MSC Cruises has teamed up with premium Italian chocolatier Venchi to bring the biggest chocolate experience ever seen at sea to its newest ship, MSC World Asia.The vessel will set sail around the Mediterranean at the end of this year, and chocolate lovers are in for a treat.This partnership is part of the cruise line’s push to work with top culinary experts, and the new flagship will boast more than 40 bars, lounges, cafés and restaurants developed alongside award-winning food partners.It is the first Venchi store to appear on a World Class ship. Spanning an impressive 300 square metres, the Venchi venue sits in the ship’s Galleria district on Deck 6 and can seat more than 60 guests.The new flagship will boast more than 40 bars, lounges, cafés and restaurants developed alongside award-winning food partners | MSC CRUISESIt’s been designed as a multi-sensory space that brings together a chocolate boutique, café and artisanal gelateria all under one roof.The real showstopper is the live chocolate-making experience, where visitors can watch Venchi experts craft their creations before stepping into a “chocolate lab” themselves.Guests can make their own custom bars using premium ingredients like Piedmont Hazelnut and Venchi’s famous chocolate caviar, with digital tools letting them add personalised designs for a creative touch.To mark the collaboration, Venchi and MSC Cruises have created a brand-new gelato flavour called “Crunchy Waves” that launches on August 1.It is a three-layered creation designed to look like sand and sea, and it tastes as good as it looks.The base is creamy vanilla gelato, topped with crunchy hazelnut biscuit and salted toffee pieces inspired by the classic Italian Bacio di Dama biscuit.The finishing touch is a vibrant blue spirulina layer that captures those beautiful Mediterranean tones.The limited-edition flavour will be available throughout August at selected Venchi stores in the UK, US, France and Italy, as well as aboard MSC’s Seaside Class ships.Venchi and MSC Cruises have created a brand-new gelato flavour called “Crunchy Waves” | MSC CRUISESMSC World Asia begins sailing on December 4, with bookings already open for those eager to get aboard. The ship offers plenty of flexibility with embarkation ports across the Mediterranean, including Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Naples, Genoa, Marseille, Messina and Valletta.If you are looking for a cruise-only option this winter, there is a seven-night voyage departing Marseille on January 30, 2027, from just £559 per person.For those who would rather fly, packages are available from Manchester next summer to Barcelona, where you can board MSC World Asia on April 16, 2027 for a week-long Mediterranean adventure from £1,275 per person.