For the first time industry-wide, two cruise ships operated by a major cruise line sat in the same port in Genoa, Italy on Thursday, January 5, waiting to embark on world cruises.
MSC Poesia and MSC Magnifica departed together on their respective 117-day and 119-day voyages, visited Marseille, France and arrived in Barcelona, Spain together this morning.
After nearly 600 Spanish guests boarded both ships, 4,200 guests from 54 countries set off to sail the world. MSC Poesia will call on 53 ports in 13 countries, while MSC Magnifica will call on 43 destinations in 24 countries.
It is unprecedented to have two ships embarking on world cruises at the same time, but MSC had to cancel MSC Poesia’s world cruise in 2022 due to pandemic related limitations. Since the 2023 world cruise aboard the same ship was sold out, MSC made the decision to add a second world cruise at the same time. MSC Magnifica is sailing the same itinerary MSC Poesia was to sail in 2022.
The passengers aboard both ships will be treated to special menus from award winning chefs. The chefs are joining the cruises at various times to offer menus from their respective cuisine around the world.
Brazilian Chef and Restaurateur Allan Vila Espejo will visit both ships and prepare Brazilian dishes like authentic Manioc soup and Bahia-style fish stew with sweet peppers and coconut milk.
MSC Magnifica will also welcome Peruvian Ched James Berckemeyer who will tickle taste buds with a Peruvian menu that includes Peruvian veal cheek and local caramel pudding ‘Suspiro de Lucuma.’
MSC Poesia is welcoming two additional chefs. Internationally-renowned Japanese-American Chef Roy Yamaguchi will serve a menu that includes grilled teriyaki pork chop with Hawaiian chimichurri. Niklas Ekstedt, Michelin-starred Swedish chef, TV personality, and author, will serve dishes focused on natural ingredients and his farm-to-ocean culture.
Guests will also have the pleasure to greet each chef in the ship’s main restaurants.
Both ships will also have special programs featuring ice carving, champagne tasting, guest lectures, more than 30 production shows, entertainers, dance classes, and the list goes on.
In 2024, MSC Poesia will have a new world cruise itinerary that includes South Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada, Greenland and Iceland.