MSC’S CHOCOLATE CRUISE IS THE ULTIMATE SWEET TREAT

04/30/2012

Combine the discovery of the Baltics with a delicious theme cruise

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (May 2, 2012) – MSC Cruises has joined forces with Gerry Wilton, international chocolatier and founder of the world’s first chocolate-themed hotel, the chic and unique Chocolate Boutique Hotel in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, to offer a voyage of discovery with a difference for guests on board MSC Opera from May 13-23, 2012.

Combining visits to Northern Europe’s most fascinating Baltic capitals with a veritable “choc fest,” guests will witness the transformation of MSC Opera into a chocolate factory as she departs from Southampton for an 11-day cruise, visiting Amsterdam, Tallinn, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen before returning to Southampton.

During the four full days at sea, Wilton will host a series of four mouth-watering, two-hour-long chocolate classes, starting at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. These are not your typical theory classes in which the teacher holds court, but rather “hands-on” tutorials where the emphasis is on interactive fun.

Guests will learn all about the history of chocolate and the production process from bean to bar while enjoying every chocolate-filled minute. They will taste samples from all over the world, learn how to make both molded chocolates and Belgian truffles and even paint portraits of themselves – using delicious white, dark and milk Belgian chocolate - which will then be framed for them to take away.

The 4-session series can be booked onboard at a cost of €34 per person.

For more information about MSC Cruises and this special “chocolate discovery” cruise, visit us online at www.msccruisesusa.com, call 877-665-4655, or contact a local travel advisor.

About MSC Cruises:

MSC Cruises is a privately-held, family-owned, Italian cruise line with a fleet of 11 ships: MSC Magnifica, MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia, MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica and MSC Melody. Its 12th ship, MSC Divina, a sister ship to MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida, debuts in May of 2012, with sister ship MSC Preziosa scheduled to join the fleet in March 2013. The fleet cruises year round in the Mediterranean and seasonally in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, South America, the Indian Ocean, and South and West Africa.