October 2026 - Northern Viking Explorer

October 20, 2026October 20, 2026

MSC Poesia Main Dining Room Menus: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Planning a cruise aboard the MSC Poesia and wondering what’s on the menu? During our 7-night Alaska cruise, we collected several MSC Poesia main dining room menus, including breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, Gala Night, and drinks menus. We’ve put them all together here so you can take a closer look at the dining options before your cruise.

We enjoyed several meals at the Le Fontane Restaurant on Deck 5 and Il Palladio Restaurant on Deck 6. From traditional breakfast favourites to seafood, steaks, pasta, and desserts, there was plenty of variety throughout our sailing.

Below, you’ll find links to the actual MSC Poesia menus from our cruise, organized by day. All menus are available as PDFs, making them easy to view.

🍽️ MSC Poesia Main Dining Room Menus (PDF)

Day 7

Day 7 Breakfast MSC Poesia Download

Day 7 Lunch MSC Poesia Download

Day 7 Dinner MSC Poesia Download

Please note that menus, selections, and dining availability can change depending on the sailing, itinerary, and ship operations. These PDFs reflect the menus available during our cruise.

🎥 Watch Our MSC Poesia Free Food Tour

If you’d like to see what the food actually looks like, we also put together a complete MSC Poesia food tour on our Northern Viking Explorer YouTube channel.

In the video, we explore the complimentary food available throughout the ship, starting at the Villa Pompeiana Buffet on Deck 13. We take a look at breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, complimentary beverages, and soft serve ice cream.

We then head down to the main dining rooms to show you some of the meals we enjoyed, including breakfast, Tour de Brunch, lunch, and dinner. Some of our highlights included filet mignon, lobster tail, prime rib, and Baked Alaska.

Watch the MSC Poesia FREE Food Tour here: https://youtu.be/Ah1j1BiMPT4

🍴 Our Experience Dining on the MSC Poesia

One thing we appreciated about dining on the MSC Poesia was the variety of food available throughout our cruise. The main dining room menus changed regularly, giving us opportunities to try different appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

We also enjoyed having the option of a sit-down breakfast or lunch at Le Fontane instead of always visiting the buffet. During our sailing, we had dinner at Il Palladio, where we were assigned a table for two.

Our Gala Night dinner was particularly memorable, with filet mignon, lobster tail, and Baked Alaska among the options we enjoyed.

Whether you’re planning your first MSC cruise or have already booked a sailing on the MSC Poesia, we hope these menus help give you an idea of what to expect onboard.

🚢 More MSC Poesia Cruise Videos & Information

If you’re researching the MSC Poesia, we’ve also shared several other videos and articles from our Alaska cruise.

Final Thoughts

We hope these MSC Poesia main dining room menus give you a helpful look at the breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner options available onboard. We certainly enjoyed trying the different dishes throughout our 7-night Alaska cruise!

For an even closer look at the complimentary food, be sure to check out our full MSC Poesia food tour.

Watch the Full MSC Poesia Food Tour:

Thanks for visiting Northern Viking Explorer, and happy cruising! 🚢

October 16, 2026October 16, 2026

The Truth About MSC Poesia: Our Likes & Wishes (MSC Poesia Review)

The Truth About the MSC Poesia Our Likes & Wishes (MSC Poesia Review)

After our seven-night Alaska cruise from Seattle, we’re sharing our honest MSC Poesia review to help you plan your own sailing. We cover the ship’s layout and amenities, our aft balcony cabin 11250, the complimentary food and restaurants, and the entertainment and activities.

We had a wonderful week aboard MSC Poesia, but there were also a few things we wished were different. Here’s a quick overview, with the full discussion in our video below.

Watch our full MSC Poesia review:
https://youtu.be/VVnjmC4-jus

🚢 Layout & Amenities

In this section of our MSC Poesia review, we explore the ship’s layout, pools, hot tubs, fitness centre, lounges, and outdoor viewing areas. We discuss how the different spaces connect, where to enjoy the scenery, and what amenities are available onboard. We also cover the pool and hot tub hours and the differences between public spaces and areas reserved for certain guests.

MSC Poesia pool deck with an outdoor swimming pool, raised hot tubs, and loungers. — The outdoor pool deck aboard MSC Poesia, one of the areas we discuss in our review.

🛏️ Our Aft Balcony Cabin 11250

We take you inside our aft balcony cabin 11250 on Deck 11 of MSC Poesia. This section covers the room’s layout, bed, seating, storage, charging options, and bathroom. We also discuss the balcony, wake views, and what to expect when staying at the back of the ship.

