MSC Fantasia

The ship's main dining room, Red Velvet, is split between 2 decks (deck 5 seating 626 guests and deck 6 seating 529 guests) and features furnishings ranging from red velvet cushions to Murano glass chandeliers, refined porcelain, crystal glasses and silver flatware.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (which is served in two seating’s at 7pm and 9.30pm), each evening Red Velvet serves a different menu inspired by an Italian region with its typical cuisine and most renowned wines.

The breakfast menu offers an MSC Express breakfast (scrambled or fried eggs, sausages, bacon and hash brown with toast or rolls and fruit juice) or a selection of scrambled, fried, poached or hard boiled eggs cooked to order, omelettes with a variety of fillings, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, cold meats, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, pastries, bread, cheese, smoked salmon, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and fruit juices along with a special of the day.

For Lunch a three course menu is served comprising of starters (such as green pea soup with croutons), Main Course (for example beef fillet with rocket lettuce and pecorino cheese), a Special Dish (such as oven baked pasta with cheddar cheese or Chilli con carne) and Desserts (including a selection of fresh fruit or, for example, mini chocolate parfait).

Examples of a dinner menu are as follows:

Starters:
Nicoise Salad
Selection of salami and cured meats
Soup

Mains:
Seared fillet of salmon
Cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese, spinach and parmesan cheese
Grilled Tuscan style beef

Desserts:
Cheesecake with fresh fruit and coconut sauce
Tiramisu
Ice Cream
Fresh Fruit

Vegan choices are also offered (such as vegetarian strudel and Boca burger) whilst 'always available' options include soup, Caesar salad, pasta Bolognese, chicken breast, beef steak, or salmon served with French fries, baked potatoes, or vegetables of the day.

Il Cerchio D’Oro is the ship's panoramic restaurant with seating for 766 guests and located on the ship’s stern on deck 6 offering an assorted Mediterranean menu, including light choices along with always available options for guests who know what they want each day.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (which is served in two seating’s at 7pm and 9.30pm) dishes range from risottos to filet mignon.

L’Etoile is Fantasia’s MSC Yacht Club guests exclusive restaurant located on deck 15 and seating 136 guests providing them with a gourmet dining experience inspired by both Italian and French culinary traditions.

With an a la carte menu, ingredients such as foie gras, truffles and scallops combine with delicacies such as quail eggs, guinea fowl and pigeon breast to create dishes that are both sophisticated and minimalistic.

The restaurant offers a connoisseur wine list of some fifty superb Italian, French and Spanish wines, including Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Millésimé, Soldera Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG and Château Figeac Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru.

Menu examples are:

Black Tagliolini with cuttlefish and artichoke sauce €7
Couscous with shellfish & lobster medallions cooked in a tagine €15
Fish and seafood Paella €8
Meat and Fish Paella €8
Caramelized Millefeuille with raspberry €5

A pizza service is available via the concierge between the hours of 7.00pm to 10.30pm, with orders delivered to guests cabins.

Charges apply of around €7 for one pizza and a drink.

El Sombrero Tex Mex is Fantasia’s Mexican speciality restaurant with a show gallery kitchen where guests can watch the food being prepared; and bar serving traditional Mexican drinks from beers to Tequila and Margaritas with Latin American music playing in the background.

Open for lunch from 12.00pm to 3.30pm and dinner from 6.30pm until 11pm, guests who enjoy spicy food can sample the tastes of Mexican cuisine from Texas steaks to enchiladas, fajitas, burritos and tacos.

A la carte charges apply with menu examples as follows:

Starters:
Taco filled with chicken, salsa, lettuce and sour cream (€2.90)
Quesadilla with fried courgette flowers, chilli, coriander, salsa, sour cream and cheese (€3.50)
Tostada with beans, chicken, lettuce, salsa and sour cream (€2.90)

Soups and Salads:
Spicy tomato soup (€2.90)
Red bean soup with chorizo, bacon and tomato (€2.90)
Caesar Salad (€2.90)

Sides:
Mexican rice, selection of beans, corn on the cob, avocado, tortillas or fried onion rings (€1.90)
A selection of sauces and cheeses (€1.00)

Main Courses:
Sautéed prawns with onions, garlic, tomato and peppers (€8.50)
Red snapper with garlic, onions, tomatoes, capers and olives (€7.50)
Wheat tortilla stuffed with beans, beef fillet, grilled chicken, cheese, tomato and lettuce (€8.50)
Chilli con carne (€6.50)
Marinated pork served with corn tortillas (€7.50)
Beef burger (€6.50)
Sirloin steak cooked to order (€9.50)
Pork ribs in barbeque sauce (€11.00)

Desserts:
Traditional Mexican custard with orange caramel sauce (€3.50)
Cinnamon rice pudding (€2.90)
Blueberry Cheesecake (€4.90)
Mango cream with lady finger biscuit (€3.50)

Located on deck 7 with seating for 108 guests, dining reservations can be made with the Maître d’ or guests Dining Room waiters.

Piazza San Giorgio, seating 80 guests and located on deck 6 of the ship, is designed to reflect an Italian Square with live music, a pastry and chocolate shop and ice cream parlour (charges apply).

Dishes include crème bavaroise with almonds and berries, chocolate semifreddo, vanilla and rose macaroon cream, sponge cake soaked in rum flavoured syrup filled with cannoli cream and meringues.

