every cabin. Speaking seven languages, she can answer hundreds of questions about the cruise and can provide information about onboard facilities, provide guidance and suggestions and help book services.
The new features to MSC for Me encompass not only the onboard but also the pre-cruise experience, allowing guests to better plan everything they want to experience before they set foot on board.
GET PLANNING BEFORE THE CRUISE
In order to help guests plan their cruise prior to departure, they can download the MSC for Me app and begin booking services simply and easily.
Guests can browse and select pre-paid packages – including drinks and specialty restaurant packages, shore excursions and the Cirque du Soleil at Sea show, to make their holiday even more enjoyable.
The app also allows to pre-register a credit card, making this one less thing to do upon embarkation.
MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME ON BOARD
Friends and Family Locator – With this new paid-for service friends and family travelling together will never get lost. Guests can purchase a special MSC for Me wristband and, thanks to the integrated Bluetooth technology, see on the app where the others are at any time on the ship . This new feature is in addition to the Kids Locator service introduced in 2017, where parents can keep track of their kids onboard by seeing their location.
MSC for Me Chat. Guests are now able to message each other directly through the MSC for Me app, without the need for an internet package. To begin chatting, guests simply need to scan the QR code on the app.
A handy ‘what to eat’ feature has been added to the MSC for Me app to give guests insight into the local must-eat ingredients or dishes as they cruise from destination to destination.
In addition to the new features MSC for Me also offers: mobile check-in to save time on embarkation day for simple transition from ashore to onboard, an interactive map helping guests get around the ship with quick and easy step-by-step instructions. Furthermore guests can plan their cruise in real time, browsing through daily events, activities, and highlights on the app, in-cabin TV and interactive screens throughout the ship. Finally NFC wristbands connect guests to the ship’s services so that they can book services through the interactive digital screens, open their cabin door and more.
MSC Grandiosa will be delivered to MSC Cruises on 31 October and will be officially named in a star-studded ceremony hosted by TV star Michelle Hunziker on November 9th in Hamburg. Grandiosa will then set sail for Genoa (Italy) from where she will start regular sailings on November 16th.
Designed as a ship for all seasons, #GreatnessAtSea will spend winter in the Mediterannean. With less visitors at this time of year and the climate in Italy, France and Spain perfect for exploring and discovering, she will sail to ports such as Barcelona, Palermo, Marseille or Valletta in Malta.