MSC Poesia aft balcony cabin 11250 with a bed, seating area, and balcony doors. — A look inside our aft balcony cabin 11250 on Deck 11 of MSC Poesia.

🍽️ Free Food & Restaurants

Our MSC Poesia food review covers the complimentary dining options, including the Villa Pompeiana Buffet and the main dining rooms. We discuss breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner, with examples of the meals and desserts served throughout our cruise. This section also covers dining arrangements, requesting a table for two, and additional charges to be aware of.

Slice of Baked Alaska dessert with colourful layers and red sauce aboard MSC Poesia. — Baked Alaska, one of the desserts served during our MSC Poesia cruise.

🎭 Entertainment & Activities

We cover the entertainment and activities available during our MSC Poesia Alaska cruise, from theatre productions to live music, comedy, and onboard games. This includes the two different Dirty Dancing performances, Big Band at Sea, naturalist presentations, and themed parties. We also discuss the activities offered throughout the ship and what families can expect from the onboard attractions.

Singers, dancers, and live musicians perform Dirty Dancing: The Celebration aboard MSC Poesia. — The evening Dirty Dancing: The Celebration show aboard MSC Poesia.

Whether you’ve followed our Alaska cruise vlog series or are just starting to research MSC Poesia, we hope this review helps with your cruise planning. Watch the full video for our thoughts on each of these four areas, including what we liked and what we wished was different.

Watch the full review:
https://youtu.be/VVnjmC4-jus

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 7: Victoria, B.C., Humpbacks & Orcas 🚢

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise: Victoria B.C. Canada, Humpbacks & Orcas - Day 7 Vlog

Day 7 of our MSC Poesia Alaska cruise brought an unforgettable day of whale spotting followed by an evening in Victoria, B.C., Canada. It was our last full day aboard the ship, and we enjoyed a relaxed morning before some of the most exciting wildlife encounters of the week.

Victoria is one of our favourite cruise ports, so we were looking forward to exploring its waterfront, gardens, and downtown on foot. Add in breaching humpbacks, orcas, and our favourite ice cream, and it made for a wonderful finish to our seven-night Alaska cruise from Seattle.

Watch our full Day 7 vlog here:
https://youtu.be/HA8dd6gvFhs

A Relaxed Morning Aboard MSC Poesia

We started with breakfast before checking out the games and activities in the Zebra Bar. It was rainy and windy outside, so we also spent some time in the theatre, catching part of the naturalist’s Giants of the Pacific presentation.

With our return to Seattle coming the next morning, we attended the disembarkation talk. It was a useful opportunity to hear about luggage collection and leaving the ship, especially before heading out for our evening port visit.

MSC Poesia theatre with a large screen displaying the disembarkation talk presentation with Cruise Director Matias during our Alaska cruise. — Attending the disembarkation talk in the MSC Poesia theatre before returning to Seattle.

🐋 Orcas and Fully Breaching Humpbacks

The wildlife was a highlight of our MSC Poesia Alaska cruise, and Day 7 certainly delivered. We spotted orcas from the buffet area on our way to get ice cream. Then the naturalist announced that humpback whales were breaching close to the ship.

We hurried upstairs and were treated to an incredible show. Seeing humpbacks come completely out of the water beside the ship was fantastic, and we managed to capture some of the action on video.

This was our eighth Alaska cruise, and we felt it was the most whales we had ever seen up close without taking a whale watching tour.

Humpback whale breaching out of the Pacific Ocean, photographed from MSC Poesia during Day 7 of our Alaska cruise. — An incredible humpback whale breach spotted from MSC Poesia on our final full day at sea.

🍁An Evening in Victoria, B.C., Canada

After the MSC Voyagers Club appreciation event and dinner, we arrived in Victoria for our final port visit. The weather had improved, which was a welcome change for our walk into town.

We headed first to Fisherman’s Wharf, where the colourful float homes are always a favourite. From there, we continued towards the Inner Harbour and downtown Victoria.

Large red Welcome to Victoria, Canada sign with maple leaves at the cruise terminal in Victoria, British Columbia. — Welcome to Victoria, Canada! Our final port stop aboard MSC Poesia before returning to Seattle.

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings and their gardens were beautiful to explore. Later in the evening, seeing the buildings illuminated made the waterfront even more memorable.

British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, BC, featuring historic stone architecture, green copper domes, lawns, and colourful flower gardens. — Exploring the beautiful British Columbia Parliament Buildings during our MSC Poesia cruise stop in Victoria.

We also stopped by the Fairmont Empress Hotel, where the flowers and gardens were gorgeous. One of our favourite details was the orca display made from plants and shrubbery. After all the real whales we had seen, it was fun to find more right in downtown Victoria!

