MSC Virtuosa Southampton Cruises (2022)

MSC Virtuosa is back in Southampton for the 2022 cruising season!

Having been the star of the ‘Return to Cruising‘ for the UK cruise season in 2021, MSC Cruises was keen to bring back their flagship to the UK where she has been widely welcomed by new and old cruisers alike.

In this guide, we will cover what MSC Cruises are doing exclusively for their British passengers and also give you a brief overview of MSC Virtuosa.

MSC Virtuosa Introduction

MSC Virtuosa was built in the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard which is based in Saint-Nazaire, France. She was officially handed over to MSC Cruises on the 1st February 2021, but didn’t take her maiden voyage from Southampton until May 2021.

MSC Virtuosa is the newest of the Meraviglia Plus-class ships in the MSC Cruises’ fleet and is the younger sister of MSC Grandiosa. The fleet currently consists of 19 ships over 8 classes.

During 2021 she offered multiple ‘staycation’ style cruises where her embarkation ports were mainly Southampton and Liverpool, with some additional embarkations from Greenock (Glasgow) towards the later part of her season.

Now for 2022, MSC Virtuosa is back in Southampton and sailing voyages from just 2 nights up to 15 nights.

Passengers will be able to explore the beauty of the Norwegian Fjords, the Canaries and cruise the Baltics and Mediterranean this year.

MSC Virtuosa Frequently Asked Questions

MSC Virtuosa Southampton Itineraries 2022

Below are the 23 itineraries for MSC Virtuosa during her Southampton 2022 season. Use the search box to find specific ports or dates.

MSC Virtuosa British ‘Extras’

MSC Cruises’ realises that British passengers want a little touch of ‘home’ on their cruises that sail from Southampton and have added some extra perks for guests this season.

Fixed amenities:

• Kettles with tea and coffee facilities in every cabin
• Afternoon tea
• Roast dinners served in the buffet
• British TV Channels in cabins
• UK Comedian
• Tribute act, live musicians, street performers on Galleria Virtuosa

Special celebrations:

• Premier League matches will be aired on board
• Wimbledon to be aired on board
• F1 will be aired on board (not confirmed currently)
• Queen’s Jubilee special event party with a street party, guest singers and more.

MSC Virtuosa Embarkation Checklist

Make sure you have all of these when you arrive at the Horizon Cruise Terminal to board MSC Virtuosa

TIP: Can’t get your photo to work during check-in? Don’t worry – they’ll take it in the terminal before you board the ship, just ignore that bit!

Stick to your embarkation time to keep queues down!

• MSC for Me App installed (not mandatory, but useful)
• Car parking voucher (if parking at the terminal) (printed)
• Passport (in date and with six months expiry minimum)
• Passenger Locator Forms for ports that require them (digital okay)
• Proof of cruise insurance with Covid-19 cover (digital okay)
• Covid-19 Vaccination passport/pass (Vaccination date no longer than 270 days ago – unless you are Boosted – then there is a no time limit) (digital okay)
• Covid-19 lab-certified negative test (taken 48hrs or less before embarkation) (digital okay)
• MSC eTicket (Page 2 of the eTicket you are emailed) (printed)
• MSC Health Questionnaire (Page 3 of the eTicket) (printed)
• MSC Luggage Tickets (Page 13 of the eTicket – multiple if needed) (printed)
• Face mask (some ports may have mandatory face mask rules)
• Full copy of MSC eTicket (useful to refer to what services you have prebooked/purchased) (digital or printed)
• Credit/debit card for registering onboard for charging purchases to your cabin (you have 48 hrs once onboard to do this!)
• Any medication you may need whilst boarding or if you are delayed in getting your main luggage for whatever reason when onboard!

Also read: MSC Cruises Southampton – boarding guide

MSC Virtuosa Cruise Packing List

Whether you are heading to the glacial fjords of Norway or the sunny beaches in the Canary Islands, we have put together a free downloadable PDF cruise packing list for you!

Print it out for each member of your family and let us know in our Facebook Group if it was useful (or if we missed something off it!)

MSC Virtuosa Virtual Tour

This official video from MSC Cruises gives you a tour of MSC Virtuosa and what you can expect to see when you sail on her.

MSC Virtuosa Facebook Group

We run the largest MSC Virtuosa group on Facebook – you are welcome to join nearly 10k other members to chat about your upcoming (or past) MSC Virtuosa cruise!

Also read: Cruising from Southampton with MSC Cruises Guide

UPDATE: Looking for Cruises from Southampton in 2023?