Christened in Le Harve in the Normandy region of northern France by famed Italian actress Sophia Loren, MSC Meraviglia (meaning ’a wonder’) is one of the newest Italian chic meets utopian-style cruise ships by the Swiss-based cruise line, MSC Cruises, offering passengers a taste of the Mediterranean way of life.
Sailing with 5,714 passengers, Meraviglia stretches 315 meters from bow to stern, set across an impressive 19 decks with 2,760 cabins, 20 bars and lounges, a flight simulator, 4D cinema and a fully-fledged floating aqua park.
Swarovski crystal staircases float through its glittering Infinity Atrium boasting a two-story central promenade, Galleria Meraviglia, under a giant 480 square-meter LED roof (the longest at sea) that transforms from a starry sky to a virtual aquarium.
It is filled with lavish artwork, quirky co*cktail bars, gourmet restaurants, and a myriad of cozy boutiques stocked with over 300 brands from fine jewelers to wineries, crepe parlors, and the Jean-Philippe Maury chocolaterie by the namesake French master-pâtissier, where chocolatiers prepare oozing handmade bonbons, macaroons, and truffles live in an open kitchen.
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From spinning salsa classes at Meraviglia Bar to wine tastings, themed street parties, and lucky bets on blackjack at Casino Imperiale, you’ll find plenty to do onboard Meraviglia with four swimming pools, a sports complex, a waterpark, and a towering high ropes course.
Buried at the core of Infinity Atrium, Infinity Bar is surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Meraviglia’s nightlife – but for a more serene evening, meander to the chic Champagne Bar with champagne flute-shaped chairs guarding its black mirrored bar, and an impressive crushed ice display, serving chilled Moët & Chandon with fresh oysters and caviar.
Home to a dance floor, late-night karaoke, and full TV studio, head to the high-tech TV Studio & Bar broadcasting live games, quizzes, and talent contests whilst transforming to a comedy club – or visit Brass Anchor Pub on Deck 7, Meraviglia’s traditional British pub with oak barrels, anchors, dartboards and chesterfield booths, where you can sample 12 beers on tap and snack on fish ‘n’ chips.
Next door to the Amusem*nt Park with two F1 simulators, a full-size bowling alley, a 4D cinema, a flight simulator, and a video games arcade, the Sports Bar bears the feel of a traditional American diner where you can graze on popcorn, hot dogs and tasty milkshakes – whilst the alfresco Horizon Bar serves spicy margaritas under the stars.
Sky Lounge is the Soho House of Meraviglia – a glamorous top-of-the-ship lounge, art deco and licorice-colored, with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, sexy jazz, and throat-tickling co*cktails.
Down on Deck 5, you’ll find the plush red velvet 985-seat Broadway Theatre, producing six shows per cruise (two runs per night), from musical variety shows to magicians and Motown.
Whilst Carousel Lounge is home to highly immersive, experimental productions from the high-flying aerial circus show, House of Houdini, to the mid-air rock solos of Rock Circus, where acrobats spin and leap to the greatest hits of AC/DC and Guns & Roses.
As the sun rises, shoot a game of basketball at the Sportplex, negotiate beams along the Himalayan Ropes Course (with a bridge where you can cross the ship 60 meters above sea level), or whiz down waterslides and champagne funnels at the Polar Aqua Park, twisting and turning, with spray guns and water dunkers for children.
MSC Aurea Spa
Glide through a pistachio reception adorned with gigantic rocks as you enter the MSC Aurea Spa, complete with 20 treatment rooms, a Jean Louis David beauty salon, a nail boutique, and The Thermal Suite.
With glass cubed chambers and little nooks, it houses sensory steam baths, an ice waterfall, a salt room, a Finnish sauna, a crystal Mediterranean sauna, salt relaxation rooms, a walk-in rainforest shower, two aromatherapy rooms, two thalassotherapy pools, black marble ergonomic beds and a snow grotto.
Its Balinese therapists offer a plethora of treatments from hot stone lava massages to lymphatic drainage and shiatsu – as well as aromatic candle massages, anti-cellulite treatments, and its signature Himalayan Dream massage using rare fossil salts from the Himalayan Mountains.
Or indulge in a thalassotherapy treatment using ingredients like seawater, seaweed, sea mud, and mineral salts, such as the Aurea Papaveris with a body scrub made from poppy flowers, grape seeds, and sea salt to improve elasticity of skin, reduce cellulite and remove toxins from the body.
You’ll also find the MSC Gym by TechnoGym overlooking Meraviglia’s pool deck with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, treadmills, exercise bikes, cardio, and kinesis equipment, and a spinning room and fitness studio holding yoga, pilates, and HIIT biking classes. You can also opt for a fitness package during your voyage that includes two full-body analysis scans and three private sessions with a personal trainer.
