Launched in June 2023 as the second of MSC’s LNG-powered ships, MSC Euribia has already made history as the first cruise ship to sail a zero emissions cruise, and she’s homeporting in Dubai for the 2024/25 Middle East cruise season.
MSC Euribia
MSC Euribia carries 6,334 passengers, offers 10 dining venues, 21 bars and lounges (many of them located along the indoor Promenade, the longest domed LED promenade at sea), five pools, a waterpark, shopping mall, casino, theatre, Sportsplex and more.
The third of MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia-Plus class ships, she’s a sister ship to MSC Virtuosa that homeported in the Arabian Gulf during the 2021/22 cruise season, and although she looks very similar in terms of shape and size, MSC have set her apart with a radical new livery scheme.
MSC’s first-ever hull art, channelling Norwegian Cruise Line, features Alex Flamig’s work called “Save the Sea” showing whales, turtles and other assorted marine creatures in vibrant blues and greens. The livery reflects MSC’s claim that this is the most environmentally-friendly ship afloat.
MSC Euribia Lobby Atrium
From the moment you board via the main lobby, MSC Euribia is instantly recognizable to anyone who has cruised aboard MSC Virtuosa. The indoor promenade Galleria Euribia is lined with shops, bars and restaurants with a 305-foot LED screen running its length.
The ceiling displays ever-changing images and light shows throughout the day and night, as well as the national flags of countries visited during each port call.
Galleria Euribia
Other commonalities with MSC Virtuosa include the Aurea Spa, a Broadway-style theater, a huge LEGO-themed kids’ club, a pool deck with five pools, a ropes course and a games area complete with a bowling alley and 4D cinema.
MSC Euribia also has the cruise lines exclusive ship-within-a-ship MSC Yacht Club enclave, featuring its own suites, pool deck, lounge and dining room. So she’s pretty similar to her sister ship, but also comes with a number of new dining, drinking and entertainment concepts.
New Dining and Drinking Venues
Two major changes aboard MSC Euribia are the replacement of the very popular Butcher’s Cut steakhouse with the French-style steakhouse Le Grill, as well as a new restaurant concept called Robotyaki above Kaito Teppanyaki. In both, chefs cook dinner directly in front of guests, making the meal prep part of the show.
One of most controversial changes aboard MSC Euribia will be the removal of the Starship Bar, where passengers were served by a humanoid robot barman. Instead, there is a hi-tech wine bar, Helios in this space, with touch-screen tables that teach you all about the wine’s provenance, grape varietal and history.
Other Dining and Drinking Venues
MSC Euribia has five main dining rooms and three specialty dining venues (in addition to Kaito Teppanyaki and Sushi, there’s also the French-style L’Atelier Bistro with a new Julian Opie installation, and Hola! Tacos, the popular Mexican eaterie). All three are located on the main Galleria.
Hola! Tacos
Also here on the indoor Promenade is Jean-Philippe Maury’s chocolate café and gelato shop, a popular feature on every Meraviglia-class ship, while further aft in the main atrium is the chic Champagne Bar, with the more laidback English-style pub on the second level of the Galleria.
The Euribia Bar sits just outside the main theater, where there is always dancing and music taking place; and the more sedate Sky Lounge is located high up on Deck 18, for a cocktail and piano music.
Carousel Lounge
New Entertainment Concepts
MSC Euribia’s Carousel Lounge all the way aft has been reimagined for a Big Band at Sea dance venue. A large dance floor dominates the room, with tiered seating along one side and opposite a series of podiums with different members of the 15-member band. Every night features a different genre of music, and the party goes on late into the night.
Bumper cars
MSC Euribia Kids Clubs
MSC Euribia’s LEGO-themed Kids’ Club is above the Entertainment Complex and has seven rooms dedicated to children and teenagers of different age groups with a wide variety of more than 100 hours of live entertainment per cruise.
The ship also has extra space for teenagers and nine live original family game shows per cruise, as well as the first MSC Foundation Youth Centre with activities based on a sustainable future.
In the Entertainment Complex below there’s a 4D Cinema and bowling lanes, as well as an F1 race stimulator and a VR experience. There is also an arcade room nearby and a basketball court.
MSC Euribia’s Cabins Include Duplex Suites
MSC Euribia claims to have the highest ratio of sea-view balcony cabins of any cruise ship. Her 2,419 cabins come in 23 categories, but they’re largely comprised of Inside, Outside (Sea View); Balcony and Suites.
Euribia Duplex Suite
The suites are all in the MSC Yacht Club, and there are many suite variations including the Royal Suite, Duplex Suite and even an Inside Suite, which comes with all the perks of the Yacht Club, but at an affordable price.
All cabin categories have two twin beds which convert into one; a desk, a stool, USB ports beside the bed and above the desk; wardrobes, interactive TV, a safe and a mini-bar. Most cabins are also shower-only, but the more deluxe categories and suites include tubs. The top suites have whirlpools on the balconies.
Euribia Balcony Cabin
Aurea spa cabins and suites give passengers access to the Aurea Thermal Suite and a number of other perks including access to the Top Exclusive Solarium, the thermal area (adults only), and a range of well-being amenities in the cabin.
MSC Euribia is the Most Eco-Friendly Ship in the Fleet
MSC Cruises has equipped MSC Euribia with arguably the greenest technology at sea as part of its mission to be carbon neutral by 2050. The ship is LNG-fuelled, which reduces greenhouse emissions by up to 21 percent compared with standard fuels and is also designed to be retrofit for bio and synthetic fuels as they become available at scale.
The ship is also equipped with a next-generation advanced wastewater treatment system as well as an underwater radiated noise management system to minimize the effect of vibrations on marine life.
Euribia Main Pool
MSC Euribia Middle East Itineraries
MSC Euribia will homeport in Dubai between November, 2024 and March, 2025, offering weeklong cruises visiting Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island in the UAE, Doha in Qatar, and Manama in Bahrain.
This will be MSC Euribia’s first time sailing in the Middle East and will mark the third time MSC Cruises has deployed a brand-new cruise ship to the region after MSC Virtuosa for the 2021/22 season, and MSC World Europa for 2022/23.
MSC Euribia will offer both Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE as a homeport during the season, along with Doha in Qatar. The practise, known as inter-porting, allows passengers to use any of the ports as the embarkation and disembarkation port.
When sailing from Dubai, MSC Euribia will sail overnight to Doha in Qatar, then to Bahrain the following day, before spending a day at sea and calling in Abu Dhabi the next day. From Abu Dhabi the ship then sails overnight to Sir Bani Yas, before ending the cruise in Dubai the day after.
In Dubai the ship will spend a night in port, giving passengers two days in port to explore and experience various shore excursions.
Categories: Ship Reviews, Cruise Features, Middle East Cruise News, News, Reviews
