MSC Euribia

The 2023-built MSC Euribia cruise ship is MSC's third/last MERAVIGLIA PLUS-class boat - with sisterships MSC Grandiosa (2019) and MSC Virtuosa (2021). MSC's 22nd ship Euribia is STX France-built and currently scheduled for delivery in May and inauguration in June 2023. MERAVIGLIA PLUS vessels are an upgraded (enlarged design) version of the previous MERAVIGLIA-Class liners MSC Meraviglia (2017) and MSC Bellissima (2019).

The vessel (IMO number 9901544) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 256281000) and registered in Valletta.

History - construction and ownership

MSC Cruises (MSC Crociere) is a passenger shipping company headquartered in Genoa and Naples. It was established in 1960. Today, MSC Crociere is a subsidiary of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) - the world's 2nd largest containership company. MSC Crociere is the world's largest privately-owned cruise company.

By annual passenger shipping volumes, MSC is ranked the world's 3rd largest cruise shipowner - following only Carnival Corporation and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group.

Decks and Cabins

MSC Euribia staterooms (2405 total, in 17 categories) provide max passenger capacity 6334 (4810 lower berths) and ~75% of all cabins are with private step-out balconies. The largest are the MSC Yacht Club Royal Suites (700 ft2 / 65 m2 plus 430 ft2 / 40 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi).

The boat has 18 decks (3 crew-only, 15 passenger-accessible, 11 with cabins) and also features "cluster cabins" (up to 3 connecting staterooms for families) allowing up to three cabins to be interlinked for max capacity 10 guests. There are also 95x Yacht Club Suites (with 24-hour butler service and exclusive facilities), 15x Interior Studios (dedicated for solo travelers single cabins without single supplement), 60x ADA-compliant (wheelchair-accessible cabins for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility).

The MSC ship Euribia has total service area 460,000 m2 (4,951398 million ft2) and public areas 35,000 m2 (376,736 ft2), public area ratio 7,7 m2 (83 ft2) per passenger, 4 swimming pools (including 1x sliding roof-covered and 1x MSC Yacht Club), 9 Jacuzzis (outdoor whirlpool hot tubs), 32 elevators (19 passenger lifts, including 1x MSC Yacht Club and 2x panoramic / glass-walled lifts in the Atrium).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The ship offers 12 dining options (including 5 specialty restaurants) and 21 bars and lounges. Among the dining venues are the Mediterranean Village (specialty restaurant) and the exclusive Yacht Club Restaurant. MSC's signature Marketplace Buffet is complimentary, open 20 hours per day and offers international cuisine, traditional Mediterranean specialties, as well as itinerary-based themed food (with locally sourced produce), healthy (vegetarian/vegan) and dietary dishes.

Fine dining options include Kaito Sushi Bar, Kaito Teppanyaki Restaurant and Le Grill (combines an American-style steakhouse and French brasserie).

Follows the complete list of MSC Euribia restaurants and food bars.

• 5x Main Restaurants (MDRs / dining rooms offer different Italian traditional meals and wines; open for Breakfast 7-9:30 am, Lunch 12-2 pm, and Dinner with 2 fixed seatings at 7 pm and 9:30 pm, with a 7-course dinner menu; also features vegan and vegetarian meals)
• Eataly Restaurant (Eataly Food Chain designed food store and specialty restaurant)
• La Piazzetta Restaurant (self-service buffet and pizzeria; offers Afternoon tea and occasional midnight buffet; includes Onboard Pizzeria and steaks seafood specialty restaurant)
• Butcher's Cut (American steakhouse with an open kitchen)
• Jean-Philippe Maury Chocolaterie & Cafe and Crepes & Gelato (chocolate atelier and creperie by renowned pastry chef Jean Philippe Maury) also sells gourmet ice creams.
• Marketplace Buffet is a 20-hours-a-day open Lido Restaurant with capacity 1336 seats.
• Kaito Teppanyaki Restaurant & Sushi Bar offers traditional Far East cuisine, combining grill-cooked seafood, meats, and vegetables.
• Le Grill is a specialty restaurant that combines French brasserie and American steakhouse, serving shared dishes such as seafood platters and aged Black Angus beef.
• Champagne Bar (premium brand sparkling wines served with caviar, oysters and crabs)
• Sky Lounge
• Edge Cocktail Bar
• (NEW) HOLA! Tacos & Cantina (Latin American and Mexican restaurant)
• (NEW) Indochine Restaurant (Asian-Vietnamese)
• (NEW) Helios Wine Bar is a premium venue served by professional suppliers. The bar offers food and wine pairing and wine tastings and features multitouch tables (interactive UHD touch display tables) for learning about the viticulture's/winegrowing's history/specifics, about grape varieties, as well as about the regions of 96 signature brand wines.