Orca-shaped plant sculptures surrounded by colourful flowers and gardens near the Fairmont Empress Hotel in downtown Victoria, BC. — Beautiful orca topiary sculptures surrounded by colourful flowers near Victoria’s Fairmont Empress Hotel.

Ice Cream and a Walk Along the Breakwater 🍦

A visit to Victoria wouldn’t feel complete for us without a stop at Chocolats Favoris. We enjoyed their waffle cones before strolling along the waterfront and making our way back towards the cruise port.

Before returning to MSC Poesia, we walked along the Ogden Point Breakwater. It was getting dark, and the views of the ships made it a lovely way to finish our evening.

Back onboard, we reflected on a wonderful week of exploring Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Endicott Arm, and Dawes Glacier. The whale encounters were especially memorable, and Victoria gave us a beautiful final evening before our return to Seattle.

Watch our full MSC Poesia Day 7 vlog:
https://youtu.be/HA8dd6gvFhs

More From Our MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 6: Sea Day, Dirty Dancing & White Night
https://northernvikingexplorer.com/msc-poesia-sea-day-white-night-day-6/

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 4: Icy Strait Point & So Many Whales
https://northernvikingexplorer.com/msc-poesia-icy-strait-point-day-4/

10 Questions Before Sailing MSC Poesia (Answered!)
https://northernvikingexplorer.com/msc-poesia-questions-before-sailing/

MSC Poesia Aft Balcony Cabin Tour: Stateroom 11250 on Deck 11
https://northernvikingexplorer.com/msc-poesia-aft-balcony-cabin-tour/

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 6: Sea Day, Dirty Dancing & White Night

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise: Sea Day, Dirty Dancing & White Night - Day 6 Vlog

Day 6 of our 7-night Alaska cruise on the MSC Poesia was a full sea day, giving us a chance to slow down a little while still enjoying plenty of activities, food, and entertainment around the ship. From a fascinating whale presentation and lunch at Le Fontaine to two completely different Dirty Dancing experiences and White Night, there was a lot happening onboard.

📽️ Watch our full Day 6 vlog here:
https://youtu.be/eQ4_n8VvQeM

A Relaxing Morning at Sea

After several busy port days, we took advantage of the sea day and slept in a little before grabbing some coffee and heading to Teatro Carlo Felice. The morning included the Whales Alive naturalist presentation, which covered whale behavior, feeding, habitat, and some of the individual whales commonly seen around Alaska.

It was especially interesting hearing about whales we had actually encountered on previous Alaska trips. The presentation was a great addition to the itinerary and a nice way to learn more about the wildlife we had been seeing throughout the cruise.

Lunch at Le Fontaine Restaurant

Instead of heading to the buffet, we decided to have lunch at Le Fontaine Restaurant on Deck 5.

We started with a shared selection of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and focaccia, followed by fried seafood with calamari, shrimp, and white fish. For our main courses, we tried a calzone filled with spicy salami and mozzarella and a pan-fried sea bass with lemon caper butter.

Dessert included pistachio tiramisu and a rich chocolate cake with ice cream.

The food was very good, although lunch took quite a while. We were there for around an hour and a half, so this is definitely a better option when you have time to sit back and enjoy a slower meal.

Exploring MSC Poesia During the Afternoon

The afternoon gave us some time to wander around the MSC Poesia and enjoy the ship.

We checked out several of the onboard shops, including MSC merchandise, Alaska souvenirs, duty-free items, clothing, fragrances, toiletries, and travel essentials. There was actually quite a bit more shopping onboard than we initially expected.

We also headed outside after hearing announcements about whales being spotted from the ship. The forward decks provided some fantastic views, although it was extremely windy and we just missed one of the whale sightings.

Dirty Dancing in Concert

One of the most unusual entertainment options of the day was Dirty Dancing in Concert.

This wasn’t a traditional production show. The full Dirty Dancing movie played on the large screen in Teatro Carlo Felice while a live band performed the music and singers and dancers joined in during key moments.

The combination of the movie, live musicians, and performers made it feel completely different from anything else we had seen during the cruise. The performance runs for roughly the length of the movie, so it is a longer show, but you could easily come and go if you didn’t want to stay for the entire performance.

Dirty Dancing in Concert aboard MSC Poesia with the movie playing behind the live performers — Dirty Dancing in Concert combined the movie with live musicians and performers in Teatro Carlo Felice.

Italian Night and White Night

That evening was both Italian Night and White Night aboard the MSC Poesia.

The dining room was decorated for Italian Night, and the crew wore red, white, and green accents. We enjoyed another dinner at Il Palladio Restaurant with dishes including grilled Alaskan salmon, chicken parmesan, calamari, salads, and several desserts.

