MSC Virtuosa is the second ship of the Meraviglia-Plus class, the follow-on to the Meraviglia class. Her name comes from the Italian word virtuoso, meaning "masterful, virtuoso, masterful". It pays tribute to the skills of its designers at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, who designed and built the ship. Building on the success of its sisters MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima, it offers even more public space and a number of exciting innovations. Together with MSC Grandiosa, it is currently the 15th largest cruise ship in the world (as of 2023).
Construction of MSC Virtuoso began in June 2018 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique (formerly STX Europe) shipyards in the French port of Saint-Nazaire. She was originally scheduled to be delivered in October 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her construction was delayed and she was not taken over by MSC Cruises until February 2021 during a ceremony at the Saint-Nazaire shipyards. She then sailed in the seas around Europe, from where she sailed to the Persian Gulf in the autumn. She officially entered service at the end of November 2021 in Dubai. Her godmother is the Italian actress Sofia Loren (you can watch a video of the launch of MSC Virtuosa here).
The MSC Virtuosa is designed to carry a large number of attractions inside the ship, making it possible to have fun on it in any weather. This allows Meraviglia-Plus class ships to sail to all ports of call around the world, from the warm waters of the Mediterranean to the cold polar waters of Svalbard. This ship is 16 metres longer than her sister ships in the Meraviglia class and offers more space and entertainment options for her guests. A new feature is the art museum, which displays original artworks by international artists.
The first thing that catches your eye on the ship is the huge, almost 100-metre-long promenade. This is the true centre of the ship and is home to a plethora of shops, bars, world-class restaurants and entertainment areas. On its ceiling you will find a 480 m² wide LED screen, the longest at sea at the time of the ship's launch. It brings the entire space to life with many beautiful views, from sunsets to the painted ceiling of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel;
Another advantage of the Meraviglia-Plus class is the large waterpark at the stern of the ship with several water slides, splashes and a bar, on the MSC Virtuosa in the style of the African savannah. The waterpark also includes a ropes course where visitors can climb over obstacles more than 60 metres above sea level. In addition, on Riviera Tour cruises you can also head to a large indoor sports complex with a spacious gym, a 4D cinema, an acrobatic performance area at the stern of the ship, F1 simulators or a beautiful bowling alley.