On Virtuosa and Euribia, MSC introduced two new specialty dining concepts with the fleet's first restaurants "HOLA! Tacos & Cantina" and "Ristorante Indochine".

• HOLA is a fast-food/street food bar (with Latin American and Mexican dishes and beverages) open for lunch and dinner. Menu's signature dishes include blue corn tacos 9also vegetarian), nachos, beef empanadas, tamales, tortilla soup. Beverages include the top 10 brands tequila and mezcal. HOLA's salsa bar offers 6 homemade salsas, several spicy sauces, fresh-made guacamole. HOLA also has the fleet's new Mexican Ice Cream Taco bar.
• Indochine Restaurant offers Vietnamese traditional cuisine specialties "with a French twist". The menu includes various vegetarian and vegan items and larger (family-style) dishes for sharing. Signature dishes are Green Papaya Salads, Beef Bo Buns, French Roasted Snails, Veggie Crepes, healthy food, an ample wine list, tropical cocktails menu.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Meraviglia Plus class ships feature new original shows. A total of eight shows are available on MSC Meraviglia and Meraviglia-plus ships. Each of the 4 ships sails with 2 new contrasting shows, the first 2 of which debuted on Meraviglia in June 2017.

Exclusively for Euribia, MSC developed 7 live production shows (alternating weekly) which are hosted nightly at Delphi Theatre. The Theater's productions are titled "Circus 1920" (acrobatic show), "Generation Rock" (music-themed), "Illuminicity" (technical show), "Jukebox L!ve", "Song Book - Ed Sheeran", "Guest Entertainers" and "Variety" (guest performers plus resident cast).

The ship Euribia also has its own/resident Big Band at Sea (19-piece group of musicians and singers) performing live at the Carousel Lounge each night.

MSC Euribia has a large water park (Savannah Aquapark) connected to an indoor amusement park on two levels and to 2-deck entertainment space (interior promenade) housing specialty restaurants, bars, duty-free shops. The Promenade is covered by a LED dome ceiling (called "digital sky") displaying visual shows.

Traditionally for all large newbuilds, Euribia boasts the wristband technology that allows passengers to make onboard payments, book specialty restaurants and spa treatments, also allows parents to geo-locate their kids.

