Save up to £600 in MSC Cruises turn of year sale

MSC Cruises are offering customers the chance to save up to £600 per cabin in its turn-of-year sales campaign which started this week. The offer is applicable on selected summer sailings around the Mediterranean in 2015 and on selected winter 2015/2016 itineraries.

MSC Preziosa sailing in the Mediterranean

MSC Cruises are known for offering family-friendly cruises that represent exceptional value for money, particularly on fly-cruises. Whilst many sailings are available as cruise-only offers, some allow you to bundle in flights and transfers. These fly-cruises take the hassle out of finding suitable flights and separate transfers between the airport and port. You just pay one price and MSC Cruises sort out all the paperwork.

Furthermore, unlike some other cruise lines who use budget carriers for their fly-cruise offers , MSC Cruises offer return flights from London Gatwick airport flying with British Airways. If you live too far away from Gatwick then MSC Cruises is offering the option of regional flights to Gatwick plus overnight airport hotel stay, or the chance to add car parking and a one-night hotel stay via a new partnership with A2B Transfers. Additional fees apply, and this service is subject to availability.

Discounts apply to selected summer 2015 fly-cruises on six ships. Choose MSC Magnifica and MSC Musica for Eastern Mediterranean itineraries or MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, MSC Fantasia and MSC Armonia for Western Mediterranean itineraries. All applicable cruises depart from either the romantic city of Venice or the historic port of Genoa.

Summer sale rates start from just £549 per person based on a seven-night MSC Fantasia sailing in April 2015. This offers a discount of £300 per person from the brochure prices. If you would prefer a cabin with a view then upgrades to balcony cabins are available on all seven-night sailings for just £200 per person. Cabin availability and cruise fares are subject to availability.

Promotional fares are also available for a wide range of winter 2015/2016 itineraries sailing in the Mediterranean, The Canary Islands, the Emirates and the Caribbean.

Giles Hawke, executive director UK & Ireland for MSC Cruises, said: “These great offers are sure to be really popular so holidaymakers should get in quickly to ensure they get the sailing and cabin they want."

(Photo credit to  MSC Crociere)

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MSC Cruises and LEGO build the fun at sea

                               

MSC Cruises and the LEGO Group have joined forces to create the first-ever LEGO-themed playrooms at sea. The new play areas will debut aboard MSC Armonia, which is currently being lengthened and refitted as part of the cruise line’s £160 million Renaissance Programme.

Further – and larger – LEGO play areas will be included in two vessels (different classes) now being built for MSC Cruises by Fincantieri and STX France, both scheduled for delivery in 2017.  All three ships featured in the LEGO tie-up will have two kids’ clubs – the Mini Club (3-6 years) and Junior Club (7-11 years) - fitted out in the much-loved building brick style.

Guests will get their first chance to see the LEGO play areas when MSC Armonia returns to service on November 19 with an inaugural cruise from Genoa  to the Canary Islands. This winter the ship will operate two alternating seven-night itineraries from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (Canaries and Madeira & Canaries and Morocco).

Full details of all LEGO-related activity on board MSC Armonia will be included in the event programme delivered to guests each day.

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Adventure Cruising blog

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MSC Cruises to relaunch the ‘stretched’ MSC Armonia

MSCCruises will relaunch the ‘stretched’ MSC Armonia with a 10-day repositioning cruise.

The ship is currently undergoing a £40 million refit at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily – the first of the cruise line’s four Lirica-class vessels (along with MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica) being lengthened and refitted over the next 14 months.

MSC Armonia’s comeback cruise will depart from Genoa, Italy, on 19 November, heading to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Over 10 days she will call at Marseille, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Funchal, Santa Cruz de La Palma and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The sailing includes a programme of in-port entertainment, which will include dancers and musicians, gifts for guests and fireworks displays in Marseille and Tenerife. To continue the celebratory theme, MSC Armonia will also host a gala dinner, along with theatre performances.

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Winter offers from MSC Cruises

                      

Experience the Canary Islands this winter.  MSC Armonia (Above) departs Las Palmas, Gran Canaria on a seven-night sailing calling at Puerto Del Rosario, Fuerteventura; Funchal, Madeira; Santa Cruz, La Palma; Santa Cruz, Tenerife and Las Palmas. Prices for an outside cabin (free upgrade from inside) start at just £549 per person, including return British Airways flights to Gran Canaria from Gatwick and all transfers.

MSC Orchestra heads to Dubai for the first time this winter on a seven-night cruise of the UAE. Departing  3 January 2015, the sailing calls at Abu Dhabi; Khor Al Fakkan, Sharjah; Muscat, Oman; Khasab, Oman; and Dubai. Prices start at £899 per person, including return flights from London, Manchester or Glasgow and ‘Fantastica’ onboard experience (i.e. priority dining, free room service and breakfast in cabin).

Remember, kids cruise free with MSC Cruises (paying only flights and port taxes).

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Cruise ship sliced in two at start of £160 million Renaissance Project for MSC

Clean cut: MSC Armonia is sliced in two

Work has started on MSC Cruises’ €200 million (£160 million) project to stretch four of the line’s ships. The first, MSC Armonia, was cut in two in a dry dock in Palermo, Sicily, today; over the next few weeks a pre-fabricated 24 metre mid-section will be welded in place, adding extra cabins, public rooms, and crew space.

