Combine the discovery of the Baltics with a delicious theme cruise

MSC Cruises has a flair for offering innovative and exciting food and wine theme cruises, with recent initiatives including five popular Facebook competitions for UK, French, German, Italian and Spanish guests in which the lucky winners each set sail with one of their nation’s famous chefs.

Sharpening its creative culinary skills further still, MSC Cruises has now 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, to offer a voyage of discovery with a difference for guests on board MSC Opera from 13- 23 May 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 the cities of Amsterdam, Tallinn, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen before returning to Southampton.
 
During the four full days at sea, Wilton will host a series of mouth-watering, hour-long chocolate classes, starting every morning at 11.00 and every afternoon at 15.00. These are not your typical theory classes in which the teacher holds court, but rather ‘hands on’ tutorials where the emphasis is very much on interactive fun.

Guests will learn all about the history of chocolate and the fascinating production process from bean to bar and generally enjoy every calorie-laden minute. They will taste samples from all over the world, learn how to make both moulded 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.

Guests of all nationalities can book their classes directly on board, while lucky UK guests can book their chocolate class in advance through their travel agent, call centre, or through the MSC Cruises’ UK website: www.msccruises.co.uk.

About MSC Cruises: 

MSC Cruises is the world’s leading cruise company in the Mediterranean, South African and Brazilian markets and operates across the globe. Its modern fleet comprises twelve ships: MSC Magnifica, MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia, MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody and MSC Divina, the latter launched in May 2012. The fleet cruises year-round in the Mediterranean and seasonally in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean & the Antilles, South America, the Indian Ocean, South and West Africa, Red Sea.
MSC Cruises is the only company in the world to receive the "6 Golden Pearls" award from the Bureau Veritas in recognition of its high level of quality management and environmental responsibility. MSC has also achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 certification for the quality and food safety of all aspects of its catering, both onshore and onboard. MSC Cruises cares about the welfare of children, and as a responsible market leader believes in making a positive impact in the regions where it operates. To this end, the company recently forged a partnership with UNICEF to fund a community project aimed at providing disadvantaged children in Brazil with a quality education. In the first two years, the partnership has raised over a million euros.