MSC Cruises is raising the bar on cruise entertainment after signing a long term partnership with Cirque du Soleil, the world leader in artistic entertainment. Shows created exclusively for MSC Cruises will take place in a specially designed dining and entertainment venue on their next generation Meraviglia ships.
Exquisite dining and award-winning entertainment are two key distinguishing elements of the MSC Cruises experience. To elevate these two elements to the next level, MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil together imagined and are building a completely custom-made, latest-technology dining and entertainment venue — the first of its kind at sea — for MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia ships. This is where MSC Cruises guests will be able to enjoy brand new, exclusive Cirque du Soleil shows, six nights a week, two performances per night — all while enjoying an extraordinary MSC Cruises culinary experience.
The specifically-designed venue represents an industry-first $21 million investment, in which the custom-built entertainment and dining Aft lounge is equipped with the latest technology and best-suited to the needs of both Cirque du Soleil artists and guests. The 10,760 sq ft, 450-seat Aft lounge will feature a 200-seat dining area so that guests can enjoy an exquisite dinner or drinks before the performance.
Cirque du Soleil’s world-class artists will deliver two shows created exclusively for MSC Cruises that will capture the imagination of all guests. Shows and related dining options will be available only to MSC Cruises guests aboard the four next-generation Meraviglia project ships, the first of which — MSC Meraviglia — is set to sail its inaugural season in the Mediterranean from June 2017.
Pierfrancesco Vago, the Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, gave the following statement:
“MSC Cruises is a company built on innovation, from the unique, prototype ships we design and build to the on-board experiences we conceive and create. Together with our newest world-class partner, Cirque du Soleil, we imagined and are now designing a totally new, live entertainment experience exclusively for our guests; an original show in a multimillion-dollar custom-built venue aboard a ship we designed ourselves, down to the last detail.
It’s this commitment to innovation, and the vision and creativity that only a family-owned company can apply, that make MSC Cruises so distinct.”
MSC Meraviglia is currently under construction and is scheduled to debut in May 2017. In her maiden season, Meraviglia will sail to the Western Mediterranean with port stops in Genoa, Marseille, and Barcelona. The 167,600 GT ship will carry 4,500 passengers and will be the most innovative ship ever built for MSC Cruises.
Source: PR Newswire