The Renaissance Project will then repeat the procedure on sister ships MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, and MSC Lirica, all built between 2003 and 2005.  They are each 251 metres long, measuring 60,000 gross tons, and carrying 2,199 passengers.

After the lengthening, they will be 275 metres long, 65,000 gross tons, and with an extra 193 cabins, a total passenger capacity of 2,679.  The work involves each ship being cut in two just forward of the funnel, and then separated to make way for the new section.

Lift and separate: The two sections of the ship are slowly dragged apart

The modifications include installation of passenger cabins in place of a public lounge on Deck 7; installation of balconies for cabins on Deck 9; new lounge, library and teen club on Deck 6; children’s clubs and improvements to the buffet on Deck 11; and a refit of the pool area with a children’s water park on Deck 12.

Each ship will take approximately nine weeks to lengthen and refit. The new-look Armonia is scheduled to leave the dockyard on November 17. Work will start on Sinfonia in January, Opera in May and Lirica in August.

Ready to roll: the new 24-metre mid section 

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MSC’s Canaries Winter Warmer

We are very aware how miserable the UK's weather has been recently, hence when we see news of a great deal on a winter sunshine cruise, we are very keen to pass it on!

And MSC Cruises might have just the idea this winter, with the choice of two well-priced cruise itineraries from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on board MSC Armonia  with the opportunity to relax from the word go and explore the various ports of call by pre-booking MSC's shore excursions.

With calls in Santa Cruz de La Palma, San Sebastian, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and an overnight stay in Funchal, Armonia's first itinerary from Las Palmas is a perfect way to explore the breath-taking landscapes of the Canary and Madeira Islands. Her second itinerary not only takes in all of the natural beauty of the Canary Islands, but also visits two much-loved destinations in magical Morocco, with a full day in Casablanca plus a call in Agadir.

Cruise prices start from just £549 per person, including flights, for a seven-night cruise departing from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, via Funchal, on January 30. A seven-night cruise via Casablanca and Agadir starts from £599 per person, including flights, from February 21. Flights are available from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. Excursions start from £28 for adults and are designed to make each cruise an even more exciting and memorable experience.

More info: call 0844 561 1955 or visit www.msccruises.co.uk.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this month ONLY - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

 

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MSC Introduces The Canary Islands

As the British winter slowly settles in, why not escape to sunnier climes with MSC Cruises? The Mediterranean cruise line is now offering the choice between two itineraries in the Canary Islands departing from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the largest island in the archipelago, from just £449pp for a seven-night cruise, including flights. And now is the time to book to benefit from this incredible offer - and ensure some vital vitamin D!

With calls in Las Palmas, San Sebastian, Funchal and Santa Cruz de Palma, MSC Armonia's (above) first itinerary explores the best of the Canaries, including great shopping and beach opportunities as well as blissful encounters with nature at its best. Highlights include the National Park Caldera de Taburiente in La Palma, home of one of the biggest craters in the world, and Las Cañadas, the famous circular mountain range in Tenerife.

In addition to ports of call in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Palma and Lanzarote, Armonia’s second itinerary also includes stopovers in two of Morocco’s iconic cities, Casablanca and Agadir, where guests will be able to visit sacred mosques and magical souks but also take the chance to travel further afield to the vibrant city of Marrakech. In Agadir, Morocco's surfers' paradise, pleasure seekers can relax on the beach whilst the more adventurous can venture off into the region's stunning surroundings, the majestic Anti-Atlas mountains and awe-inspiring Sahara desert.

The two itineraries can also be easily combined to offer guests an exceptional 14-night voyage.

More info: visit www.msccruises.co.uk or call 0844 561 1955. 

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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More Cruise Week Goodies From MSC!

To celebrate National Cruise Week (Sept 21-29), MSC Cruises is offering free drink packages for any 2013/14 bookings made during that period. The promotion applies to any ship in the MSC fleet.

The drink packages offered depends on the cabin booked. Guests booked in a suite cabin, for example, will receive a free ‘Allegrissmo All Inclusive’ package per person; for a balcony cabin, they will receive a free ‘Cheers’ package per person and guests booked in an outside or inside cabin will receive a free ‘Allegro’ drink package.

Representing a great deal, drink packages have been designed to help take the headache out of holiday budgeting.

To take advantage of the offer, bookings must be made between 21 and 29 September on any MSC ship. An example is a 7-night cruise on MSC Armonia departing on January 10 from Santa Cruz de Tenerife and calling at Las Palmas, San Sebastian de la Gomera, Funchal and Santa Cruz de La Palma before arriving back at Tenerife. Prices start from £639 per person cruise and flights from London, Manchester or Glasgow, plus a free drink package depending on the cabin booked.

