MSC Cruises has announced some changes for the winter 2022-2023 cruise season. MSC Virtuosa will replace MSC Preziosa in Hamburg and take over cruises to Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre and Southampton. 

Sailing starts on Sundays at the Steinwerder Cruise Center in Hamburg. Meanwhile, MSC Virtuosa will sail the metropolitan route in direct competition with AIDAprima.

The change from MSC Preziosa to MSC Virtuosa are significant upgrade for passengers who have already booked. The modern Meraviglia-class cruise ship was launched in 2021. The highlight of the ship is the Galleria Virtuosa with an almost 100-meter-long LED sky. There is also a covered swimming pool for the cold northern European winter.

MSC Preziosa will offer cruises to South America. The trips to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina will start in Santos, Brazil. There the ship spends the turn of the year and the carnival season in February. MSC Preziosa is scheduled to return to Northern Europe in the summer of 2023.

All MSC Virtuosa routes will be taken over by MSC Bellissima. The ship is already on its way to the Mediterranean this summer and will stay there. So far, no winter voyages are planned for this ship, which provides a similar service to the MSC Meraviglia class.