MSC Cruises partners with Cirque du Soleil for entertainment at sea

Good news for those who want more Cirque du Soleil on their upcoming cruises. The Canadian circus arts company has signed a deal with MSC Cruises to perform exclusive shows aboard its ships.

In return, Swiss-based MSC is spending $21 million to create special dining-performance lounges aboard four of its upcoming Meraviglia class ships. The idea is for the space to have more of a club feeling so passengers can dine or drink and then see the Cirque show.

Each lounge, simply called Aft, will feature 450 seats, including 200 seats that may be used for dinner.

The new Cirque space and show will debut aboard the MSC Meraviglia, which is set to sail in the Mediterranean during its first season in June 2017.

It will have room for 4,500 guests (two per cabin) from ports in Genoa, Italy; Marseille, France; and Barcelona, Spain. (Tickets are on sale now; on MSC’s website, I found inside staterooms starting at $539 per person, excluding fees and taxes, for an eight-day cruise.)

Cirque began in 1984 with 73 employees, its website says, and today has more than 4,000. In Las Vegas, its resident shows include Ka, Mystere, O and Zumanity.

Info: MSC Cruises, (877) 665-4655

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