To ensure MSC Poesia is in top shape for MSC Cruises’ inaugural voyages in Alaska, the line is pulling out all the stops to enhance the ship ahead of the 2026 season. Here is the scoop on what will be added during the renovation period at the Palumbo Malta Shipyard from February to April 2026.
Editor's note: This piece was last updated on Jan. 20, 2026.
MSC Yacht Club
In what the line is calling one of the largest upgrades in its history, MSC Poesia will be renovated to feature the exclusive MSC Yacht Club.
An MSC Yacht Club suite
Credit: 2025 MSC Cruises
That means 63 new elegant suites across five different categories, spanning from a Two-Room Grand Suite to a spacious Royal Suite that sleeps up to six clients while touting a private whirlpool, an 840 square-foot terrace and an outdoor shower. Ocean-view balcony suites and connected options ideal for families will also be available.
Each of the complex’s suites will feature bathrooms with marble finishings, embroidered towels, a Nespresso coffee machine, a complimentary minibar and 24-hour room service.
Poesia will feature an exclusive MSC Yacht Club Restaurant, Top Sail Lounge and private bar, sundeck with a full-service grill and bar, as well as two of its own hot tubs.
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MSC Yacht Club Restaurant
Credit: 2025 MSC Cruises
To accommodate these details, the vessel will undergo major transformations. Staterooms currently found on decks 12, 14 and 15 are to be renovated and reconfigured into the club’s suites. The card room and photo studio will be displaced following the installation of the Yacht Club Restaurant. The ship’s Top 16 solarium for Aurea guests will reposition to deck 15 aft, since the existing space will be transformed into the club’s sun deck, bar and grill.
New Specialty Restaurants, Bars, Spa and Gym
Freshly joining the culinary offerings on Poesia will be Butcher’s Cut, showcasing beef from purveyor Meat by Linz. A portion of the ship’s original buffet seating on deck 13 aft will be repurposed for the line’s signature steakhouse.
Seafood lovers can once again indulge in the Kaito Sushi Bar, transitioning to replace the cigar lounge on deck seven. MSC describes the space as an “elegant, reimagined venue inspired by the Far East, [where] guests can savor expertly crafted sushi and exquisite authentic Asian dishes.”
Plus, a new All-Stars Sports Bar will assume residence where a wine bar currently sits. Passengers will be able to watch televised sports, or play traditional bar games with beverages and bite-sized snacks in hand.
Guests can escape from daily life into the revamped MSC Aurea Spa to find serene relaxation. The new and improved wellness area will feature an Ocean View Sauna, two steam rooms, a salt room and a Kneipp path hydrotherapy circuit.
The current forward fitness center will become the MSC Gym Powered by Technogym. This updated renovation will take over the space currently occupied by the S32 Disco nightclub on deck 14 at the stern of the ship. A yoga room, jogging track and basketball and tennis courts will round out its offerings.
New Entertainment
Poesia’s entertainment will also be enhanced when “Dirty Dancing: In Concert” is added to the lineup on May 11. As first seen on the line’s latest ship, MSC World America, the 90-minute show — including convenient matinee showings — pairs a screening of the classic film with singers, instrumentalists and dancers performing the movie’s music live.
“We are thrilled to have ‘Dirty Dancing: In Concert’ onboard MSC Poesia for MSC Cruises' first-ever sailings to Alaska this summer season,” said Steve Leatham, the line’s vice president of entertainment. "Following the incredible response we have seen since the launch on MSC World America and MSC Virtuosa, we’re excited to be able to offer it on more of our ships for our guests to enjoy this truly one-of-a-kind experience at sea.”
Besides “Dirty Dancing,” passengers will be treated to stage performances of “Divas,” as well as stand-up comedy, MSC Dueling Pianos sets, party band events and live jazz, salsa and Latin tunes throughout. A Top Sail Lounge house pianist will be exclusive to the MSC Yacht Club. Guests can also expect themed parties and sports activities, plus wellness sessions, arts and crafts workshops, Alaskan lectures and further regional enrichment.
Itineraries
The luxuriously updated vessel will encompass weeklong Alaskan voyages, departing Seattle beginning in May through September 2026. The Poesia will continue to cruise throughout the upcoming winter 2026-2027 Caribbean and Central America sailings, and in the Panama Canal transits between Seattle and Miami.
