Eataly Boards MSC World Asia
MSC World Asia gets the second Eataly at sea when it starts sailing the Mediterranean on 4 December 2026. Here is what the restaurant offers, what it costs extra, and how to plan a seven-night cruise from Canada.
MSC Cruises is putting an Eataly restaurant on its new flagship, MSC World Asia. It will be the second Eataly at sea, after MSC World America, and MSC says it is the only cruise line to offer one.
MSC World Asia starts sailing on 4 December 2026, on seven-night Mediterranean itineraries.
What’s on board
- Show cooking, with a dedicated table chef
- A terrace with ocean views
- Wine-cellar visits at The Terraces Bar, where guests choose their own bottle
- Regional Italian specialities and classic dishes
The ship has more than 40 bars, lounges, cafés and restaurants in all.
“Partnering with Eataly allows us to bring a renowned culinary brand to sea,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises.
Where it sails
Seven-night loops call at Barcelona, Marseille, Messina, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples and Valletta for the opening season, according to the release, with several embarkation ports. We covered the ship’s entertainment line-up here.
What Eataly at sea looks like
Eataly is the Italian food hall and restaurant brand, and MSC already has one season of it at sea. When MSC announced the first Eataly on MSC World America, it said pasta would be made fresh on board, ingredients would come from Italian suppliers and an open kitchen would let guests watch the cooking.
Read next · TradeMSC's 2029 World Cruise Circles Australia2 min →The MSC World Asia version follows the same pattern. The 15 October 2026 release describes regional specialities alongside Italian classics, show cooking led by a dedicated table chef, a terrace with ocean views and a wine-cellar visit where guests pick their own bottle.
It is a speciality restaurant, so it costs extra. MSC’s speciality dining page marks Eataly “charges apply”. MSC has not published Eataly menus or prices for MSC World Asia, and that page does not list Eataly among the venues its dining packages cover, so check before assuming a package includes it.
The ship around it
MSC World Asia is MSC’s third World Class ship and runs on LNG. MSC lists capacity at 6,758 guests in 2,582 cabins, with 2,138 crew, according to its Canadian ship page.
Eataly is one of six speciality restaurant concepts. The others are Kaito Teppanyaki, Kaito Sushi Bar, the Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, Hola! Tacos & Cantina and a new Pan-Asian Street Food restaurant with dishes drawn from Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia. The ship is laid out in seven districts, and the MSC Yacht Club has 144 suites, including a new two-bedroom Royal Duplex Suite for up to six guests.
For families, the headline features are The Spiral, an 81.3-metre dry slide that drops across 12 decks, and the Cliffhanger swing, 50 metres above the water. We covered the shows and venues in MSC World Asia Sets Its Stage.
Planning a trip
When: The first sailing is 4 December 2026. MSC’s UK ship page has the ship in the Mediterranean through winter 2026/27, summer 2027 and summer 2028, with a South Caribbean season in winter 2027–28.
Which ports: Every sailing is seven nights, and you can board at any port on the loop. Check the exact route for your date. MSC’s January 2025 sales release listed Genoa and Civitavecchia in winter and Naples in summer, while the Eataly release lists Naples for the opening season.
Getting there from Canada: Barcelona and Civitavecchia (for Rome) are the practical embarkation points for most Canadians. Fly in at least a day early so a late flight does not cost you the ship. For a pre-cruise stay, see Gaudí’s Spain, Beyond Barcelona or our notes on booking Italy’s busiest sights.
Paperwork: Spain, France, Italy and Malta are all in the Schengen area. The EU’s Entry/Exit System, which registers fingerprints and a facial image at the border, has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. ETIAS, the online travel authorization Canadians will need, is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, with the date still to be announced. Check before you fly.
Quick answers
Is Eataly included in the MSC cruise fare? No. It is a speciality restaurant with a separate charge.
When does MSC World Asia start sailing? 4 December 2026, on seven-night western Mediterranean cruises.
Can I try Eataly closer to home? Yes. MSC World America sails seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami this winter, according to MSC.
For advisors
- Price Eataly as an add-on. Without published prices, don’t fold it into a quote as a perk.
- Confirm the port list for each departure date. The published winter and summer routes differ.
- For Canadian clients, Barcelona or Civitavecchia plus a pre-cruise hotel night is the safer flight plan.
- Flag ETIAS on every Europe booking from now on, and update clients once the EU confirms the start date.
Sources
Andrew Lovesey is Editor-in-Chief of Not An Atlas, and always on the hunt for the next big thing: where to go, where to stay and what's worth the photo. His first trip was to the family cottage in Prince Edward Island, all rolling hills, red sand cliffs and jellyfish drifting in the North Atlantic. He'll sit anywhere but the middle seat (no armrest wars), never flies without the adapter that lets his AirPods play the in-flight movie, and has eaten at a McDonald's in every country he's visited. Iceland gets a pass because it doesn't have one. He once learned to bead earrings from Aleqa Hammond, Greenland's first female premier, on a ship in the Northwest Passage, and will tell anyone who'll listen that Cincinnati is wildly underrated. Friends say charming, driven and loyal. His mum says persuasive. Next stop: Greece.
