MSC Cruises Enhances Onboard Family Programs

Family-friendly MSC Cruises is adding to its already rich family cruise offerings with the introduction of an innovative kids sports program, DOREBRO; a kids-dedicated interactive cooking class designed with Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco; and a new, exclusive MSC Cruises ship toy developed by LEGO.

"As a family-owned company, from day one we have understood and focused on the importance of offering families and their kids on-board our ships a vacation that has all the elements that can make it a truly unforgettable one for the entire family, in addition to being stress-free," said Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises. "For this reason, kids-dedicated activities and other family related services have always been at the very core of our guest offering and are strengthened on an ongoing basis by further additions—thus making this element of our offering one of the richest at sea."

Across its entire fleet, which is the most modern at sea, MSC Cruises provides a very extensive offering for family vacations, including:

• Dedicated clubs segmented by age group as well as daily entertainment for all ages;
• Family dining options;
• Modern and fun-filled on-board facilities such as aqua parks and pools, bowling alleys and 4D cinemas; and
• Dedicated shore activities designed with the needs of the entire family in mind.

New this summer is the DOREBRO sports program, an on-board entertainment innovation designed especially for kids who love sports. Children and teens aged from 3 to 17 years old can join the program, which is now available on most MSC Cruises ships sailing in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. The program offers an exciting variety of sports and active games for all levels, broken down in two daily sessions, with activities designed for the different age groups. The program has been designed in collaboration with King's Active, the UK-based company expert in designing engaging and fun youth activities to inspire sports stars of the future.

Alongside this addition, starting this summer season, MSC Cruises has also introduced "DOREMI Chef by Carlo Cracco," a cooking class designed in collaboration with the two-starred Michelin chef Carlo Cracco. Led by MSC Cruises chefs and the on-board MSC Cruises mascot DOREMI, children aged 3 to 11 will learn how to make homemade pasta from scratch while receiving plenty of cooking hints and tips from the globally renowned chef. Upon completion of the course, each child will receive an official mini-chef certificate signed by Carlo Cracco himself.

MSC Cruises also offers its guests a wide range of on-board entertainment especially for kids, developed in collaboration with the LEGO Group, the world's leading toy producer. As part of this relationship, LEGO Group has recently launched a very special LEGO® MSC Cruises toy of MSC Meraviglia, the company's new next-generation cruise ship that launches in June 2017 and will sail the Mediterranean for its inaugural season. This toy LEGO model, which is made up of 180 bricks and is available for sale fleet wide at the on-board MSC Cruises Logo shop for $12, will make the perfect souvenir for children who can then relive their MSC Cruises family vacation at home in a fun and creative way.

MSC Cruises also offers a range of services for babies and young children including the Mini-Club for children under 3 as well as a dedicated childcare service giving parents the freedom to enjoy the ship, safe in the knowledge that their children are being cared for by dedicated and highly trained staff. Many of these services are offered in collaboration with Chicco®—a leading global baby brand and yet another exclusive MSC Cruises partnership.

Additional highlights for families sailing with MSC Cruises’ include:

• Kids 11 and under sail free; Teens 12-17 receive a significant discount
• MSC Cruises is an ideal vacation option for families looking to combine fun with a variety of cultural and educational experiences (for instance, we offer language courses, where children learn basic sentences in 6 different languages; and we have a MSC for UNICEF Day that includes a variety of fun and educational activities for children while educating them on important topics about UNICEF and malnutrition).
• Kids traveling with MSC Cruises are exposed to multiple cultures and backgrounds as they play and interact with other kids from around the world.

Image Courtesy MSC Cruises