Hello and welcome to the Top 5 fun things you can do on MSC’s brand new flagship MSC Virtuosa. We’re just back from her maiden voyage and we tried and tested everything she had to offer so we can help you decide which ones are worth spending your valuable time on.

Although we all know that the most enjoyable thing to do on any cruise ship is eat, eat some more, then eat again, we are going to remove food from this review. MSC Virtuosa has a lot more fun things to offer, whether you’re travelling as a family with children, have come with friends or are a solo traveller. And whilst MSC offers the usual things to do like swimming pools, theatre entertainment, kiddies clubs or smiling with wide eyed wonder at Rob, the first ever humanoid robot bartender at sea, we are here to review the more physical and unusual activities on board. So, fasten your seat belts, secure all overhead lockers and adopt the brace position as we tell you the top five fun things to do on MSC Virtuosa.

The Savannah Aquapark:

The Savannah Aquapark has four waterslides in total, two of them you ride in either a single or double inflatable ring, one kamikaze style slide and a slide just for smaller guests. The Aquapark is a complimentary activity, and (on our voyage anyway) there was no need to book. Just turn up in your swimming costume and be prepared to get wet. Salty wet. Safety and hygiene is important in these unusual times, so they closed the park every hour for fifteen minutes to clean everything down. An hour should be enough but if it isn’t - keep your wristband on and come back later!

The Himalayan Bridge:

Another complimentary activity next to the Savannah Aquapark is the high ropes course, the Himalayan Bridge, which is suspended 80 metres above the water. Whilst this is amazing fun, you do need a little bit of bravery and an unwavering faith in your harness to do this course (as well as a reasonable level of physical ability), especially if the weather is being a tad inconsiderate. But you will be rewarded with a sense of achievement and you’ll have bragging rights and a generous dollop of smugness towards your family or friends who chickened out at the last minute.

F1 Simulator:

Moving inside into the Sportplex, this is where your fun can become a bit expensive if you don’t pre-plan. The ‘at the door’ prices for just turning up on a whim and playing are expensive, so we would suggest buying a Fun Pass before you board. The Fun Pass cost us £72 but for that we had £140 added to our cruise card to spend in the Sportplex which can be used by anyone in your booking group. If you buy the package on board you will earn extra credit but no where near as much, so getting it before you board basically makes everything half price, which is much better value.

So, number three on our list is the F1 simulator. These are improved over the ones on the Meraviglia which may look more realistic but don't physically move hydraulically in four directions so you feel every bump and corner of the circuit. This adds to the realism and makes you really appreciate the skill and stamina of real F1 drivers. The ride is harsh, the seat is hard and the car is very difficult to control in the corners - just like the real thing! If you’re a F1 fan, this is a great way to spend a few minutes pretending you’re Lewis Hamilton - or in most cases, Nikita Mazepin.

Bowling:

If you like your fun to last more than a few minutes and want to invest some quality time with family and/or friends into a less frenetic activity, the two full size bowling alleys on board the MSC Virtuosa are brilliant fun for the whole family, although we would recommend you try and time it for when the ship is in calmer seas and the balls run a little bit straighter (although you could use that as an excuse if you’re not very good)!

£45 gets you an hour in the alley for up to 6 people and we enjoyed every minute. Remember, if you pre-purchased the Fun Pass before your voyage, you get the hour for effectively £23, which in our minds, is great value. And whilst there are bowling shoes to hire, they are more than happy for you to wear your own shoes, as long as they are suitable.

4D cinema:

Our fifth favourite fun thing to do on board MSC Virtuosa was a toss up between the Hologate Arena, a Virtual Reality game involving guns, zombies, huge level bosses, complete mayhem and general confusion, and the XD Interactive Cinema, where you sit down and shoot at things on the giant 3D cinema screen as the hydraulic seats rattle, roll and attempt to bring back up your lunch. Around half way through your choice of scenario (there’s four to choose from), you really start to feel immersed and forget where you are. It’s a loud, manic, frantic fun five minutes.

To read more about what it was like to sail on the first post-pandemic cruise out of the UK click here.

To find out more about MSC Cruises click here.

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