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MSC Cruises

Mediterranean-flavoured family cruising at modern-resort scale

A 25-ship Italian-heritage fleet sailing year-round from the UK, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and beyond. World-class entertainment, family-friendly programmes, and the MSC Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship for guests who want luxury alongside the buzz.

25
Ships in the fleet
100+
Countries visited
300+
Destinations
#3
Largest cruise brand worldwide
6-tier
Voyagers Club loyalty
15
Ships with the Yacht Club
Itineraries

Find a MSC Cruises voyage

Real itineraries, real prices — sourced live. Use the filter inside the widget for dates and length.

Why book MSC Cruises

Why a MSC Cruises voyage?

Six reasons we recommend this line to the right kind of traveller.

The Mediterranean, by Mediterraneans

Italian heritage runs through every ship — multilingual crew, food and entertainment that nod to MSC's European roots even on Caribbean and Alaska sailings.

Family cruising, properly organised

Free kids' clubs from infants to teens, a Chicco partnership for baby gear (cots, highchairs, strollers), family-sized cabins and a children's menu created for kids' palates and dietary needs.

MSC Yacht Club — a ship within a ship

Available on 15 ships: butler service, the private Top Sail Lounge, dedicated pool deck, all-inclusive premium drinks, room service and minibar. The closest thing to ultra-luxury cruising on a mainstream big ship.

Year-round UK departures

Southampton sailings to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Norwegian Fjords and beyond — plus seasonal options from Newcastle and Liverpool. Easy to plan no-fly cruise holidays from the UK.

Ocean Cay and exclusive private islands

MSC's own Bahamas private island plus Sir Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi) and Pomene (Mozambique). Genuine MSC-only destinations, not shared with the rest of the cruise market.

Smart-ship technology, included

The MSC for Me app handles dining bookings, excursion planning, navigation, in-cabin TV controls, and a wristband (age 12+) that unlocks your cabin and pays around the ship. No extra charge.

The honest version

Might not be for you if…

No cruise line is for everyone. Here's where MSC Cruises might not fit. We'll point you elsewhere if so.

You want a small, ultra-quiet ship

MSC ships carry 2,500–7,000 passengers. If you prefer 200-passenger small-ship cruising, look at Oceania, Viking Ocean or Windstar.

You want zero dress code

Daytime is casual but evenings move to smart casual in main dining, and one Gala Night per voyage encourages tuxedos, suits and cocktail dresses. If you want flip-flops to dinner every night, Virgin Voyages or Marella is a better fit.

You want all-inclusive across every fare

Standard MSC fares charge separately for drinks, Wi-Fi and some experiences. The MSC Yacht Club fare is genuinely all-inclusive — on regular fares, a drinks package is essential to budget for. Service charges, however, are always included.

You prefer American-style mainstream cruising

MSC's culture is European-led — even on US-departing sailings. Some travellers used to Royal Caribbean or NCL find the dining, entertainment and ship culture distinctly different.

The fleet

Meet the MSC Cruises ships

Showing MSC World Europa by default — use the search inside the panel to switch to other ships in the fleet.

Dining

Mediterranean roots, Asian, steakhouse and beyond

Multiple complimentary dining venues plus a roster of speciality restaurants. Dining packages are bookable pre-cruise at up to 20% off onboard prices, and gratuities are included in the package price.

Top Sail Lounge
MSC Yacht Club private members lounge — premium drinks, afternoon tea, light bites all included for Yacht Club guests.
Yacht Club Restaurant
Private à-la-carte dining for Yacht Club suite guests, my-time dining with sommeliers and Maître D table-side.
Butcher's Cut
American-style steakhouse — fleet-wide speciality restaurant with dry-aged beef and table-side prep.
Kaito Sushi
Japanese sushi and sashimi counter on most ships, à-la-carte plus omakase.
Hola! Tacos & Cantina
Mexican-themed speciality with Carlos Rivera's recipes — tacos, ceviche, mezcal flights.
Ocean Cay Restaurant
Seafood-led speciality on newer Seaside, Seascape and World-class ships.
Main Restaurant
Multi-course dining included on every fare, with My Choice flexibility on most ships.
Marketplace Buffet
Wide-ranging market-style buffet morning to late, included on all fares.
On board

What you actually do all day

Carousel Productions At Sea

MSC-original theatre productions blending acrobatics, dance and live music. Multiple shows per voyage at no charge — designed exclusively for MSC ships.

MSC for Me — included tech

In-cabin smart TV, app-based dining and excursion booking, a wearable wristband (age 12+) that unlocks your cabin and handles purchases, plus Zoe the in-cabin virtual assistant — all at no extra cost.

MSC Aurea Spa

Balinese-inspired spa with sauna, hammam, salt rooms and beauty treatments. Thermal-area day passes available; Yacht Club guests get complimentary access on Gold tier and above.

