MSC Bellissima is on her way!

MSC Bellissima, the second ship in the Meraviglia class is currently under construction at STX France’s shipyard in St Nazaire – the construction started on 15th November 2017 with the traditional coin ceremony.

Her float out – the first time she met water, happened earlier in July and the details of her Christening ceremony were announced earlier this year – you can read my blog on that here.

The maiden voyage is currently looking like a very attractive deal, so what better time to look at what you can expect from MSC Bellissima!

A MASSIVE LED Dome
A central promenade, the Galeria Bellissima is topped off with a 96 metre long, 480 metre square LED dome, on which scenes from around the world and bespoke presentations will be shown. This two storey high area is the heart of the ship; on Meraviglia we experienced parades, bands playing and great times partying the night away on the prom!
Cirque du Soleil at Sea
MSC have an exclusive partnership with Cirque du Soleil. The world-renowned Canadian theatre company first developed exclusive shows for MSC Meraviglia, and they will also grace MSC Bellissima with their presence with brand new shows just for Bellissima. Two shows a night, 6 nights a week will be offered to passengers, with a small surcharge guests can enjoy a cocktail or a pre-show dinner (we paid £12GBP for show & cocktail on Meraviglia, I seem to recall dinner + show was about £34GBP when booked in advance)
A bit of sparkle
A signature feature of MSC’s ships since the Fantasia class is the stunning Swarovski crystal staircases that adorn the atrium. I seem to recall hearing the steps cost a whopping 5000€ each. That’s some serious sparkle, and of course a great photo opportunity!
Speciality Restaurants
The Meraviglia class ships were a bit of a game-changer for MSC. Previously speciality dining was limited to one or two restaurants per ship. Bellissima will offer Eastern delights from the Teppan Yaki and Sushi restaurants, Italian courtesy of Eataly, steaks from the Butcher’s Cut and good old fashioned Fish and Chips in the pub. If you’re a Black Card holder you can savour the delights of one of these restaurants for free courtesy of the MSC Voyagers Club – we LOVED the teppan yaki on Meraviglia so much we went twice!

Example Teppan Yaki menu – enjoyed it even more as it was free thanks to the loyalty programme!
More bars than you can shake a stick at
MSC ships always offer a huge variety of bars, and Bellissima will be no exception to this! From the luxurious Laurent Perrier Champagne bar which also serves a selection of fresh seafood, to the more sedate adults only Sky Lounge on Deck 18 offering amazing views, MSC Bellissima has something for everyone, and what’s more is the great value all inclusive drinks packages put you in complete control of your spending!
The MSC Yacht Club
MSC were somewhat of a game changer when they introduced the Yacht Club on MSC Fantasia 10 years ago. The ship within a ship experience offers the ultimate in luxury – superior cabins at the front of the ship afford guests an exclusive experience with the abundant facilities of a modern mega ship. In the Yacht Club you’ll have a private restaurant, lounge and sun deck, an enhanced menu in the dining room to offer gourmet delights but with the familiar theme of the great Italian food MSC are known for.You will also have the service of a butler, who can help with your every need such as unpacking, making reservations, escorting you on and off the ship in port and even bringing drinks to your cabin,

If you book a Yacht Club experience you will also be able to enjoy the Premium All Inclusive drinks package right across the ship, meaning you can enjoy premium cocktails on Deck 6 with the Infinity Atrium or have a glass of Laurent Perrier at the Champagne Bar on Deck 7 you can! Bear in mind a drinks package also saves you the 15% service charge on included drinks and it’s a steal!

Meraviglia, Seaside, Seaview and Bellissima (plus the ships yet to come!) all offer inside cabins in the Yacht Club, meaning you can get this product at a brilliant price. What’s not to love about luxury?

Afternoon Tea in the Yacht Club (MSC Fantasia)
Amazing service
On every MSC cruise we’ve taken, we have always found the service sublime. We’ve made friends with a number of crew, and have met some of them several times – a genuine smile and friendly conversation are always available when cruising with MSC. The special moments of a cruise are what make memories, and we have so many wonderful memories of our 120+ days at sea with MSC so far in just 4 years. That’s how good the service is, we keep coming back for more!
#MSCUSOON