MSC Cruises Now Sails in Alaska—Here’s What to Expect, On Board and Off

Onboard/Offboard is a series that explores the can’t-miss highlights of our favorite cruises—from the shore excursions to book to the spa treatments too relaxing to pass up.

After a long weekend adventuring around Seattle—shooting to the top of the Space Needle, forest bathing on Bainbridge Island, floating around Lake Union in a hot tub boat (not a time machine!)—and immersing ourselves in World Cup fever, my sister Karen and I boarded MSC Poesia for its seven-night Alaska voyage. This is the cruise line’s first year cruising to Alaska, and our first time sailing with MSC. Once onboard, we were excited to drop our things and set out to explore the ship.

MSC Poesia, originally built in 2008, is the second of the cruise line’s four-ship Musica Class fleet to undergo major refurbishments; the Alaska season is the ship’s first since its glow-up this spring. A big part of its refurbishment was the addition of the cruise line’s popular luxury ship-within-a-ship concept, MSC Yacht Club. (MSC turned the concept into its own at-sea brand, Explora Journeys, in 2023.). MSC Poesia’s Yacht Club includes 69 staterooms and suites, all with 24-hour butler service, and exclusive spaces that include a spacious, ship-wide sun deck with a grill, bar, and whirlpools; Yacht Club Restaurant; and Top Sail Lounge, all of which is spread over six decks at the front of the ship.

Our weeklong itinerary was a nice balance of busy days exploring various ports, and relaxing days at sea during which we made the most of the amenities afforded to us during our stay in our MSC Yacht Club stateroom, not to mention catching up on World Cup action with our fellow, mostly international, guests, thanks to the cruise line’s Summer of Sports program broadcasting all matches live across the fleet. Read on for the highlights of our sister time onboard and off.

MSC Cruises

Onboard: Taking in the views

While I’m fortunate enough to have sailed to Alaska many times, the allure is never lost on me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the boutique feel of MSC Yacht Club; it truly does feel like a smaller, more luxurious ship nestled within the larger, 3,223-passenger vessel. No matter where I am on board, I spend most of my time watching for whales—whether from my cabin, on an outside deck, on a treadmill in the fitness center, or gazing out the windows of a restaurant. I watch for whales like it’s my job. So I was thrilled to discover the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows in Top Sail Lounge, an area exclusively for MSC Yacht Club guests. Open early morning to late night, the expansive, elegantly appointed lounge that was once a gym (that’s been repositioned to the aft of the ship) stretches the width of MSC Poesia and is filled with plush chairs and couches, all facing out to sea—perfect vantage points for my self-assigned whale watching duties. Not only that, but the vibe in the lounge is quiet, with other guests reading or playing board games; evenings bring in a piano player in for delightful ambient music. The only interruption to the quiet was—you guessed it—whale sightings, when people would shriek, point, and grab binoculars to catch a glimpse.