The Yacht Club
Appointed with 94 lavish sites, The Yacht Club is MSC's exclusive ‘ship within a ship’ concept, offering guests VIP treatment onboard with a 24-hour butler service, a dedicated concierge, priority embarkation, and a private lounge, restaurant and sundeck.
Set across 700 square feet, its Royal Suites are grand and taupe, with plush velvet sofas, Egyptian cotton sheets, a sweeping balcony with a private whirlpool, sun loungers, and a dining table; a commodious living room and a whitewashed marble bathroom with a deep soaking tub and rain shower – you’ll also get premium Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service, lavish bathrobes and slippers, and an unlimited complimentary mini-bar.
Up on Deck 19, you can swan onto your private sundeck bordered by cream sun loungers with a bright turquoise pool, a bubbling hot tub, curved leather booths, and a solarium grill serving buffet breakfasts and light lunches from fresh seafood to a carvery.
Sommelier serviced with fine white clothed tables and elephant velvet armchairs, the Yacht Club Restaurant is the epitome of fine dining onboard Meraviglia, serving dishes like burgundy snails, blue cheese soufflé, champagne risotto, and grilled lobster tail.
Tiptoeing across dark marble walkways into the Yacht Club’s Top Sail Lounge with curved cherry sofas, mirrored ceilings, and wraparound panoramic windows, sip a glass of Dom Pérignon at a gold-wrapped bar, or indulge in afternoon tea as you sail out of port at sunset.
Restaurants
Feast your way through 12 dining venues onboard, from Mexican street food to East-West sushi bars, boasting culinary partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs like Ramón Freixa.
Hidden behind reception, Waves offers classic dining with low ceilings, rose chairs, and jazzy striped carpets, where you can take your Gala Dinner, savoring creamy salmon rillettes and wild mushroom pappardelle before chewing a tender 14-oz porterhouse steak with a glass of rich Californian merlot.
L’Olive Doree is divided by a central walkway, lavish and royal, with golden pillars and a twining wine cellar at its center. Make a stop here for your Serata Italiana dinner nibbling on fried calamari and zucchini before swirling linguine alle vongole around your fork, paired with a Jermann Italian pinot grigio.
With panoramic windows, burnt orange floors, and a swirling utopian-style chandelier hanging above, head to Panorama for a slice of the Caribbean, gorging on Guadeloupe shrimp tails, island meatloaf, and blackened red snapper with coconut rice.
Casual bites are served at Marketplace buffet, open 20 hours a day, with open kitchens, grills, rotisseries, and serving stations stacked with pizzas, creamy pasta, and light bites from China, India, and the Mediterranean, as well as a mozzarella factory area where you can watch it being stretched live.
Bright and lemon with high oak stools, HOLA! Tacos & Cantina serves tasty Mexican street food and Latin American bites from blue corn tacos to crab meat puff sandwiches, Iberian gourmet burgers, authentic beef empanadas, and tamales paired with reposado tequila, tobala mezcal, the ‘king of mezcals’ and bottomless jugs of Spanish sangria.
Butcher’s Cut is Meraviglia's American steakhouse, wrapped in dark oak with an open kitchen and a sweeping wine cellar, serving thick, juicy, tender cuts of 36-oz dry-aged tomahawk and 24-oz T-bone paired with cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley – complete with a weighty slice of New York cheesecake or bittersweet lava cake from Jean-Philippe’s.
Welcoming just 32 guests, Kaito Teppanyaki is a cozy and intimate teppanyaki restaurant featuring two neon cooking stations with eight tangerine stools on each side, where you’ll sip miso soup and graze on small plates of grilled salmon Sake Teriyaki, and Dragon Rolls with tempura prawns, roasted glazed eel, cream cheese and avocado cooled down with matcha tea ice cream.
Outside Kaito, you’ll stumble across a long sushi bar serving sashimi, maki, nigiri, and thick udon noodles to slurp.
Ocean Cay sits just off the promenade, rich, silver, and formal, with a sliced hull-shaped bar, fish mosaic murals, glass partitions, and portholes peeping out. Here, you’ll find an abundance of seafood from seasonal oysters to imperial oscietra caviar and mammoth seafood sharing platters filled with spiny lobsters, red king crabs, langoustines, and Argentinian shrimp before cleansing your pallet with a bourbon vanilla crème brulée.
And with a high-tech interactive wristband to scan at hubs around Meraviglia and book your gourmet dinners, activities, front-row seats for shows, and indulgent spa treatments, a world awaits you onboard.
For more information, visit msccruises.com.