Activities for everyone

Casino, 4D Cinema, F1 Simulator, bowling, water-slide parks and ropes courses (varies by ship). Kids' Clubs run from infants to teens, all included. The Starship Club with Rob the robot bartender is exclusive to MSC Virtuosa.

No surprises

What's included in your fare

Every MSC Cruises fare bakes these in.

Service charges

Gratuities included in the cruise fare — not added daily

Main dining

Multi-course dining in the included restaurants every evening

Kids' clubs

All ages from infants to teens, supervised, no charge

Theatre & shows

Carousel Productions and resident performances every voyage

Pools & hot tubs

Indoor and outdoor on every ship, plus thermal areas

Ocean Cay access

MSC private island access on relevant Caribbean itineraries

Practical

Good to know

Minimum age
Infants from 6 months on most cruises; voyages of 11 nights or longer require minimum 2 years old at embarkation.
Drinking age
18 internationally; 21 on US-departing or US-port itineraries.
Voyage length
3-night weekenders to 24-night transatlantic and longer World Cruise sectors. Most are 7–14 nights.
Dress code
Casual by day. Smart casual most evenings (collared shirts, dresses). One Gala Night per voyage encourages tuxedo, suit, cocktail dress or evening gown.
Gratuities
Service charges INCLUDED in the cruise fare. No separate per-day gratuity is added — unusual for the cruise industry.
Drink packages
Easy and Premium Plus packages available. Yacht Club fare includes premium drinks fleet-wide. UK-departing voyages often include a complimentary package promotion.
Wi-Fi
Per-cruise Wi-Fi packages with optional streaming upgrade. Yacht Club fare includes premium Wi-Fi unlimited.
Currency on board
Euros on most European itineraries; US dollars on Caribbean, North America and Alaska sailings. Check your cruise documents.
FAQ

Quick answers about MSC Cruises

What's the MSC Yacht Club?
A ship-within-a-ship suite class on 15 MSC ships: private restaurant (Yacht Club Restaurant), the Top Sail Lounge, a private sundeck and pool deck, butler service, all-inclusive premium drinks and Wi-Fi, room service and minibar. The closest thing to ultra-luxury cruising on a mainstream big ship.
Are gratuities included?
Yes — service charges are included in the MSC cruise fare. No separate daily per-guest gratuity is added during your voyage. Tipping individual staff is not recommended either.
What's Ocean Cay?
MSC's private Bahamas island, an MSC-only stop on most Caribbean itineraries. Eight beaches, food and drinks venues, included on most Caribbean fares. Open dawn-to-dusk on call days, with the lighthouse music spectacular some evenings.
Does MSC sail from the UK?
Yes — year-round from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Norwegian Fjords, Atlantic Islands and beyond. Limited seasonal sailings also depart from Newcastle and Liverpool. Most UK-departing cruises are 7–14 nights.
Are MSC ships good for families?
Yes — kids' clubs run from infants to teens, supervised by dedicated youth staff, and the activities are free. Family-sized cabins are widely available, and the Chicco partnership provides cots, highchairs, bottle warmers and strollers. MSC ID wristbands handle child security.
What's the dress code?
Casual by day. Most evenings are smart casual in main dining and speciality restaurants. There is one Gala Night per voyage where tuxedo, suit and tie, cocktail dress or evening gown is encouraged but not strictly required. Buffets stay casual all evening.
Do I need a passport?
Yes — passport with at least six months validity beyond your voyage end date is the safest choice for any sailing. Some closed-loop US-departing Caribbean voyages accept alternative ID for US citizens, but a passport is always the safest option.
What's the MSC Voyagers Club?
MSC's six-tier loyalty programme: Welcome, Classic, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Blue Diamond. Tier-match from any other cruise line or hotel chain is available before your first MSC sailing — bring proof of status when booking.
Loyalty

MSC Voyagers Club

Six-tier programme. Status-match available from any other cruise line or hotel chain — claim your tier before your first MSC sailing.

Welcome
0 points
Members-only e-newsletter, online private area, luggage tag, 10% off spa
Classic
1–2,199 points
5% cruise discount, additional 5% for early bookings, photo and digital discounts
Silver
2,200–4,299 points
All Classic perks plus €/$50 onboard credit when booked 12+ months ahead, priority dining seating, complimentary birthday cake
Gold
4,300–9,999 points
Complimentary thermal area session, courtesy bathrobe and slippers, free F1 Simulator, theatre early access, priority disembarkation
Diamond
10,000–24,999 points
All Gold privileges plus members' dinner, additional onboard credit, complimentary speciality coffee, premium Wi-Fi
Blue Diamond
25,000+ points
Top tier — all previous perks combined plus members' programme upgrades and the highest priority across the ship

Ready to sail with MSC Cruises?

A Travel Designer who knows MSC Cruises will pick the right ship, the right itinerary, and the right cabin tier for you. No call centres.