Inside and outside cabins – ‘Allegro’ drink package per cabin (usually £60)

Four bottles of unlisted wines selected by the MSC sommelier (one white, two red and one rosé), and seven bottles of mineral water. Drinks included in this package can be consumed in the main restaurant, self-service buffet and in bars. The unfinished bottles of wine ordered at your dining table in main restaurant will be carefully conserved and served the next day, while for those ordered at self-service buffet or at the bar the custody cannot be provided.

Balcony cabins – ‘Cheers’ package per person (usually from £91-£98pp)

Unlimited consumption of a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including bottled wine (possible selection between two white, two red and one rosé house brands), mineral water, draft beer and soft drinks during lunch and dinner. Treatment is valid in the main onboard restaurants and self-service buffet. Not valid in à la carte restaurants.

Suite cabins – ‘Allegrissimo All Inclusive’ (24h) per person (usually £126-£140pp)

Unlimited consumption of a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including wine by the glass (white, red, rosé and sparkling chosen from the “Allegrissimo Selection”), draught beer, soft drinks, mineral water, hot drinks and a wide selection of drinks and cocktails from the bar list, as well as take-away ice-cream in a cone or cup. The drinks included in package can be consumed in all bars and restaurants, including the à la carte restaurants and themed venues.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists.

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MSC's Canary Island Delights

This winter, MSC Cruises' smart mid-sized cruiser MSC Armonia will be based in the Canary Islands, offering guests two exciting new itineraries departing from Tenerife. With a series of seven-night cruises from only £639 per person, including return flights from London Gatwick, Manchester or Glasgow, there has never been a better time to get away for some winter sun. 

From November 8 until March 21, Armonia will be calling in Santa Cruz Tenerife, Las Palmas, San Sebastián de la Gomera, Funchal, Santa Cruz de La Palma and back to Tenerife, while the second itinerary features Tenerife, Las Palmas, Agadir, Casablanca and Arrecife de Lanzarote.

The two itineraries will provide the opportunity to discover the best of the Canary Isles, encompassing a blend of shopping, beaches and tourist towns, all surrounded by striking natural scenery. Highlights include visits to the National Park Caldera de Taburiente from La Palma, where guests are able to explore one of the biggest craters in the world, and the circular Las Cañadas mountain range in Tenerife.

With calls in Casablanca and Agadir, Armonia will also take in two of the most popular destinations in mystical Morocco as well as the scenic highlights of the Canaries. 

Visiting sacred mosques and magical bazaars, or simply being 'on location' in iconic Casablanca offers guests a rare experience, as well as the chance to travel further afield to the vibrant city of Marrakech. Another highlight of this itinerary is Agadir, Morocco's surfer’s paradise, where sun seekers can relax on the beach and the more adventurous can embark on an exploration of the region's rugged surroundings, the majestic Anti-Atlas mountains and the awe-inspiring Sahara desert.

A seven- night starts from just £639 per person, departing Decembe 13 or January 10, including return flights from London Gatwick, Manchester or Glasgow. The two itineraries can also be combined to offer a unique 14-night voyage.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's cruise-agent experts.

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Enjoy A Red Sea Winter With MSC

Escape to warmer climes this winter, and embark on a seven-night cruise to the Red Sea with MSC Cruises from just £689 per person – including return flights. On board MSC Armonia, guests will be able to explore the rich history and culture of this ancient region. Be it cultural enlightenment, relaxation or adventure, all shore excursions are tailored to encourage guests to discover this beautiful region at their own pace and according to their taste.

From November 10 to March 16, the ship has a full schedule of 19 cruises, departing every Sunday from Sharm El Sheikh, with scheduled stops in Sokhna and Safaga (Egypt), Aqaba (Jordan) and Eilat (Israel).

Itinerary highlights include tours of the Dead Sea incorporating a clay bath; visits to Bedouin settlements; trips to southern Jordan’s timeless and stunning Wadi Rum valley (above) and drive and fly-tours through the wildly beautiful landscape of the Negev desert.

MSC Armonia features 777 beautifully appointed cabins. Its luxurious facilities include four restaurants - offering excellent Mediterranean and international cuisine - several bars and lounges, the incredible MSC Aurea Spa, a mini-golf course, numerous boutiques, casino, theatre, nightclub and children’s club.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's cruise-agent specialists.

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Discover Eastern Med With MSC

Dive into the soul of Eastern Mediterranean civilisation and embark on an historical journey onboard MSC Armonia – from £599pp incl. flights

This summer, MSC Cruises' MSC Armonia will be sailing through the heart of the Mediterranean, uncovering historical and architectural treasures from Italy, Greece and Croatia, the birth place of western civilisation, and following in the footsteps of the great philosophers and builders of empire. Even better, this seven-night cruise starts from just £599 per person, including flights from London.

Between June 7 and November 1, Armonia set off from Venice on this eastern Med odyssey, calling in Ancona (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Corfu, Gythion and Kefalonia (Greece) and Kotor in Montenegro.

In addition to the many historical and cultural day trips on offer, MSC has also launched a new shore excursion to the beautiful small town of Medjugorje, the site of numerous Christian pilgrimages since 1981 when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to six local Catholics. This is possible thanks to an extra-long call in Dubrovnik each Sunday, with Medjugorje situated in the Herzegovina region near the Croatian border.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's cruise-agent specialists.

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