MSC Cruises always goes the extra mile when it comes to great deals – in fact, they’ve now got a Guinness World Records title to prove it!
Yesterday, September 1, the cruise line set a new world’s best for the ‘Fastest mile by a marching band’ aboard one of its ships, MSC Splendida, while it was berthed in Southampton, UK.
Musicians from the British Imperial Military Band completed multiple laps of a specially-measured circuit of the giant cruise ship’s pool deck, completing the one-mile march in an impressive 14 minutes 26 seconds.
The record-breaking feat was watched by hundreds of guests aboard the 137,936 GRT ship, which is currently in the middle of an 11-night round-Britain cruise from Hamburg, Germany. The Guinness World Records attempt kicked off MSC Cruises’ ‘Get the Best’ autumn sales promotion starting on Friday (September 4, 2015), which offers a FREE BALCONY UPGRADE for all customers.
MSC Cruises executive director UK and Ireland Giles Hawke said: “For the next three months we will be giving UK holidaymakers the chance to get free Balcony cabin upgrades on the vast majority of our sailings through until winter 2016/2017.
“That’s the sort of deal that deserves a proper fanfare – and should certainly get people marching down to their travel agent to book!”
The band – made up of 21 serving and former military musicians – agreed to take on the challenge even though it meant playing their instruments while marching at a fierce 150 beats-per-minute pace. Tunes played during the march contained military marches including ‘Standard of St George’, ‘Sons of the Brave’ and ‘Colonel Bogey’.
Watch the World Record Attempt here.
Band leader Phil Manley explained: “When MSC Cruises offered us the chance to set a record on one of its ships it was too good to miss. All the band members have been training hard to play and march at speed. This has been a fantastic challenge – we’ve played cruise ships away as they’ve left Southampton before but never been the star attraction ourselves.”
Setting the record on MSC Splendida meant sticking to a strict set of guidelines. As well as having an official Guinness World Records adjudicator to oversee proceedings MSC Cruises called on surveyor Peter Collings, from Salisbury-based land surveying company LDS to accurately measure the course. Peter’s experience includes providing surveying services at the Olympic Games (Athens 2004, London 2012), Winter Olympics (Sochi 2014) and Commonwealth games (Glasgow 2014).
About the Balcony Upgrade promotion
MSC Cruises ‘Get the Best’ promotion applies to a huge selection of sailings across the cruise line’s 12 ships and covers winter 2015/2016, summer 2016 and winter 2016/2017 itineraries. Bookings must be made between September 4 and November 30, 2015.
The offer is valid on both cruise-only and fly-cruise packages, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy a Balcony cabin for the price of an Inside cabin. Seven-night fly-cruises in the Mediterranean start at just £499 per person including return British Airways flights and overseas transfers (based on December 15, 2016 departure).
For even better value, UK holidaymakers will be able to take advantage of great-value Experience upgrades on all seven-night Mediterranean sailings. For example, an upgrade from ‘Bella’ to ‘Fantastica’ is just £50 per person and includes services such as free 24-hour room service and breakfast served in the cabin. Or an upgrade from ‘Bella’ to the luxurious ‘MSC Yacht Club’ is available for an additional £300 per person including a 24-hour butler and all-inclusive Yacht Club drinks.
With seven ships operating in the Med next summer, there is plenty of choice for those looking to book early and plan ahead for next year’s holiday. MSC Preziosa, MSC Fantasia, MSC Poesia and MSC Armonia will all be operating seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean, with MSC Magnifica, MSC Orchestra and MSC Sinfonia operating seven-night cruises in the Eastern Med.
Examples of Mediterranean Balcony deals
MSC Armonia: Seven-night Western Med fly-cruise from Genoa, Italy, departing April 30, 2016 calling at Marseille, France; Mahon, Minorca; Cagliari, Sardinia; Valletta, Malta; Messina, Sicily; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; and Genoa. Balcony cabin from £749pp, including flights from London and overseas transfers. Cruise-only balcony price £449pp.
MSC Orchestra: Seven-night Eastern Med fly-cruise from Venice, Italy, departing May 8, 2016, calling at Bari, Italy; Katakolon, Greece; Santorini, Greece; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Corfu, Greece; Kotor, Montenegro; and Venice. Balcony cabin from £799pp, including flights from London or Manchester and overseas transfers. Cruise-only balcony price £499pp.
MSC Preziosa: Seven-night Western Med fly-cruise from Genoa, Italy departing May 21, 2016, calling at Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Palermo, Sicily; Valletta, Malta; Valencia, Spain; Marseille, France and Genoa. Balcony cabin from £899pp, including flights from London and overseas transfers. Cruise-only balcony price £599pp.
The offer is also available further afield on Caribbean and Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman sailings and also on selected long cruises in both the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, including departures from Southampton on board MSC Splendida. The deal applies to assorted seven-, 10-, 11- and 14-night itineraries.
Great offers include
MSC Musica: Seven-night Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman fly-cruise from Abu Dhabi, UAE, departing January 17, 2016, calling at Khor al Fakkan, UAE; Muscat, Oman; Khasab, Oman; Dubai, UAE (overnight stay) and Abu Dhabi. Balcony cabin from £849pp, including flights from London, Manchester or Dublin and overseas transfers. Cruise-only balcony price £349pp [Dubai embarkation also].
MSC Splendida: 10-night round Britain cruise from Southampton departing May 6, 2016, calling at Hamburg, Germany; Invergordon, UK; Kirkwall, UK; Dublin, Ireland; Greenock, UK; Cork, Ireland and Southampton. Balcony cabin from £1,099pp including car parking for the duration of the cruise.
MSC Divina: 14-night Western Caribbean fly-cruise from Miami, US, departing March 12, 2016, calling at Charlotte Amalie, USVI; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Nassau, Bahamas; Miami; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas and Miami. Balcony cabin from £1,549pp, including flights from London and overseas transfers. Cruise-only balcony price £849pp.
There are also Inside to Outside cabin upgrades available on board MSC Opera in the ship’s new home, Havana. A seven-night cruise departing Havana on January 19, 2016 and calling at Montego Bay, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico and back to Havana, Cuba costs from £1,049 per person including flights from London (via Madrid) and two nights on board the ship in Havana at the start of the cruise.
All prices are all based on two sharing.
For more information see www.msccruises.co.uk