Follows the complete list of MSC Euribia lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Euribia Atrium (multi-deck high central ship area with live entertainment)
• Cyber Library (Internet computers room and library)
• Cybercafe (Internet computers room)
• Delphi Theatre (capacity 945 seats, size 1000 m2) hosts grand-style show productions and classical concerts (3 shows per night).
• (NEW) L'Atelier Bistrot (L' Atelier Bar & Art lounge) features a stage for live performances (including jazz), a large dancefloor, a pop-up art gallery.
• 12 weekly Cirque du Soleil shows in Carousel Lounge, accommodating 120 passengers for dinner, plus additional 290 seated guests for drinks. The acrobatic show productions (VIAGGIO, SONOR, COSMOS, EXENTRICKS) each span 40 minutes. Carousel Lounge is fitted with 80x kinetic LED lights providing video and sound effects at specific moments during the show.
• Pre-Dinner Cocktail Bar; Cocktail Bar; Italian Coffee Bar
• Chocolata; Ice-Creams
• Boutique and Accessories Shop; Jewelry Shop; Duty-Free Shop; Perfumery; Temporary Shop; Fashion Shop; Logo Shop; Fashion and Jewelry Shop; Photo Gallery Shop
• Red Gem Casino (gaming bar lounge with slot machines and tables for Blackjack, Roulette, Poker)
• Aft Bar Lounge
• Attic Club (nightclub)
• The ceiling covering the indoor promenade area is a 480 m2 LED screen - a digital sky transmitting live views (sunsets, sunrises, starry sky), also special events and shows.
• Solarium (adults-only relaxation area with Solarium Pool and Bar)
• Main Pool area (swimming pools, whirlpools, loungers) - 4 swimming pools (including a 25-meter Atmosphere pool - by night illuminated with special lighting, 10-m long indoor Bamboo pool, Horizon pool at the back of the ship - transformed into a dance space at night)
• sports and kids facilities, MSC Yacht Club Suites
• Yacht Club Bar Lounge
• 1100-ft2 Balinese spa; Solarium (adults-only relaxation area upper level)
• Gymnasium; Arcade Games; TV Games; Bowling
• 4D Cinema; Flight Simulator
• Sportplex is the ship's combined entertainment-sports complex with Team Sport Arena (for playing basketball, football, volleyball), a separate Tennis Court and Sports Bar. In the evenings, Sportplex transforms into a party/disco club.
• Yacht Club exclusive Restaurant
• Sliding Roof (over the Solarium pool area)
• Piano Bar Lounge
• Doremi Lab; Team Sport Area
• Baby's Club and Kids Club - LEGO and Chicco facilities; Junior Club; Young Club; Teen's Area
• Cinema, Theatre Doremi, Night Club, Studio
• Sun Deck (outdoor area with a pool)
• MSC Yacht Club Open Area (fleet's largest), Pool Bar
• 2 Whirlpools; 2 Solariums; Savannah Aquapark featuring Champagne Bowl high-speed waterslide and Himalayan Bridge, that spans the width of ship's deck
• 2-deck Super Amusement Park
• Power Walking/Jogging Track
• (NEW) MSC Starship Club

Traditionally for MSC ships, Euribia has F1 Simulators (2x Formula 1 VR racing cars).

MSC Foundation is the ship's educational interactive game center for children. The room transforms into a 3D Aquarium providing interactive teaching for kids and adults (providing info on MSC's lifesaving programs and partners). Passengers can support the MSC Foundation with direct donations or by purchasing MSC Foundation-logoed merchandise.

Euribia ship’s new youth complex is a 700 m2/7535 ft2 of interior space grouping 10 rooms housing age-appropriate activities for toddlers, kids and teens of ages 6 months to 17 years. Of the ten children's rooms, two are themed on sustainability and the environment and one is themed on digital technologies and innovations.

• Baby Club Chicco Eco (nursery for babies and toddlers under 3 years old) is fitted with toys made with 80& recycled plastic or 70% organic+recycled plastic.
• MSC Foundation Youth Center hosts educational activities and also provides information on MSC Foundation.
• Teens Club Extra Space room is fitted with the latest generation gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, VR/Virtual Reality) plus foosball and tennis tables.
• World Quest Room is for a quiz and trivia game show themed on geography.
• Caravaggio Room hosts an art-themed spy game show where kids investigate museum heists to find stolen paintings and catch the thieves.

MSC's onboard kids' programming runs between 9 am and 12-midnight.

MSC Starship Club's Rob - the first-at-sea humanoid robot bartender

On Virtuosa and Euribia MSC introduced the "MSC Starship Club" (MSC Starliner One Bar) spaceship-themed venue served by the industry's first humanoid robot bartender - named Rob. Working on this project for 6 years (since 2015), MSC partnered with experts from companies specializing in entertainment experiences, digital solutions, robotics, automation, and interior design.

MSC Starship Club provides integrated bar-and-entertainment experiences and its interior is marked by a cold-white ceiling, a digital art wall, 3D holographic projections, a 12-seat digital (touchscreen) table for personalized interactive galactic tours.

Rob mixes and serves cocktails while entertaining the guests by moving his body, head and arms (shaking-stirring-garnishing-pouring drinks) in a natural way. The humanoid barman speaks 8 languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese) and engages with his voice and human-like (LED face) expressions/emotions.

Between making and serving beverages, Rob interacts with the passengers, changes his facial expressions, dances, tells jokes, riddles, cosmic facts and trivia. Orders are placed in vertical digital cockpits. The drinks are served in futuristic, custom-made (MSC branded) souvenir glasses. The humanoid bartender can prepare a total of 16 "cosmic cocktails" (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) plus personalized (made-to-order) drinks using 40+ ingredients.

