MSC Cruises today confirmed that MSC Virtuosa will truly become the flagship of their fleet for the UK by offering sailings out of Southampton in the UK for winter 2022/23 and summer 2023.
This will be the first time MSC has continuously operated one of its vessels from the UK year-round. MSC Virtuosa launched in 2021 and became the first ship to restart UK cruises in May of that year. The ship returned to the UK in April this year and will continue to operate out of Southampton through to the end of the summer 2023 season.
Antonio Paradiso, Managing Director โ UK and Ireland, MSC Cruises, said, โSince MSC Virtuosa first came to the UK, the feedback from our guests has been incredible, and the ships have been a huge hit. The increased appetite for stress-free no-fly cruises out of the UK and the benefits of the new state-of-the-art Horizon Terminal has resulted in huge demand. The continued deployment of one of our newest and most innovative ships out of the UK is just further proof of the continued importance of the UK market, which began with our first full ex-UK season back in 2018. Since then, we have gone from strength to strength and we are committed to offering the best possible experience for our guests from the UK and Ireland.โ
MSC Virtuosa will now replace MSC Preziosaโs itineraries this winter, offering the newly introduced โNorthern Pearlsโ itinerary from Southampton to Hamburg for Berlin in Germany; Zeebrugge for Bruges and Brussels in Belgium; Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Le Havre for Paris in France. Itineraries will offer a variety of choices with cruises ranging from three-night breaks to three-week trips for those looking for a more extended holiday at sea.
In summer 2023, MSC Virtuosa will replace MSC Grandiosa offering an appealing range of itineraries from mini cruises and 7-night sailings to longer cruises.
Further details of the entire programme will be released soon.