MSC Virtuosa: Here’s 6 Things that I LOVED, and 3 That I Didn’t!
MSC Virtuosa is a huge cruise ship. She’s a ship that’s found herself serving Southampton on and off for a few years, and so she’s a ship that I’ve got incredibly familiar with across multiple cruises. This was the first cruise ship that I sailed on following the closedown of 2020, and so she’s a ship that’s incredibly close to my heart.
Since starting my YouTube channel, Virtuosa is one of my most asked-about ships, presumably because she is still scheduled to be returning to British waters for several months over the next couple of years. In this article, I’m going to tell you about 6 of the things that I absolutely loved about cruising on this ship, and I’m also going to tell you about 3 of the things that I didn’t.
Hopefully you’ll find this article useful if you’re trying to understand what a cruise on this ship could look like. If you enjoy this post, then please share it with anyone else who might enjoy it - don’t keep it to yourself! Also, come over and find me on YouTube. I’ve got so much content from across the cruise industry, and also lots specifically covering MSC Virtuosa. To find me over there, just search ‘Fraser at Sea’ on your device, or click into the below video. In this video, I take you on a full tour of MSC Virtuosa, showing you inside every venue onboard.
Let’s start by talking about the ship itself. What class of ship is MSC Virtuosa?
This ship falls into what’s known as the Meraviglia Class - for anyone who’s not familiar, a ‘Class’ of cruise ship refers to the overall build of the ship. Cruise lines and parent companies will often order multiple of the same ‘class’ of ship, but then fit them out differently inside - if you’ve cruised on any ships that have been almost identical to each other, this will probably make sense.
In this case, the Meraviglia class has 5 cruise ships within it, all under the MSC Cruises umbrella: MSC Meraviglia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Euribia. The last of these 3 ships are slightly stretched versions of the first 2, and they therefore fall into a subclass known as ‘Meraviglia-plus’.
As all of these ships are so similar, you’re probably going to find this post useful if you’re planning to cruise on any of these five cruise ships: not just MSC Virtuosa!
MSC Meraviglia (pictured here) is a slightly smaller version of MSC Virtuosa - they share a ship class! © Fraser at Sea.
Let’s jump in - what are the six things that I loved about cruising onboard MSC Virtuosa?
1. The Overall Quality of the Ship
One of my general observations of the newer ships in the MSC Cruises fleet is that the overall ship quality is very high, and this is a statement that I’d absolutely apply to MSC Virtuosa. All around this ship, you’re going to find venues that are finished to a very high standard, and a ship that really seems to be faring well as she grows older.
The whole ship does feel ‘very MSC’ - this is a statement that may only make sense to you if you’ve previously taken a cruise with this line. You can expect to find interior design that’s different to anything you’ve seen before onboard, which did take my by surprise after arriving to what looks like a very generic, large, white cruise ship!
Areas like the main atrium are full of mirrors, polished steel, and LED lights to light your way - it’s a ship that packs a fair amount of bling and glitz - but not too much! On that note, if you’re looking for the Swarovski crystal staircases, just make your way to the atrium - they’re waiting for you there…
Galleria Virtuosa is a great example of the quality of MSC Virtuosa - it even features the longest curved LED screen at sea! © Fraser at Sea.
You’ll find the crystal-filled staircases onboard MSC Virtuosa in the Main Atrium! © Fraser at Sea.
2. The Carousel Productions at Sea in the Carousel Lounge
I remember this element of the cruise experience on Virtuosa being fairly controversial when this ship launched. When you cruise, you’ll typically be able to watch an evening show in the main theatre, but MSC Cruises launched a type of theatre show that requires guests to pay a little extra to attend with this ship class.
Don’t worry though - if you’d like to watch a show that’s included in your cruise fare, the main theatre at the front of the ship will be where you’ll want to go.
This ‘pay extra’ theatre option is in a bespoke venue at the back of the ship on deck 7. The shows are in the style of Cirque du Soleil, and in all honesty they’re well worth going along to at some point during your cruise. The Carousel Lounge shows come with an additional charge of €10 pp / $12 pp if booked in advance or €15 pp / $18 pp (2026 pricing) if booked onboard - in other words, it’s worth booking these in advance online before you get to the ship. This price includes a cocktail on arrival, although most of my cruises on here have included a drinks package, so this hasn’t been a major factor for me…
There are usually two shows each evening, and you’ll typically find six show nights on a seven-night cruise. Check the listings to see what’s on, as they’ve added more shows to their repertoire over the years. Trust me - these shows are well worth seeing, and they’re a bargain at those ‘book in advance’ prices!
