MSC VIRTUOSA

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

MSC cancelled repositioning voyages due to Red Sea crisis

MSC Cruises has cancelled three repositioning ‘Grand Voyage’ sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe because of the risk to shipping in the Red Sea. Ongoing attacks on merchant vessels in the region has obliged the company to cancel a 24-night cruise of the 'MSC Splendida' from Durban to Genoa, a 21-night sailing of the 'MSC Opera' from Dubai to Genoa and a 23-night voyage of the 'MSC Virtuosa' from Dubai to Southampton, UK. As there was no viable alternative itinerary, the company had to cancel the voyages. The three ships will transfer directly to Europe without any passengers on board and avoid transiting through the Red Sea. Instead, they will sail around the Cape of Good Hope and west coast of Africa with no ports of call on their journeys to their respective European homeports for the summer 2024 season. All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or were in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking, or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee.

Medevac in Hamburg

On April 16, 2023, at 9 p.m. the 'MSC Virtuosa' returned to the Cruise Center Steinwerder in Hamburg short time after its departure due to a medical emergency of a crew member. The patient was disembarked and picked up by an ambulance, which transported him to a hospital. The ship remained in port until April 17 at 3.30 a.m. and left the port wit h a delay of more than six hours en route to Zeebrügge.

MSC VIRTUOSA Naming Ceremony

On November 27, 2021, the MSC VIRTUOSA was christened by film legend Sophia Loren. This time the ceremony took place in Dubai. For Mrs. Sophia Loren it was the 17th christening of an MSC cruise ship, just 9 days after the christening of her 16th ship. This winter, MSC VIRTUOSA has Dubai as her base port, from where she will continue cruises into the Gulf region until March 2022. MSC VIRTUOSA (IMO 9803625) is the second Meraviglia Plus class ship. She was built from 2018 to 2020 on the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint Nazaire. Photo Gallery: https://www.cruisedeck.de/fotogalerie-msc-virtuosa-getauft/