Itineraries

MSC Euribia itinerary program (as homeports and destinations/regions) was announced on March 31, 2022, when MSC opened Euribia's cruises for sale.

The ship's inaugural season (2023) started with the Maiden Voyage departing roundtrip from homeport Kiel Germany on June 10th. The 7-day Norwegian Fjords itinerary was offered as a roundtrip from two homeports/countries - Denmark (Copenhagen) and Germany (Kiel). The voyage visited Norway's ports (Norwegian Fjords destinations) Hellesylt/Geirangerfjorden/Sunnylvsfjorden, Alesund, Flam/Aurlandsfjord.

The Inaugural Cruise's prices started from EUR 770 (USD 855 / GBP 650) per person with double occupancy.

For 2024, the ship was again deployed in Northern Europe operating mainly 7-day roundtrip itineraries from Kiel and Copenhagen to ports in Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, and the UK. For winter 2024-2025, MSC deployed Euribia in the Red Sea. The program (November-April) was based on 7-day roundtrips from the UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and also from Qatar (Doha).

The vessel (STX France, Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard/hull number V34) has volume 181541 GT-tons, DWT-deadweight tonnage 19610 tons, max draught 9 m. The powerplant is based on 4x Wartisla marine diesel engines (models 2x 12V46DF plus 2x 16V46DF) with combined output 64 MW (85830 hp). The propulsion is based on 2x Azipod thrusters with combined output 40 MW (53640). The registered shipowner is VISTA 5 COMPANIA NAVIERA SA, while the registered manager is MSC CRUISE MANAGEMENT UK LTD.

On February 1, 2016, MSC announced a shipbuilding order for two Meraviglia Plus-class units. With the order, MSC became France's largest private foreign investor - with USD 8,6+ billion in export contracts over a 5-year period.

The newbuilds are with max passenger capacity 6300, and, in comparison to Meraviglia-Class, with 200 more staterooms and 16 m (50 ft) longer. The first two Meraviglia-Plus units were delivered in November 2019 (Grandiosa) and February 2021 (Virtuosa).

On June 28, 2021, officially started the vessel's construction (yard/hull number I34), with the steel-laying ceremony held at Saint Nazaire's Chantiers de l'Atlantique Shipyard (fka STX France). The ceremony was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago (MSC's Executive Chairman) and Laurent Castaing (shipbuilder's General Manager). During the special event, Euribia was announced as the industry's "most environmentally advanced ship to date" being MSC's second newbuild designed to be LNG-powered (by liquified natural gas) - following the WORLD-Class MSC World Europa (2022). LNG is currently the maritime industry's cleanest fuel (available at scale) significantly reducing air pollution, including SOx (99%), soot particles (98%), NOx (85%).

The vessel's keel-laying / coin ceremony was held on December 2, 2021. On the same day at the French shipyard was launched the fleetmate MSC World Europa. Euribia's keel-laying ceremony's godmothers/madrinas were two employees - Valentina Mancini (MSC's Corporate Brand Manager) and Anna Claire Juventin (shipyard's Quality Control Manager).

• Both ceremonies were attended by Pierfrancesco Vago and Laurent Castaing.
• World Europa and Euribia were, respectively, the 15th and 16th boats constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique for MSC.

The Euribia vessel was launched/floated out from drydock on June 20, 2022.

Sea trials (in the Bay of Biscay) were conducted in the period April 19-23, 2023, and successfully completed. During that period were tested all machinery (engines, propulsion, safety systems) as well as the ship's fuel consumption, max speed and emergency/full stop distance.

MSC Euribia was commissioned/delivered to MSC on May 31, 2023. The delivery documents were signed by Pierfrancesco Vago and Laurent Castaing.

MSC Euribia's powerplant includes 4x Wartsila dual-fuel engines (12V and 16V) that generally run on LNG and occasionally on ULSFO (ultra-low-sulfur diesel/MGO-marine diesel oil with sulfur content 0,1%). Euribia is also fitted with shore power plug-in connectivity (for shore-to-ship electrical power supply) which allows the berthed ship to shut off the main engines and receive city-grid electricity (in seaports where this technology is available). Other advanced maritime technologies implemented on this newbuild include wastewater treatment system (compliant with IMO's RESOLUTION MEPC 227/64), ballast water treatment system (preventing pollution with invasive species through water discharges, compliant with IMO's Ballast Water Management Convention), Radiated Underwater Noise Management System (Bureau Veritas-compliant URN (Underwater Radiated Noise Management System), intelligent HVAC system (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning/with automated energy recovery cycles), shipwide use of LED lighting (AI-controlled), automatic DCS (Data Collection System/for remote energy monitoring and real-time data analysis). The hull and engine room are designed to minimize noise and vibrations.

