Category: MSC Cruises

MSC Meraviglia Debuts in the Big Apple, Will Offer Cruises From New York Year-Round

5/1/2023

The Galleria promenade is the hub of activity on MSC Meraviglia, with shops, bars, restaurants and its interactive dome.

By Todd P. Walker
In The Loop Travel Correspondent
The arrival of MSC Meraviglia to New York City was a significant moment not only for MSC Cruises but for the entire city, as well. By placing one of the largest cruise ships in the world (with a capacity of over 5,000 passengers and a crew of more than 1,500), MSC is making a big commitment to this popular cruise port.
New York City is now MSC's third U.S. port with year-round sailings, and this should provide a significant boost to the city's economy.
MSC Meraviglia is a luxurious cruise ship that offers state-of-the-art amenities, making it a great escape for those seeking a high-end vacation experience. Upon the ship's arrival at Brooklyn Harbor, I had the opportunity to tour the magnificent vessel and experience quite a bit of what it has to offer.
Upon stepping aboard the MSC Meraviglia, you immediately notice the ship's attention to detail and its luxurious and modern design. The two-deck indoor promenade, the Galleria, is a standout feature, with an impressive 262-foot-long LED sky dome that displays different scenes throughout the day.
Meraviglia is incredibly popular for cruisers who place a high value on their dining experience, which I dare say would be most of us.
The ship boasts a vast selection of dining options, with 12 venues -- ranging from casual eateries to fine dining. The ship offers a wide variety of cuisines, including Japanese, Italian, French and American, making it a foodie's paradise. The quality of the food and drink available on the ship was impressive and likely a highlight of any journey.

MSC Meraviglia is filled all kinds of venues that cruisers will enjoy. These include a wide variety of restaurants and bars, a sports bar with a bowling alley and a nice gym.

MSC Meraviglia also features a private oasis on the ship, the innovative MSC Yacht Club.
This ship-within-a-ship experience gives cruisers the ultimate in comfort and relaxation. MSC Yacht Club features a private pool, restaurant, and lounge, as well as butler service for guests staying in its suites.
For travelers who want to explore New York City, the excursion program has a nice variety of options, especially if it's your first time in the city.
Try a tour of Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a half-day tour of Midtown Manhattan with a visit to the Top of The Rock at Rockefeller Center or a journey through New York by Land & Sea that takes you through some of the city's most popular attractions by motor coach, including a 60-minute tour of the iconic waterways on a ferry.
These excursions provide travelers with an opportunity to experience some of the city's popular landmarks before or after their cruise.

Other highlights onboard MSC Meraviglia:
Large menu of dining experiences serving cuisines from around the world.
Entertainment options, including Broadway-style shows, live music and a cinema.
The Galleria, the two-deck indoor promenade with an LED sky dome that displays different scenes and video productions.
The MSC Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship retreat with exclusive dining, amenities and butler service.
A state-of-the-art fitness center with a wide range of equipment and fitness classes.
MSC Meraviglia's arrival in New York City is certainly a significant moment for MSC Cruises and the city. But beyond the economic impact, the ship offers travelers a chance to get on this fun ship for an affordable vacation. It will be especially attractive to New Yorkers and New Englanders who now have another great option within driving distance.

In The Loop Travel Sails on MSC Meraviglia

John and Colleen stayed in MSC Yacht Club on MSC Meraviglia during a Bahamas cruise. Also, check out the following videos that give tours of the full ship, MSC Yacht Club and a standard balcony stateroom.

