MSC Cruises to provide more flexibility, options on dining

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 23 March 2017 23 March 2017

MSC Cruises has revealed new dining concepts that will be available first to guests on MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside. Designed to meet the needs of today’s cruise guests, the two ships — the first two of a total of 11 new mega-ships due to come into service starting this year, in June and December, respectively — will introduce highly flexible dining options and a choice of dining packages that can be booked at any time prior to embarkation and while on board. With greater flexibility, MSC Cruises guests can dine as they want, when they want, in an even wider range of specialty restaurants and international dining venues.

“At MSC Cruises, we strive to create memorable vacation experiences for our guests while on board our cruise ships, and internationally inspired dining is a key feature of our offering,” said Andrea Gangale, MSC Cruises’ Head of Product Development and Guest Experience.

“We continue to drive innovation in cruising at many levels, which now also includes our onboard dining experience. The new dining concepts cater to the needs of today’s cruise guests, who are looking for more flexibility and choices,” continued Gangale. “Starting with MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside, guests will be able to manage their choices, through cutting-edge onboard technology, and experience an even greater selection of international restaurants which will deliver culinary experiences from around the world.”

New dining styles on MSC Seaside and MSC Meraviglia

One of the new dining concepts that MSC Cruises is introducing is Flexi Dining. This new dining style allows guests to pre-select a time slot for their evening meal, with the ability to change it at any time during their cruise. This way guests can get the most out of their vacation by easily scheduling their dining around their plans for each day.

The Classic cruise dining experience will still be available, with a choice of two seatings each evening. This traditional dining style is popular with guests who prefer a dedicated table each night so that they can enjoy personalized service from the same waiter who will know their names, dining preferences and how to accommodate them. This way, they can also socialize with the same guests each evening.

In addition, MSC Yacht Club guests will continue to benefit from free-time dining in the dedicated MSC Yacht Club restaurant, with the option of reserving a table in advance.

Casual dining venues are available for all guests 20 hours-a-day, offering a wide range of freshly prepared dishes. The MSC Cruises buffet – already one of the richest at sea -- has been further enhanced with a wide range of different international dishes suited to any taste. MSC Seaside, in particular, will feature two casual dining venues, one of which will be dedicated to families, serving family-friendly options and featuring child-friendly seatings.

More international specialty restaurants

Specialty restaurants are a standout feature on MSC Cruises’ ships, offering guests the opportunity to experience quality cuisines from around the world even while at sea. The cruise line’s new cruise ships launching in 2017 — MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside — will feature restaurants with innovative ‘open kitchens,’ following the trend in restaurant design and creating a sensory experience that allows guests to see, smell and hear expert chefs at work. Selected restaurants on MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seaside will also feature a Chef’s Table, a dining concept designed for those seeking a true gastronomic experience.

Following the success of Kaito Sushi Bar, hailed as “The Best Sushi at Sea,” serving fresh fish, sashimi and tempura, MSC Cruises will introduce the new Kaito Teppanyaki restaurant on board MSC Meraviglia to complement the ship’s Kaito Sushi Bar. With a modern twist on Asian cuisine, guests can sit at the cooking stations and watch authentic Japanese dishes come to life in front of their eyes. Expert chefs will cook with flare on an open grill — a visual spectacle with flames and sizzling ingredients coming together to form flavorful dishes.

Another new restaurant concept — featured on MSC Meraviglia as well as MSC Seaside – will be an authentic American Steakhouse — Butcher’s Cut — celebrating the craft heritage of America blended with the skilful mastery of the butcher. Guests can select their favorite steak from glass-fronted meat aging fridges and then watch the skilled chefs preparing their selections in the open kitchen. The bar will feature a bold wine list with selections from the New World, cocktails inspired by American heritage, and an assortment of craft beers.

A highlight of the dining on MSC Seaside will also be the Asian Market Kitchen by Roy Yamaguchi. The three distinct eateries created by the innovative Japanese-American chef will include: an à la carte restaurant serving gourmet Asian creations in a stylish venue with incredible sea views; a Sushi Bar; and an area with Teppanyaki Grills – each area offering authentic pan-Asian dining experiences at sea.