Pastries cost from around €1.50 for small tartlets, €0.80 for chocolate éclairs and €1.00 for chocolate mousse to €2.90 for a slice of fruitcake or cheesecake and €3.90 for sponge cakes such as Chocó Light Bomb and Raspberry Mousse Cake. Also sells liquors.

Traditional Gelato Ice Cream is €1.20 per scoop, €2.50 per cone, $3.90 for a smoothie and €5.30 for a banana split or Vanilla and Strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries.

Ice cream flavours range from chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut and pistachio to coffee, strawberry, mango, lemon, banana, melon, peach and raspberry.

The Bar Delle Fontane, located on deck 14 with seating for 97 guests, serves the Aqua Park area with drinks and ice cream.

The ship's self service complimentary buffet spans almost half the length of deck 14. It seats 412 guests in the Zanzibar section and 404 guests in the L’Africana area, and is open non-stop for 20 hours each day from 6am to 2am with tea, coffee and tap water available 24 hours (in the Zanzibar section, starboard).

The restaurant serves a full service continental and cooked breakfast, available from 6.30am to 10.00am. Food on offer ranges from sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms and baked beans to fruit, waffles, Danish pastries, croissants, cold meats and cheeses along with tea, coffee, fruit juice and water.

Late risers can enjoy a continental breakfast from 10am to noon with choices ranging from pastries, fresh fruit and yogurt to cold meats and cheeses.

Lunch menus are available from noon to 3.30pm (and afternoon snacks or casual late lunch from 3.30pm to 6pm) and includes items from the grill, pizzeria and salad bar along with salads, soups, vegetables, fish, meat dishes, fruit and desserts.

Dinner service runs from 7pm to 10pm whilst the grill remains open from noon to 10pm and the pizzeria section (in the Zanzibar section, starboard) from noon until midnight. Snacks are also available right up to 2am in the morning.

The two buffets are divided up into a number of areas which all serve different selections with examples as follows:

Salad and Fruit Corner: Fresh fruit and vegetables are sliced in front of guests and arranged by colour.

Carving Show Corner: Serving a selection of different cuts of meat from turkey to beef.

Grill Take Away Corner: Burgers, hot dogs, chips, sandwiches, piadina wraps and focaccias are available.

Bakery Corner: With guests able to watch bakers making fresh bread, selections range from breadsticks and bread rolls to pretzels and French baguettes.

Pizza Corner: Serving Margherita along with pizza of the day, puff pastry jalousie and stuffed calzone.

Pasta Station: Offering a variety of pasta dishes freshly cooked including pasta au gratin, ravioli and tortellini.

Mediterranean Corner: Serving cheeses, cured hams, and salami

Children’s Corner: Serving a range of healthy and tasty items adapted to suits kids' tastes

Desserts Corner: Sweet treats from cakes and puddings to tarts and mousses are served
Daily Specials: Serving five different dishes each day offering a full menu including soup, pasta, rice and hot dishes.

Ethnic Corner: With dishes from around the world, guests can sample the delights of anything from Moroccan specialities to Chinese and Indian dishes with four different choices from the country of choice each day.

The 87 seater Sports Bar serves à la carte snacks and is open from 3pm to 12am.

Located on deck 7 with large TV screens airing sporting events and its own two lane ten pin bowling area, menu examples include:

Steamed shrimp cocktail €4.90
Fish & Chips €5.50
Buffalo Chicken Wings €2.80
Salad €2.50

Other items on offer range from Italian flat bread with Parma ham and mozzarella, Italian Gragnano bread filled with sausage, mushrooms and cheese to prawn curry, French baguette with ham, cheese, egg and salad, mini hamburgers, Spanish, German, Turkish and Chinese dishes.

The One Bar is MSC Yacht Club’s buffet area with a salad and pasta bar for lunch and is located on deck 18 of the ship.

A complimentary continental breakfast of pastries, fruit and toast with tea and coffee is served between 7.30 am and 10am (guests just complete the doorknob menu and place it outside their cabin door before 2am).

For the rest of the duration of the day, a range of snacks are available via room service for a small fee with examples as follows:

Soup of the day €2.25
MSC Club Sandwich €3.10
Cooked Ham and Cheese Sandwich €3.00
Mozzarella with Tomatoes €3.10
Salad Nicoise €3.00
Mixed Cheese Plate €2.60
Fruit Plate €2.60
Dessert of the day (such as Chocolate Dessert) €3.10

An example of food on offer on the children’s menu is soup or pizza, pasta (such as spaghetti Bolognese or carbonara), fish in tomato sauce, hot dogs, burgers or omelettes served with fries or vegetables and desserts including ice cream, jelly or dessert of the day.

Newly introduced to MSC Cruises is MSC Happy Dinners where children select a meal from the kid's menu which is served whilst the adults are enjoying their first course. Once the children have finished their meal specialised Kid's Club staff collect them to have fun with friends whilst parents enjoy the rest of their meal.

There is no charge for this service and parents simply need to register their children in advance.

An alternative to MSC Happy Dinners, youngsters can opt for Fun Time Dinners where they dine in a separate specially decorated area of the buffet restaurant, watched over by the entertainment team before departing to the Mini or Junior Clubs where parents can collect them from once they have finished their own meal.

Three of these events are themed into Welcome Party, Italian Party and Farewell party.

Accommodating children from the age of three to eleven, Fun Time Dinners are complimentary and parents simply need to register their children in advance.