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MSC's Explora Journeys Cruise Ship Offers a Wellness Program

10/12/2022

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The new Explora I luxury cruise ship features outdoor workout areas. // Photos courtesy Explora Journeys

By John Roberts
Explora Journeys is a new luxury cruise line from the company that operates MSC Cruises, and this new cruise brand is set to sail with its first ship, Explora I in May 2023.
This is an exciting addition to the cruise landscape because the ship (three more are set to join the fleet in 2024, 2025 and 2026) carries a modest passenger count at 922 and also promises a more wellness-focused, all-inclusive and immersive way to travel.
As part of that mission Explora Journeys unveiled its plans for an Ocean Wellness program.
This is an array of restorative experiences far removed from urban noise and what seems to be an always-on digital culture. The program focuses on helping cruisers on Explora I to achieve better sleep, relaxation, mindfulness and energy while at sea. The ship features almost 11,000 square feet of space dedicated to a spa, indoor and outdoor wellness areas and contemporary fitness facilities, as well as an outdoor sports court and running track.
"The philosophy behind Ocean Wellness is deeply rooted in Explora Journeys' origins," said Julanda Marais, senior lead for the cruise line's spa operations. "We've long understood the powerful effect of water and waves on body, mind and soul.
"This is the inspiration for Ocean Wellness. We want to give our guests a feeling of refined simplicity, relaxed luxury and complete mental and physical replenishment."
Experiences, programs and spaces designed to enhance wellbeing help achieve inner and outer calmness. From sleep to nutrition, a selection of initiatives has been curated to ensure a feeling of renewal during these voyages.

The Spa
A place to soothe and heal, or simply a haven for pampering, Ocean Wellness -- The Spa mirrors the gentle, hypnotic effect of the ocean, allowing the pressures of daily life to recede. It offers more than 7,500 square feet of space dedicated to treatments and wellness facilities.
Treatment Rooms: There are 11 treatment rooms, including two private spa suites with their own outdoor relaxation areas; one double and seven single treatment rooms; an additional treatment room dedicated to specialized Medi-Luxe Treatments; and an outdoor relaxation space.
Beauty Studio: The flowing layout allows cruisers to receive grooming treatments in a tranquil space. The studio features replenishing hair and barber treatments in the hair salon and hand and foot treatments in the nail salon.
Sensorial Therapeutic Circuit: You'll find a wide array of facilities in the thermal wellness area: a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, Finnish sauna, salt cave, experience shower, ice fall and heated marble loungers.

Fitness
Featuring 2,443 square feet of indoor space and more than 688 square feet of outdoor fitness facilities, Ocean Wellness -- Fitness also offers a Sports Court for half-court basketball as well as a panoramic running track and touchtennis. From an initial physical assessment to functional and strength training, cardio and Pilates, in individual sessions or group classes, the fitness program focuses on motivating cruisers to achieve their goals.
Fitness Center: The program offers fitness assessments and Technogym Artis equipment. Workout-inclined cruisers will appreciate the broad range of cardio and strength-training equipment.
Fitness Studio: Take part in tailor-made Technogym classes designed specifically for Explora Journeys. The studio also features Pilates reformers to target core strength and balance.
Open Air Fitness: Offering an unparalleled spectrum of fitness facilities with ultra-modern equipment that gives a nice variety of exercise options, this is a scenic area for solo or one-on-one training sessions.
Running Track: Encircling the ship is an 820-foot track on which runners can enjoy ocean views while they crank out laps.
Sports Court: This is the space for touchtennis, half-court basketball or yoga ritual experiences.
In-Suite Fitness: All cruisers have the option of training in their ocean-front suites or on their suite terraces, encouraged by a virtual coach. This is made possible by Technogym Bench, the sleek strength-training station with enclosed tools, and Technogym Case Kit with its QR code access to a digital library of guided video exercises with trainers supported by Technogym.
Yoga Programs: Choices include energy-flow power classes to replenish stamina and strength; sleep yoga to induce better nights of rest; relaxation yoga; mindfulness yoga to anchor body and mind through meditation; and immune-boosting yoga to support health and reduce anxiety via pranayama breathing techniques.

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Cruise Review: MSC Yacht Club on MSC Meraviglia

10/21/2021

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MSC Meraviglia at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.