MSC Seaside will also feature the signature seafood restaurant, Ocean Cay. This stylish restaurant will serve American-style fish dishes with a Mediterranean twist. A simple menu with delicious signature dishes will include locally-sourced Stone Crabs, a delicacy in the homeport of Miami, beautiful fresh Sea Bass, flown in from the Mediterranean, and homemade spaghetti alle vongole (with clams).

More collaborations with renowned chefs

MSC Cruises is committed to partnering with world-class experts in their fields and the dining experience on the new cruise ships is no exception. The collaboration with world-renowned chef Roy Yamaguchi on MSC Seaside extends beyond the creation of the menus. As part of the partnership, Chef Yamaguchi is personally involved in conceptualizing and designing every element of the new pan-Asian restaurant, including creating the recipes and menus, selecting chinaware, choosing music to create the right ambience, and designing wine pairings to complement the food.

A long-standing partnership with two-star Michelin chef Carlo Cracco will now encompass the development of signature dishes for the main restaurant menus on MSC Meraviglia as well as for the Christmas and New Year menus. Also onboard MSC Meraviglia, a partnership with award-winning French chocolatier and pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury will include Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Café, an open chocolate atelier, and Jean-Philippe Crêpes & Gelato, which will serve sweet treats in the ship’s Mediterranean-style promenade.

The chef collaborations extend beyond the new ships as part of MSC Cruises’ focus on international fine dining. For example, MSC Cruises is collaborating with international Chinese chef, Jereme Leung. Globally recognized for his contemporary interpretation of Chinese cuisine, Chef Leung’s modern approach has long caught the attention of top international restaurant critics, and he has brought his contemporary Chinese cuisine to MSC Lirica. In partnership with MSC Cruises, Chef Leung designed new and innovative dining concepts tailored to the tastes of Chinese guests, enhancing existing menus with creative flair and developing new exclusive signature dishes.

New dining packages

To help guests better plan their onboard dining experiences and make the most of their time on board, MSC Cruises is introducing a range of dining packages that can be booked prior to the cruise. For example:

Guests on board MSC Meraviglia will be able to book a Dinner & Show package where they will enjoy an exclusive table d’hôte menu and then experience the breathtaking Cirque du Soleil at Sea performance in the impressive purpose-built Carousel Lounge.

A special dining package is available for the Eataly Chef’s Table on board MSC Meraviglia, which includes a dedicated chef and sommelier for the night, seven gourmet dishes cooked to perfection and all perfectly matched with seven wines.

For guests looking to explore a variety of specialty restaurants, special discounted packages can be pre-booked before the sailing.

Work start in Genoa on the first ship for Virgin Voyages

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 23 March 2017 23 March 2017

The steel cutting ceremony of the first of three new cruise ships that Fincantieri is building for Virgin Voyages (part of Virgin Group of companies) was held today in Sestri Ponente (Genoa).

The ceremony was attended, among others, by Tom McAlpin, President and CEO of Virgin Voyages, and for Fincantieri by Luigi Matarazzo, Senior Vice President New Building Merchant Ships, and Paolo Capobianco, Director of the Sestri shipyard.

Each ship will measure about 110,000 gross tons, be 278 meters long and 38 wide, with delivery scheduled for 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. The ships will feature over 1,400 guest cabins that can host more than 2,700 passengers, accompanied by 1,150 crew members on board to deliver the famed Virgin service.

These ships will stand out for original design and craftsmanship. They will include some highly innovative ideas and design solutions, notably for energy recovery, reducing the overall environmental impact. For example, they will be equipped with an energy production system of approximately 1 MW, which uses the diesel engine’s waste heat. The result is, therefore, a project which distinguishes Virgin Voyages in the worldwide cruise scenery.

Steph Armengol appointed VP of Hotel Operations for Oceania and Regent Seven Seas

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 21 March 2017 21 March 2017

Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises have appointed Steph Armengol to Vice President of the two leading luxury cruise lines. Mr. Armengol, who previously held the position of Senior Director of Hotel Operations for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will continue to report to Franco Semeraro, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“We are very happy to promote Steph to the position of Vice President of Hotel Operations,” said Semeraro. “Steph’s extensive experience in hotel management for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and pivotal role in the successful launch of Seven Seas Explorer will be a great asset to Oceania Cruises’ standing as an unrivaled vacation experience in its own right.”