Unlike the MSC MERAVIGLIA Plus class sisterships, Euribia has an exclusive hull artwork design (by Alex Flaemig/Undercover Design) selected via an international online contest (thru TalentHouse.com / 2009-founded, Los Angeles-headquartered art networking website) and featuring the hashtag "#SaveTheSea".

The ship was named after Eurybia (translated wide-force) who was the Greek goddess of mastery of the seas. Eurybia was one of the Titans (Ancient Greece's pre-Olympian gods), the daughter of Pontus and Gaea, the wife of Crius, and the mother of Astraeus, Perses and Pallas. According to Greek mythology, the original 12 Titans were the children of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth/his mother) and included 6 Titans/males (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus) and 6 Titanesses/females (Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys).

In February 2023 MSC announced that Euribia's christening ceremony is scheduled for June 8th, to be held in Port Copenhagen Denmark. The naming event preceded the Maiden Voyage leaving from Germany on June 10th. In May was announced that the ship's godmother would be Sophia Loren (1934-born Italian actress, 88-year-old at the time) while the Master of Ceremony will be Sarah Backhaus Grunewald (1984-born Danish model, actress, TV presenter). The naming ceremony on June 8th also featured live performances, including by Christophe Le Friant (aka Bob Sinclar/1969-born French record producer, DJ, remixer). Euribia became MSC's 19th cruise vessel named by Sophia Loren, the first one being MSC Lirica, in 2003.

Inaugural itineraries (2023)

Next tables show the ship's inaugural cruise. The Maiden Voyage is also currently the only itinerary (7-day "Norwegian Fjords") part of the season's schedule. Prices started from EUR 855 (USD 935) per person with double occupancy.

The itinerary is offered as a roundtrip from both Germany (Kiel) and Denmark (Copenhagen).

Godspeed!

Meraviglia Plus-Class ship technology

New features on Meraviglia-Plus ships include the first at sea fine-art museum (with original artworks), longer (111 m / 36 ft) indoor promenade (Galleria) and larger LED screen (95x6 m / 280x20 ft) for the pool deck's outdoor theater. The extra space in the Galleria allows two additional restaurants. MSC signed an exclusive partnership with Samsung (providing the digital technology) and Cirque du Soleil (providing live shipboard programming).

Meraviglia Plus-class ships are also the fleet's most technologically advanced, implementing the latest marine engine technologies. Their machinery includes hybrid scrubbers (exhaust gas cleaning systems), SCR (selective catalytic reduction system converting NOx into diatomic nitrogen), most efficient waste plant, latest wastewater treatment system, superior recycling capabilities, emission-reducing, and fuel-efficient heat recovery system.

MSC's ZOE

On February 1, 2019, MSC officially revealed the in-cabin digital assistant ZOE. The technology ("cruise industry first") was developed by Harman International (USA-based company, a fully-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics). Harman International has developed digital audio solutions for major corporations (Including Google, Microsoft, Amazon).

ZOE is an artificial intelligence device (voice-enabled, with advanced voice recognition software) available in all passenger staterooms. ZOE speaks 7 languages, answer cruise-related questions, provides info on shipboard services-activities-facilities, makes reservations and bookings.

The digital device features far-field microphones, top-quality speaker, quad-core processor (for fast response times), direct phone connections (through Bluetooth). The system can also upgrade its own database to answer previously unanswerable questions.

Passenger data (including itinerary/tour and shipboard preferences) is stored in the Cloud Storage system and used on the next scheduled voyage.

The device (sized ~15 cm) can be activated whenever passengers choose. A waiver must be signed to agree for their personal data to be stored.

Starting with Bellissima (2019), ZOE is now available on all newbuild MSC liners and introduced fleetwide over 2019-2024.