By John Roberts
Over a couple decades of cruising, I have tallied more than 90 voyages across all kinds of cruise lines and cruise ships. I have enjoyed them all for the variety of styles and charms that they offered.
I really am simple. I do prefer a balcony but have stayed in interior cabins. Big ships are great for the variety of dining options, large pool decks, spas, fitness center and broad range of entertainment. I especially think the mega-vessels are perfect for friends and family getaways.
The intimacy of a river cruise and intensely fun experiences available on expeditions ships really help you connect as a traveler and explorer in amazing destinations around the world.
I can enjoy the most rustic and austere conditions, and sometimes, I even prefer them.
Like I said, I enjoy all types of cruise travel. But every now and then, it sure is nice to bask in a little luxury and pampering.
We sailed on MSC Cruises' MSC Meraviglia for a weeklong trip in the Bahamas (with a stop at Ocho Rios, Jamaica).
I know what you're thinking. MSC can hardly be considered a luxury cruise line.
True enough.
MSC Meraviglia is definitely a mass-market, budget-friendly mega cruise vessel.
But it also features the MSC Yacht Club. This is a ship-within-a-ship experience that turns the typical big-ship cruise into a next-level experience that will leave you plenty spoiled and craving this type of cruise again and again.
MSC Yacht Club is offered on many MSC ships, and on Meraviglia it is located in a complex spanning Decks 14 to 19 at the front of the ship and only accessible by your key card or a wristband (wearable wireless tech that acts the same as your sea pass card).
This was our first stay in MSC Yacht Club. We had heard a lot about the experience and that people who book these cabins swear by it as the only way to cruise with MSC.
I wanted to give you a look at our week onboard MSC Meraviglia and what it's like to stay in the exclusive MSC Yacht Club.
I'll start by telling you that it makes you feel as if you are having a boutique yacht experience despite being within the confines of a massive cruise ship.
We arrived to Port Miami for our check in, and we soon learned that the ship would be carrying slightly fewer than 1,500 cruisers. That meant the ship felt quite roomy all week, as Meraviglia can carry more than 4,500. These uncrowded cruises have been typical all year as the industry restarts after a long shutdown from the pandemic.
This shutdown cost tens of thousands of people worldwide their jobs and livelihoods. So, it has been refreshing to be able to get back on the ships to enjoy vacation travel and to interact again with the crew who are so grateful to be back at work. This was evident in the early moments when we checked in for the cruise and met our butler Putra at the special MSC Yacht Club check-in lounge at Port Miami.
The special touches associated with staying in the Yacht Club begin right away as you are greeted by friendly agents and MSC staff who offer refreshments and then escort you onto the ship. We had Putra, who we learned is from Indonesia, and MSC Meraviglia's MSC Yacht Club director Robbie help us with our luggage and walk us to our special enclave on the ship.
Our first stop was the Top Sail Lounge for a glass of bubbly before we were shown our suite. Our stateroom was located on Deck 16, port side and was the forward-most cabin. It offered wonderful balcony views for sunrises and sunsets. We were just two decks above the bridge wing. In the MSC Yacht Club complex, Deck 16 is home to the concierge desk and Top Sail Lounge with its bar area, small buffet serving small bites and sweet treats all day and the great views through the windows right at the front of the ship.
We also would come here for a cocktail most nights before dinner while we enjoyed the live piano music.

We stayed in a spacious suite No. 16001 (video tour below).

Here is what else you can enjoy with the MSC Yacht Club program, in addition to a spacious suite with a balcony and highly attentive butler service:

Top Sail Lounge, a panoramic lounge with sea views, a bar, light snacks, premium drinks, afternoon tea and live music;
Dedicated concierge to book spa treatments and shore excursions and make theater and dining reservations;
MSC Yacht Club Restaurant (exclusive dining room just steps away from your cabin);
Unlimited drinks in all MSC Yacht Club areas and from your in-cabin minibar;
Yacht Club Sun Deck, Pool & Bar (lounge chairs, daybeds, buffet breakfasts and lunches, small swimming pool and a hot tub);
Private beach and the Ocean House experience, with special lunch menu on MSC's private beach Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas (certain itineraries);
MSC Aurea Spa, unlimited access to the Thermal Suite, which offers a range of shower experiences, therapy pools, sauna and steam rooms.

