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Ultimate Guide to the MSC Virtuosa Kids Clubs for 2024
There are many cruise ships out there that don’t offer an equal amount of fun for all ages. Most of the time, either the adults or the children on board end up getting bored due to the lack of activities that are suitable for them. That said, one of the main selling points of the MSC Virtuosa is that it offers fun for all ages, which is why the ship is so popular amongst families.
There are great entertainment options for adults, like live shows, bars, clubs, and more. However, the MSC Virtuosa truly shines because of its kid’s clubs. If you’re going on a holiday with your children, you can rest assured that there is a kid’s club that will happily take care of your child, regardless of their age.
That way, your children can have a great time with some age-appropriate activities while also hanging out with other kids their age. To give you a better idea of what you can expect from each of the kids clubs at the Virtuosa cruise ship, keep on reading.
Kids Clubs on the MSC Virtuosa (By Age Group)
Please note that the kid’s clubs are not free and they will cost you extra. The exact cost will depend on when you book the kid’s club, when you book the time slot, and when your trip takes place.
The Chicco Baby Club (0-3)
As the name suggests, this children’s club is designed for the youngest of the ship’s guests. The club is designed for infants between the ages of 0 to 3 years old and is similar to a daycare service that allows you to explore the ship while putting your children in safe hands.
With the Chicco Baby Club, you can either leave your child with the staff on duty (don’t worry, they are all fully trained to take care of your toddler) or you can do a bunch of activities with them.
Please note that the Chicco Baby Club is particularly popular amongst parents with toddlers, so it’s subject to availability. In other words, you should book quickly and in advance if you want a slot for your baby.
The MSC Virtuosa Mini Club (4-6)
For young children between the ages of 4 and 6, there is the MSC Virtuosa Mini Club. It’s a step up from the Chicco Baby Club in the sense that the toys and activities are quite a bit more advanced, allowing your child to develop in all the right areas.
As MSC is partnered up with LEGO, there’s a dedicated LEGO room at the Mini Club where your children can start building their dream constructions. And don’t worry, while doing so, your kid’s will always be under the supervision of a trained member of staff. Aside from the LEGO room, there’s also a variety of stimulating and interactive toys and areas throughout the club. So, you can rest assured that your young ones won’t get bored while you get some time to yourself.
The MSC Virtuosa Junior Club (7-11)
The Junior Club is designed for children between 7-11 years old. It’s similar to the Mini Club, as it’s a spacious area where kids can let off some steam and have some fun with other kids their age. However, the room is also designed to give children a fun learning experience, which is crucial for kids in this age range. At the club, your 7 to 11 year old can participate in a range of activities including MasterChef at Sea, Dorebro Sport competitions, acting, singing, and dancing.
The Junior Club can get pretty busy, especially in the evening. So make sure you book your child a slot in advance to avoid any disappointment.
The Young Club (12-14)
The Young Club is MSC Virtuosa’s kids club for guests between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. This club allows your growing teenagers to dive into a world of interaction, discovery, and involvement.
At the Young Club, there are dozens of gaming consoles in the likes of Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Wii, and many more. So, if your teenager loves playing games at home, the Young Club will quickly become their favourite spot on the Virtuosa.
And if your children aren’t a big fan of video games, that’s okay. At this club, you’ll also find plenty of hands-on activities such as tennis, board games, and many others. The staff at the club even hold daily sporting tournaments, which is a great way to introduce your kids to competitive sports while burning off the energy they’ve built up over the night.
The Teen Club (15-17)
Teenagers are arguably the most difficult group to please as they often have a short attention span and get bored easily. Luckily, MSC has gone pretty far to ensure that guests between the ages of 15 and 17 years old are properly taken care of at the Teen Club.
In the evening, the area is a teen’s disco, where your kids can dance, socialise, and just hang out with other people their age. During the day, there’s a gaming area with Wii, Xbox, and PS4 consoles. There are even daily tournaments that will keep your teenagers entertained. At the Teen Club, you’ll also find a cinema area and a hangout zone.
Gaming consoles and socialisation aside, arguably the most fun activity at the Teen’s Club is the Drone Academy. There, your teenagers will be given the chance to pilot a fast-flying drone through an obstacle course. It’s a night-time race that will surely test their skills and ability.
The Teen’s Club is extremely popular for teenagers because MSC has put in the effort to understand what the youth of today want. With that in mind, make sure you book a slot for your teen as soon as possible as it is limited in capacity.
- Looking for fun outside the kids clubs? All the Fun Things you can do on the MSC Virtuosa.
