MSC Virtuosa arrives in Southampton, ready to restart cruising in UK

MSC Cruises’ latest flagship, MSC Virtuosa, has arrived in Southampton, her homeport for the summer, ready to restart cruising in UK on 20th May

MSC Virtuosa arrives in Southampton, ready to restart cruising in UK
Photo: MSC Cruises

MSC Virtuosa, MSC Cruises’ latest flagship, has arrived in Southampton today, ready to welcome guests as cruising restarts in the UK. The newest and most innovative ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet, MSC Virtuosa will embark on her maiden voyage around the British Isles on 20th May.

The first cruise line to restart in the UK, MSC Cruises brings guests a choice of three- and four- night mini cruises starting from 20th May, then from 5th June, MSC Virtuosa will begin seven-night cruises. The week-long sailings include calls at the picturesque isle of Portland and the cultural city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, as well as offering multiple ports of embarkation including Liverpool and Greenock, close to Glasgow, Scotland, on top of Southampton.

MSC Virtuosa’s homeport for the summer will be ABP Southampton, with whom MSC Cruises recently announced a long-term partnership. The ship will initially set sail from City Cruise Terminal, before moving to embark guests from the newly-named Horizon Cruise terminal once it has opened.

MSC Virtuosa will become the third MSC Cruises ship back at sea when she departs for her maiden voyage on May 20, joining two ships already operating in the Mediterranean: MSC Seaside welcomed guests back on board last week, and MSC Grandiosa has been sailing in the Mediterranean since August 2020. All ships operate under the same industry-leading health and safety protocol, including universal testing upon embarkation, which has been developed with a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts.