A floating city on the water: a trip on the MSC World Europa

A short cruise break manages to offer a mind-boggling variety of dining and hospitality options along with myriad activities and some very choice onshore destinations, writes Vickie Maye

Sun, 06 Aug, 2023 - 17:00

Vickie Maye

The waiver was signed with a blasé shrug, but as we neared the top of the queue, and saw the looming drop below, we began to get second thoughts.

We were on top of the 20-storey MSC World Europa, about to hurtle down 11 decks on a long snaking slide, appropriately called The Venom Drop. (Later we would learn it is the longest dry slide at sea.)

To enter, you literally sit into the mouth of a giant red snake ... and let go.

There’s glass for most of the journey down, so you can really see the scale of this floating mini-city in the sea. Midway it turns to darkness for a little rollercoaster rush.

We emerge, screaming, bursting with adrenaline, to the 104m outdoor promenade, a paved street with shops, cafes, and restaurants. It would be easy to forget you were in the middle of the ocean.

We return to eat there that evening (we leave Venom this time and take the lift) and there’s even a Vegas-style light show.

Back inside the ship, there are 20 floors to navigate. There’s the pool, complete with a stage (and party entertainment) and bar, and hot tubs.

An indoor swimming pool — and another bar — offer an alternative for a rare rainy day or an opportunity to escape the heat. (All told, there are a whopping seven pools scattered across the ship).

Upstairs there’s the aqua park, with three multi-coloured daredevil slides on the very top of the shop, with Venom taking centre stage.

We peer inside the kids’ club (entertaining toddlers right through to teens) and find teens and tweens roller skating and, as well as a video arcade and games room, there are even bumper cars.

Downstairs there’s a state-of-the-art gym — you run overlooking sweeping seascapes. My morning runs were the most exhilarating of my life as I emerged to a new city and a new view each day.

Floors eight and nine house full theatre destinations, a spa, and restaurants and bars. There’s even a 5D cinema.

You veer from brash Vegas decor, to pockets of sedate calm and beauty.

We spent one evening at Fizz, the ship’s classy champagne bar.

Lush navy velvet seats, with copper table lamps — it was like being on the set of an Agatha Christie novel.

Outside on deck, the tiled flooring and art deco furniture reinforce the 1930s tone.

The Elixir Mixology Bar, a more modern offering, with a full cocktail menu, brings things back a little to the present. But they know their audience; a DJ is on hand with a masterclass in mixing 80s classics.

There are 13 dining venues, including: the Chef’s Garden Kitchen, a hydroponic garden at sea by Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt; La Pescaderia, a Mediterranean fish restaurant; The Butcher’s Grill, a sensational steakhouse; Hola! Tacos and Cantina, Latin American street food; and Kaito Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar.

These speciality restaurants are on top of the three buffet restaurants that fall within the standard package. Yet again we found ourselves mystified that we were experiencing it all from the middle of the ocean.

The accommodation is a step up too, with more balconies on the World Europa than any other in the MSC offering.

The view and extra space is worth the investment. All up, the ship can host 6,762 passengers with 2,626 cabins and 2,138 crew members. Yet somehow, it never feels crowded.

The MSC World Europa feels like a next-level cruise, so it is no surprise to hear it was one of three ”floating hotels” used in Doha for World Cup fans.

Travel and sustainability are two difficult concepts to marry but MSC is trying. The World Europa is the company’s first LNG-propelled cruise, with an aim to reduce emissions. The propellors too have been tweaked to reduce underwater noise for marine wildlife.

We boarded the ship at Marseille, ready for our short and sweet taste of one of MSC’S newest additions to the fleet. There’s a day in Marseilles, another in Genoa, the gateway to Portofino, before we disembark in Naples.

We choose to relax on board for the first two days, but on the last day, we try an organised MSC excursion for the first time.

Our previous disembarkations off cruise ships were little DIY tastes of adventure — this time around we took the organised tour of Pompeii. There was too much history here to absorb — we wanted guidance from the experts.

Ricardo was our excellent guide, walking us through the fascinating history. It stands as it was before the devastating eruption — we walk the same stones as the people of the old city did thousands of years ago, we can even see the grooves on the walls of the water fountain where they rested their hands as they sipped water.

The local brothel still features the frescos on the walls — the different options (and positions) available to clients.

We left the tour bus at Pompeii — the cruise passengers returned to Naples, we chose to catch a train to Sorrento instead. For just €2.60 the 30 minute journey brought us to one of Europe’s most exclusive clifftop destinations.

This is the joy of a cruise. You can choose to be pampered and take organised tours but, when it suits, you can break from the crowd and make the holiday your own. The best of both worlds.

Excluding flights, a three-night basic package on the MSC World Europa taking in Genoa, Naples, Messina, and Valletta in Malta costs £799 per person. This covers balcony accommodation and all meals in the buffet restaurants.
Tips: Pre-book your dining packages. Add on the speciality dinners, they are worth it. Adding on a drinks package in advance makes the cruise effortless, lunchtime daiquiris ordered without a second thought. Consider a balcony room too.
See msccruises.ie

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