Armengol has always been a seafaring man. He went to sea to take his first cruise ship position in 1998 and joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2000 (then known as Radisson Seven Seas Cruises) as sommelier aboard Seven Seas Navigator. Amengol rose to through the ranks and was appointed General Manager in 2005 of Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony ship. From Perpignan, France, Armengol enjoys cooking and sharing quality time with friends and family.

Star Cruises to develop cruise infrastructure in the Philippines

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 21 March 2017 21 March 2017

The Philippines officially welcomed Star Cruises on 19 March when SuperStar Virgo arrived in Manila to begin her inaugural homeport deployment in the country.

The occasion was commemorated with a special ceremony at Manila South Harbour, which was attended by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea as the Guest of Honour, representing President Rodrigo Roa Duterte from the Office of the President of the Philippines, together with Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo from the Philippines Department of Tourism.

“It is our honor to call Manila SuperStar Virgo’s new homeport for the next few months. As an important market for Star Cruises and the cruise line brands under Genting Cruise Lines, it is our goal to continue to support the country’s tourism industry here in the Philippines and across the region,” said Hui Lim, Executive Director of the Genting Group. “We are proud of our long history with the Philippines as Star Cruises was the first major cruise line to recruit Filipinos for our vessels 24 years ago and we developed Resorts World Manila in partnership with Alliance Global Group.”

“We congratulate Star Cruises for believing in the Philippines,” said Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo. “Thank you for helping us get closer to our vision as a regional cruise center to serve as homeport and eventually as center for cruise crew training, maintenance services and ship building in the long term.”

As the first international cruise line to homeport in the Philippines with the deployment of SuperStar Virgo in Manila, Genting Cruise Lines continue to strive to create new milestones with a series of ‘First’, including the signing of the Memorandum Of Understanding with local stakeholders to pioneer and advance the cruise terminals and the overall cruise experience in the Philippines.

“As part of Genting Cruise Lines’ on-going and long term commitment, this marks the beginning of a significant joint effort in creating new opportunities and to further develop best-in-class cruise infrastructures and facilities here in the Philippines,” added Hui Lim. “Together with the support of the Philippine government and the various local agencies, we will continue to work closely to accelerate the growth of the cruise tourism in the Philippines and to maximize its full potential."
During the homeport welcome ceremony event in Manila, a series of events were held on board with a special celebrity appearance by Star Cruises Philippines brand ambassadors, reigning Miss International 2016, Kylie Fausto Verzosa and the popular Filipino model, LA Aguinaldo, together with the appearance of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation World Champion Team.

After the ceremony, over 2,000 passengers set sail on board SuperStar Virgo for her debut 6 Day/5 Night cruise itinerary departing from Manila, with stops in Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, Kaohsiung, the largest southern port city in Taiwan, and Hong Kong, a bustling metropolis world famous for shopping, dining, entertainment and nightlife.

In Ilocos Norte, the arrival of SuperStar Virgo on 20 March was greeted by the Guest of Honour, the Honorable Imee R. Marcos, Governor, Province of Ilocos Norte, together with the Honourable Eugenio Angelo Barba, Vice Governor, Province of Ilocos Norte and the Honourable Gladys Go-Cue, Vice Mayor of Currimao, members of Ilocos Norte Sanguniang Panglalawigan, as well as the City and Municipal Mayor of the Province of Ilocos Norte.

SuperStar Virgo’s itinerary is the perfect opportunity for Filipinos to enjoy exciting ports of call during the first-ever “Jewels of the South China Sea”, a new itinerary pioneered by Star Cruises that connects four scenic cities in Asia - Manila, Laoag, Kaohsiung and Hong Kong - across a 6 Day/5 Night cruise.

Even at this early stage, the announcement of the new cruise itinerary and the homeport deployment of SuperStar Virgo in the Philippines have generated a huge amount of interest with nearly all cabins being sold out. This success and support of the travel industry means that SuperStar Virgo will be returning for another season of cruising from Manila in December of this year, calling at ports in the Philippines, as well as other popular Asian destinations such as Kota Kinabalu, Brunei; Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Vietnam; Taiwan;Hong Kong; Okinawa (Japan) and other ports of call.