MSC Meraviglia is a large ship that offers plenty of lounges, bars and restaurants throughout gorgeously designed spaces. The centerpiece is the stunning Galleria, a two-deck promenade that features The Dome, an LED ceiling that offers daily animated shows with fun light-and-sound displays.
We loved having lunch at Hola! Tacos and Cantina, a Mexican street tacos-style eatery. We also booked specialty dining at Ocean Cay for seafood delicacies and at Butcher's Cut, the steakhouse on MSC Meraviglia.
We participated in trivia contests every night in Brass Anchor Pub, a lively British pub that is also a great place to watch live music performances or catch a game on the TVs while enjoying a beer or craft cocktail. Of course, we also got in a daily workout at the well-equipped fitness center. Plus, we treated ourselves to a couple of spa treatments (a Balinese massage and a shave treatment for me) and a few trips to the Thermal Suite.
However, most of our time was spent enjoying our time in our suite. Now, about the accommodations and amenities you will enjoy on MSC Meraviglia when staying the MSC Yacht Club: They are awesome!
The whole experience is affordable, too, when compared with other luxury cruise experiences that offer butler service and so many inclusions with your fare.
Your cabin comes with a comfy bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, a memory foam mattress and a pillow menu. It also features premium toiletries.

We had breakfast most mornings at the Yacht Club Sun Deck.

Our butler Putra made our cruise especially delightful with his warm and attentive service with a smile.

From Day 1, when Putra, our butler, showed us to our room and helped us get familiarized with our new home for the week, we knew that we were in good hands and would have a special experience. We're not unfamiliar with butler service, but Putra went the extra mile at every turn, always ready to help with a dinner reservation, escorting us to the lounge for cocktail hours, to the theater for shows and even off the ship for our time ashore.
He also was up early to greet us for breakfast on the Yacht Club Sun Deck and always on call when we wanted to have a meal in our suite (the pizza is the best!). He would come and set up the table, clean up when we were done and always had our mini fridge stocked with our favorite beverages.
For us, though, our experience went beyond the service we received from Putra and all of the others in the MSC Yacht Club. (We had wonderful interactions with about a dozen warm, friendly and highly efficient staffers there.)

We rented a cabana at Ocean Cay and were pampered by Rakesh and his colleagues.

The whole week gave us a fantastic perspective about why we love to travel and cruise so much. It allows us to connect with new people, unplug from the daily pressures or routines and gives us a chance to refresh and rejuvenate our souls.
The past year and a half has been much tougher on some people, and those who rely on the travel and hospitality industry to make livings and support their families have been especially affected. Colleen and I savored the chance to disappear into our retreat during the day and wander out into the main areas of the ship (or not) when certain activities or shows appealed to us. It was actually quite blissful to have a special quiet space, and we really enjoyed getting to know Putra. He is from Ubud on the island of Bali in Indonesia, and was just starting his third week back at work. The worldwide cruising shutdown ended this summer, and workers have been excitedly coming back to the ships from their home countries during the restart of operations this summer.
Putra is new to his job as a new butler and extremely proud to have worked his way up to the "famous job" after beginning his career with MSC Cruises more than a decade ago. We appreciated his highly professional work ethic and energetic and personable approach to the job.
He said that he and his colleagues have been so relieved to be able to work again. I told him that we also have learned not to take travel for granted and are so glad that we are able to get to make new friends like him once again.

We visited Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve two times during our cruise, and the first time, we reserved a cabana (extra fee) on the exclusive Yacht Club beach. Yacht Club perks include the beach area and Ocean House, which offers a bar and lounge area, plus a large porch on which to relax, enjoy lunch and bask in the gorgeous ocean views and warm breezes.
With all that's included, MSC Yacht Club is something you have to consider when looking at a cruise with MSC.

Thanks for reading,
JR

Video Feature: Tour of MSC Cruises Private Island in the Bahamas

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MSC Meraviglia Debuts in the Big Apple, Will Offer Cruises From New York Year-Round

In The Loop Travel Sails on MSC Meraviglia

MSC's Explora Journeys Cruise Ship Offers a Wellness Program

Cruise Review: MSC Yacht Club on MSC Meraviglia

Video Feature: Tour of MSC Cruises Private Island in the Bahamas

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