Author: MSC Cruise Fan

MSC Cruises is giving its onboard spa experience a major refresh, with new wellness, beauty, and self-care services rolling out across the fleet throughout 2026. The expanded program is centered around MSC Aurea Spa, the cruise line’s onboard spa and wellness brand. For years, MSC Aurea Spa has been the place to book a massage, facial, thermal area pass, or beauty treatment during a cruise. Now, MSC is pushing that concept further with a broader menu that includes advanced skincare, AI-powered skin analysis, Japanese Head Spa treatments, wellness teas, teeth whitening, barbering, ear piercing, and even select medical wellness treatments…

If you have ever looked closely at an MSC cruise ship deck plan, you may have noticed something strange. There is often no Deck 17. The deck numbers may jump from Deck 16 to Deck 18, which can make you stop and wonder if you missed something. Did MSC hide a deck? Is it crew-only? Is Deck 17 where they store all the missing buffet tongs and lost sunglasses? Not quite. The real answer is much more fun: MSC skips Deck 17 because 17 is traditionally considered unlucky in Italian culture. The Short Answer Many MSC cruise ships do not…

MSC Cruises is adding a new ocean-focused family program across its fleet, giving kids and parents another way to connect with the sea during their cruise. The new program, called Oceans Day powered by MSC Foundation, was launched by MSC Foundation and MSC Cruises to mark World Oceans Day. It is designed to help children and families better understand, celebrate, and care for the ocean through onboard activities that mix learning, creativity, and participation. For families sailing with MSC, this is the kind of addition that makes a lot of sense. Kids clubs are already a major part of the…

MSC Cruises has officially started the countdown for MSC World Asia, the next ship in the line’s growing World Class fleet. The cruise line announced that MSC World Asia will be officially named on November 28, 2026 in Le Havre, France, before beginning her first Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona on December 4, 2026. To mark six months until the ship’s first sailing, MSC also revealed six featured experiences guests can expect onboard. The list includes thrill rides, family attractions, interactive entertainment, and several returning World Class favorites with new design touches inspired by Asia. MSC World Asia will be the…

MSC Cruises is making a pretty cruiser-friendly promise for summer 2026: no added fuel surcharge. As part of its new “Best Holiday Ever” summer campaign, MSC Cruises says guests can book with more confidence knowing the price they see at the time of booking is the price they will pay. That may sound like standard marketing language, but there is one detail that stands out – MSC specifically says it will not introduce a fuel surcharge this summer, even with recent increases in global fuel prices. For anyone pricing out a cruise vacation, that is worth paying attention to. What’s…

MSC Cruises is rolling out a new onboard water program called AQUA by MSC, and while it may sound like a small beverage update, this one could change a very familiar part of the cruise experience: grabbing bottled water around the ship. The new program is designed to reduce single-use plastic water bottles by replacing much of the traditional bottled water setup with mineral-enriched water produced onboard. AQUA by MSC is available in both still and sparkling varieties and is created using onboard purification technology before being enhanced with minerals like magnesium and potassium. In plain English, MSC is moving…

MSC Group’s Cruise Division has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, and the headline is pretty clear: MSC says its cruise business is making steady progress on its long-term energy transition plan while also putting more structure around community engagement, biodiversity, and workforce development. The report covers both MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, giving a broader look at how MSC Group’s cruise brands are trying to grow while also reducing their environmental footprint. For cruisers, this is one of those behind-the-scenes updates that may not change what drink you order by the pool tomorrow, but it does say a lot about…

MSC Cruises has reached a cruise industry first, earning independent verification and flag state recognition for actual methane emissions from two of its LNG-powered ships. The recognition applies to MSC World Europa and MSC Euribia, two of MSC’s newest and most environmentally advanced ships. According to MSC Cruises, the certification was completed in collaboration with Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore and allows the cruise line to report actual methane emissions under the FuelEU Maritime framework instead of relying only on default regulatory assumptions. That may sound like something designed to make everyone’s eyes glaze over during a compliance meeting, but…

If you are cruising with family or friends and booked two balcony cabins next to each other, you may be wondering one very important thing: Can you open the divider between the two balconies? In many cases, yes, you can. And honestly, it can be one of those small cruise tricks that makes a big difference for groups. Opening the balcony divider between two side-by-side MSC balcony cabins can create a larger shared outdoor space, which is great for families, friends, grandparents, or anyone traveling together who wants to stay connected without constantly walking back and forth through the hallway.…

MSC Cruises has officially crossed a major milestone in North America: MSC Poesia has completed the line’s first Alaska itinerary. The newly refreshed ship wrapped up its first 7-night Alaska sailing from Seattle after visiting a lineup of classic Alaska and Pacific Northwest destinations, including Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, scenic cruising through Endicott Arm, and Victoria, British Columbia. For a cruise line that has historically been much better known in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Europe, this is a pretty big step. And for MSC fans in the U.S., it is also an important one. MSC Poesia’s arrival in Alaska…