Additional Services Offered by the Kid’s Clubs on the Virtuosa Cruise Ship
Besides being able to leave your children at the kid’s clubs for an hour or so, MSC also offers guests with children on the Virtuosa cruise ship a variety of different services. These include:
Post-Dinner Relaxation
When cruising with family, it’s always fun to have dinner together. It’s the perfect time when you can hang out with your entire family and talk about your day. However, some parents would like to have some alone time to relax after dinner before everyone calls it a night.
That’s why the MSC Virtuosa offers the Happy Dinner service. During this service, your children still get to dine with you and enjoy the kid’s menu. However, once your meal is over, they will be picked up by the staff and brought to the relevant kid’s club. That way, the adults and the kids can break away and have fun on their own for a while.
Fun-Time Dinner
If you want some alone time during dinner with the other adults, you can opt for the fun-time dinner service. With this service, your children will be brought to a separate area of the buffet where they will be fed and entertained while you can enjoy your dinner in peace.
Parents-Only Excursions
The MSC Virtuosa cruises offer many excursions. While you can bring your children with you on any excursion you want, there are some trips that may not be ideal for your children or ones that you’d rather explore without them.
If you want to leave your kids on the ship during an excursion, you can book it one day in advance so that your children will be entertained and fed at the buffet while you’re off the ship having fun on the land.
- Want to know everything that’s free on the MSC Virtuosa? Read this!
Alternative Activities to the Kid’s Clubs Your Children Can Do
If you or your children don’t want to attend their relevant kid’s club, that’s totally okay. MSC have predicted that the kid’s clubs might not be for everyone, which is why they’ve introduced a handful of other fun activities you and your children can take part in. These include:
The Savannah Aquapark (Free)
Situated on deck 19, the Savannah Aquapark is one of Virtuosa’s main attractions. For adults and older children (that meet a certain height requirement), there are three thrilling water slides, one of which even goes over the boundaries of the ship.
For younger children, there’s the interactive water park, which is filled with water-based fun throughout. At the kid’s water park, you’ll find a slide, a big water tipping bucket, several water cannons and sprayers, fountains, and much more. And best of all, the Savannah Aquapark is completely free of charge. This is because it is available for every guest on board.
The Himalayan Bridge (Free)
The Himalayan Bridge isn’t suitable for families with young children, but if you have kids that are a bit older, this thrilling activity is one they’ll remember for a while. The Himalayan bridge takes you several metres above the ground and gives you the opportunity to go through several different and very challenging courses.
Don’t worry, you will be all strapped up so even if you fall or fail to complete any of them, you will be in safe hands. The Himalayan Bridge is not only a true test to your physical abilities but you will also get a good view of everything that’s around.
F1 Simulator (Included in the Fun Pass)
If you have older children that are into motorsports and F1 in particular, they’ll find the F1 simulator very interesting. What’s more is that the F1 simulator on the Virtuosa is the real deal. It isn’t a gimmick used to just fill out the space. It’s a genuine simulator that can really take your kid’s racing experience to a whole new level. The seat and the car that your child will be sitting in even moves and vibrates depending on the terrain, just like a real F1 car would.
Standard and VR Games (Included in the Fun Pass)
If your child is into video games, the gaming area will be of huge help in keeping their boredom at bay. The gaming room (just like all of the entertainment MSC Virtuosa facilities included in the fun pass) is situated on deck 16. In the gaming room, you’ll find a variety of standard consoles and games as well as some VR options for those who want to further immerse themselves into the world of gaming.
XD Cinema (Included in the Fun Pass)
Fancy playing a thrilling shooting game? Well the XD Cinema is for you! choose from Shooting Cowboys to Zombies in family friendly games.
About the Fun Pass
The Fun Pass grants every holder unlimited use of the three activities mentioned above. It’s a great idea for anyone who plans on using these facilities throughout their stay and instead of paying for them each time, they can get the Fun Pass and save money.
The Fun Pass costs around £95 per person and lasts for the entire duration of the cruise. Please note that the price can vary, but you can always save 20% by paying for the Fun Pass in advance.
Conclusion
When looking at MSC cruises for families, one of the most crucial aspects potential guests look at is how good the on-board kid’s club really are. Having researched every kid’s club in great detail, we genuinely believe that you won’t be disappointed.
There are five children’s clubs on the MSC Virtuosa cruise ship, each of which is dedicated specifically for children of a specific age group, including 0-3, 4-6, 7-11, 12-14, and 15-17 years old. The kid’s clubs will not only keep your kids entertained for a while, but they’ll also give you a breather to have some time alone.
And for families who don’t want to send their kids to the kid’s clubs, there are plenty of free and paid facilities where you and your kids can have a blast.