The onboard Theatre offers you complimentary entertainment each evening of your cruise, © Fraser at Sea.
The Carousel Lounge is at the back of the ship on Deck 7, and it’s well worth a try! © Fraser at Sea.
3. The Pool Deck on this Cruise Ship is Excellent!
Over the years, I’ve walked around some top deck spaces in awe of how small the swimming pools are. On this ship though, that thought has never crossed my mind.
You’ll find four pools onboard: one main pool that you’ll see in the images below, an indoor pool right next door, a small plunge pool at the very back of the ship and also a small swimming pool within the MSC Yacht Club Sundeck area (this last one is only accessible to those who are staying in a Yacht Club suite).
The name given to the main pool on MSC Virtuosa is the ‘Atmosphere Pool’, and it consists of two smaller swimming pools with a raised section in the middle, offering the illusion that it’s one long pool. I find that this pool handles demand really well, even on a warmer day at sea. You’ll typically find that young children will play in one half of the pool, leaving the other half available for those hoping to do some swimming while on their vacation.
My ‘top tip’ for enjoying this space is to come here during what most would consider ‘awkward’ times. Opting to go for a swim before or after your evening meal can allow you to really escape the crowds, as can getting out here earlier in the morning. It’s a strange feeling to be the only person in the swimming pool when the ship has thousands of other passengers onboard at the same time!
The Atmosphere Pool onboard MSC Virtuosa is a huge swimming pool on the top deck! © Fraser at Sea.
Aim to use this pool during quiet hours if you want to get the most out of your experience! © Fraser at Sea.
4. The Speciality Dining on this Cruise Ship is Excellent!
Onboard MSC Virtuosa, you’re going to find many of the speciality dining options that MSC Cruises have grown increasingly famous for over the years. Some of these include Hola! (the Mexican restaurant), Butcher’s Cut (the steakhouse) and the Teppanyaki restaurant.
If you’re looking for my personal recommendations, I’d give my seals of approval to both Hola! and also Butcher’s Cut - I’ve dined at both of these venues multiple times now, and they never disappoint. If you do opt to dine at Hola!, then be sure to go for the unlimited food option. You’ll usually pay somewhere in the region of €20 per person for this, but you won’t believe the amount of food you’ll be able to order under this package (well, it’s unlimited!).
If you’re new to MSC Cruises but have cruised before with any other cruise line, or you have a healthy loyalty status with a land-based hotel, casino or travel brand, then you should consider matching your status with elsewhere through MSC’s Status Match Programme. This can often mean that you’ll be several levels up on the loyalty ladder on even your first cruise, which might allow you to dine at some of these venues free of charge!
To find out more about Status Match with MSC Cruises, click here.
Hola! is a fantastic Mexican Cantina restaurant onboard MSC Virtuosa. © Fraser at Sea
Dinner at the steakhouse sounds good, but it would be even better if it was FREE! © Fraser at Sea
5. How Much There is to do Onboard.
The fifth thing that I loved about cruising onboard MSC Virtuosa is the volume of activities and attractions onboard - it’s almost impossible to be bored on a cruise ship like this! I’ve cruised on other ships that have much higher passenger capacity numbers than this one that have less to do onboard, so it’s a huge ‘thumbs up’ from me on this one.
So, what could you get up to during your cruise? Well, there are 4 swimming pools as I mentioned earlier, there’s a spa, a thermal suite, a gym, an indoor sports arena, an F1 simulator, a mini bowling alley, a ropes course, a water park - you get the picture - you’re going to be pretty spoiled for choice when you cruise on here.
A word of warning that I would offer is that not all of these options are included in your cruise fare. When you cruise with MSC Cruises, you’ll typically pay less for your initial cruise fare, and you’ll then have the option to pay extra to use things like the bowling alley or the thermal suite. Some other cruise lines offer a much higher base fare and then include aspects like these when you cruise.
If you’d like to see more of what there is to do on the ship, head over to my full ship tour on YouTube, where I walk you through every single deck of the ship leaving no stone unturned!
MSC Virtuosa has so much going on onboard. Here’s part of the Ropes Course and also the Water Park! © Fraser at Sea
6. The Prices to Cruise on this Ship!
When I look at the prices that I’ve paid to cruise on this ship, I honestly can’t believe some of them. In my opinion, some of the prices that are available to cruise onboard MSC Virtuosa are absolutely fantastic.
I’ve met people who tend to criticise MSC Cruises for things like the food that’s included in the Main Dining Rooms, and they explain that the food isn’t as good as what they’ve had when cruising with other lines like Royal Caribbean. From my perspective, I find this a really interesting comparison - yes, both cruise lines service lots of the same ports, but they do operate at a very different price point.
Would you stay at a Holiday Inn and hold it to the same standards that you’d hold a Hilton hotel to? If the answer to that is ‘no’, then why would you compare two cruise lines that are operating at very different price points?
The caveat that I would apply to the above question is that I appreciate some cruisers won’t be securing bargain fares, particularly not if you’re cruising within the MSC Yacht Club complex. I personally haven’t cruised in there yet, and so can’t pass comment on the food and overall experience inside!
Want to know where I source my cruise deals from? I use a search engine to get started, and I then seek the best deals to approach my Travel Agent with. Here’s a link to the search engine that I use - it’s a great way to find out which ships are cruising from where, and when! Click here! (ad)
Some amazing prices are available to cruise onboard MSC Virtuosa, especially if you’re flexible! © Fraser at Sea
Ok, that’s what I’ve LOVED about cruising onboard this ship, but what have I not loved? Here are three things…
1. Lots of Venues Onboard don’t Offer Ocean Views!
This is one that’s incredibly important to me, but I do also understand that it’s entirely personal opinion. At home, I live really far from the ocean in any direction - it’s not possible for me to drive my car to a beach without being in the car for multiple house. For that reason, when I cruise, it’s so important for me to be able to see the ocean - after all, it’s one of the main reasons that I opt to cruise!
It’s a growing trend on these modern cruise ships to offer lots of venues that don’t have ocean views. This might sound strange to begin with, but think about it - if you’re a new cruiser, it’s probably going to be a good thing that you’re not constantly reminded that you’re out at sea. Instead, you’re sitting in a restaurant that feels like it could be anywhere - you might be more likely to forget about the motion, and relax into the experience more.
It’s the opposite for me - I absolutely love to relax with my meal, or with a drink, with an ocean view. I’ve been sitting at dinner watching dolphins jumping beside the ship, and it’s so amazing. I’d never opt to look at a picture frame on a wall instead!
My ‘top tip’ on this topic is to walk around as much of the ship as possible as soon as you get onboard. You can use this time to find your favourite spots onboard, and maybe even choose the seats you’d like to secure during a sea day, if you’re lucky!
Some venues onboard don’t offer any ocean views - be careful where you choose to spend your time if this is important to you! © Fraser at Sea
Don’t worry - plenty of ocean views are available around the ship! © Fraser at Sea
2. Forward-facing Views are Blocked off for MSC Yacht Club Guests
I find this one to be very frustrating. MSC Cruises have taken the decision across most of the ships in their fleet that views facing forward will be available to only those cruising in suites within the MSC Yacht Club. While I do understand this from a business perspective, it does baffle me that the thousands of other passengers would miss out on something like this.
I’ve seen other cruise lines block off one side of the top deck at the front for their suite guests, but in this case it’s the entire front section of the top deck.
Okay, this won’t be a huge issue to lots of people on the more ‘generic’ cruise itineraries, but if you’re cruising to somewhere particularly scenic, it will be annoying. Think about Norway cruises - it would be awesome to see the view of the Fjord as you cruise along it, but you’re only going to be able to look along the sides of the Fjord, or out across the back of the ship.
Personally, I’d love to be able to see out of the front, and so this point has to feature on my ‘what I didn’t love’ list!
As a regular passenger, you won’t be able to look out across the front of the ship, but these views over the wake will be available from the back of the ship! © Fraser at Sea
3. This ship can be BUSY!
Let’s be real about this one - you haven’t booked a cruise on this ship thinking that you’re going to get a really quiet and boutique experience with very few other passengers. There are going to be thousands of other passengers sharing the ship with you during your cruise, and it’s important that you’re prepared for that.
This means that you’re probably going to have to wait to have your drinks order taken during busier periods, you might need to share the thermal suite experience with lots more people than you’d like, and you might struggle to find a sun lounger on a sea day when everyone else has the same idea.
Although the ship can be busy, I do think Virtuosa handles crowds well. Okay, there are some ‘flare areas’ where crowds are more likely, like at the entrance to the theatre at the end of any of the shows, but generally it’s a ship that doesn’t feel massively crowded throughout a evening onboard.
I’ve taken a variety of both short and long cruises on this ship, and would really recommend it to anyone thinking about it. If you’d like to see my YouTube content from my cruises onboard Virtuosa, please click here to go to my MSC Cruises playlist!
Here are more of my posts on this website from MSC Cruises - I’ll hope to see you in another!
