As the new star of the MSC Cruises fleet, it was fitting that MSC Euribia was given a smashing send-off at its naming in Copenhagen by its godmother, screen goddess Sophia Loren.
The glamorous ceremony, including a graceful performance by the dancers of the Royal Danish Ballet and a rip-roaring set from former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley, ramped up the excitement before Ms Loren cut the ribbon to release a bottle of champagne against the ship’s hull in a time-honoured tradition.
Euribia is the 21st MSC ship the Hollywood legend has named and as the line’s new flagship, it embodies many of the most popular features of its sister ships, mixed with ground-breaking environmental credentials.
Hailed by MSC as the most energy-efficient ship to date, it is the second of the Italian-style line’s ships to run on liquefied natural gas (the first being MSC World Europa launched last December).
The clue to MSC Euribia’s eco-status is obvious from its painted hull decorated with marine images with hashtag #savethesea as its focal point.
There’s no shortage of glitz and glamour on-board either, from the breathtaking LED screen (the longest at sea) above the Galleria shopping street with its mesmerising constantly-changing images, to the sparkling Swarovski crystal staircases that inject Hollywood-style glamour.
There are the opulent surroundings of the exclusive suite-only Yacht Club where butler service rules 24/7 and the rarefied ambience extends to the outside deck where plush sun-loungers surround the swimming pool, plus the extensive pampering of the Aurea Spa.
All are established MSC highlights found on many of its ships, and I never tire of them, but MSC Euribia has its own special touches.
One of my favourites was the newly-designed Carousel Lounge at the back of the ship with a new stunning expansive layout allowing for panoramic ocean views during daytimes and live music at night from one of the largest big bands at sea.
Among the 21 bars and lounges is the new immersive wine bar Helios with novel interactive screens where guests can research the 16 winemakers and 100 vino varieties featured, and the Gallic-themed L’Atelier Du Voyageur bar, complete with a moving wall artwork called Street 2023 depicting figures walking from one side to the other.
There are ten dining venues, including five speciality restaurants, with new addition Le Grill, described as French bistro meets steakhouse, plus an expanded teppanyaki area with Robatayaki, where diners sit in front of a grill area where chefs prepare food in Japanese barbecue style.
This is a ship that also packs a fun punch for families with the OceanCay aqua park and its trio of waterslides and adjacent ropes course; family-friendly staterooms with tucked-away bunk-beds; plus the games and virtual reality thrills in the Sportplex.
The children’s club on MSC Euribia has been expanded to offer 700 sq metres of space with seven rooms for different age groups, including the new Teens Lab and the first MSC Foundation Youth Centre where activities have an environmental and sustainable theme.
Underpinning all this are a raft of energy-conserving initiatives that ensure MSC Euribia is largely self-sufficient for fresh water as it treats seawater with reverse osmosis to extract the salt and produces all its own hot water by utilising waste energy from the ship’s engines.
It even chalked up the world’s first net zero voyage for greenhouse gas emissions as it sailed from the French shipyard where it was built to Copenhagen powered by bio-LNG in a sign of things to come as the cruise industry strives to cut its carbon footprint.
You can view all sailing dates, itineraries and destinations for the MSC Euribia here
No Comments
Be the first to start a conversation