One of the fun parts of the evening was seeing how many passengers participated in White Night. A large portion of the ship seemed to be dressed in white, making it a great evening for photos.

We even managed to be first in line for a group selfie with several of the MSC Poesia officers and crew in the atrium.

White Night aboard MSC Poesia with cruise ship officers in the atrium — White Night aboard MSC Poesia included a group photo with several of the ship’s officers.

Dirty Dancing: The Celebration

After dinner, we returned to Teatro Carlo Felice for the second Dirty Dancing experience of the day, Dirty Dancing: The Celebration.

This show was completely different from the afternoon performance. Instead of watching the movie, this was a fast-paced live production featuring singers, dancers, a live band, colorful lighting, and music from Dirty Dancing.

The live musicians added a lot to the performance, especially the saxophone, and we thought the dancing was some of the strongest we had seen during the cruise.

Dirty Dancing The Celebration live show aboard MSC Poesia with saxophone player and performers — Dirty Dancing: The Celebration featured live music, singing and energetic dancing aboard MSC Poesia.

The evening continued with the White Party in the Zebra Bar, where passengers could keep the celebration going later into the night.

Our Thoughts on Sea Day Aboard MSC Poesia

Day 6 ended up being a great example of what a sea day can look like aboard the MSC Poesia.

There was enough happening around the ship to stay busy, but we could still slow down, enjoy a long lunch, explore the shops, watch for whales, take in the entertainment, and enjoy White Night.

The two Dirty Dancing experiences were particularly interesting because they were completely different from one another. Dirty Dancing in Concert combined the movie with live music and performers, while Dirty Dancing: The Celebration felt much more like a traditional cruise ship production show.

If you’re planning an MSC Poesia Alaska cruise, White Night and the onboard entertainment are definitely worth keeping an eye out for in the daily schedule.

📽️ Watch our full Day 6 MSC Poesia vlog here:
https://youtu.be/eQ4_n8VvQeM

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 5: Dawes Glacier & Juneau Trolley to Mendenhall Glacier 🚢

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Dawes Glacier, Juneau & Mendenhall Glacier Day 5 Vlog

Day 5 of our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the MSC Poesia was one of those days that felt like we packed two completely different Alaska adventures into one. We started the morning sailing through the dramatic scenery of Endicott Arm toward Dawes Glacier, then spent the afternoon in Juneau on a trolley excursion out to Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls.

Watch our full Day 5 MSC Poesia Alaska cruise vlog here:

🧊 Sailing Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier

We were up early as the MSC Poesia made its way through Endicott Arm. The morning started out cloudy and a little foggy, but the scenery was beautiful, with steep mountains dropping into turquoise water, waterfalls along the cliffs, and icebergs floating around the ship.

As we got closer to Dawes Glacier, we headed to some of the forward outdoor viewing areas and listened to the ship’s naturalist provide information about the glacier and the surrounding area. The weather changed constantly, with rain, clouds, and even some sunshine breaking through, but it almost added to the atmosphere.

We ended up getting to within roughly two and a half miles of Dawes Glacier, which was one of the closer views we’ve had during our visits to the area. Between the glacier, icebergs, waterfalls, seals, and towering mountains around us, it was an incredible way to start the day.

Dawes Glacier viewed from MSC Poesia while sailing through Endicott Arm, Alaska. — Our view of Dawes Glacier from aboard MSC Poesia as we sailed through Endicott Arm.

☕ Brunch & a Little Time Aboard MSC Poesia

After heading away from Dawes Glacier, we warmed up and went to Le Fontaine Restaurant for brunch. There was a special brunch menu that morning with a mix of breakfast and lunch choices, which was perfect after spending so much time outside.

We also checked out MasterChef at Sea in the theater before getting ready for our afternoon arrival in Juneau. By then, it really did feel like we had already experienced a full day, and we hadn’t even reached port yet.

🚋 Juneau Trolley to Mendenhall Glacier

When we arrived in Juneau, the MSC Poesia was tendering passengers ashore before moving to the dock later in the afternoon. It did take us quite a while to reach shore, so if you are booking a private excursion on a tender day, we would definitely recommend leaving plenty of extra time.

Our excursion for the afternoon was the Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour with Juneau Tours. We met near the Goldbelt Tram and boarded one of their trolley-style buses for a narrated drive through Juneau and out toward Mendenhall Glacier.

Along the way, our guide pointed out some of Juneau’s well-known sights, surrounding mountains, and other interesting spots around the city while sharing information about the area. It was a fun way to see more of Juneau while making our way to the glacier.

🔗 Book the Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour with Juneau Tours:
https://www.juneautours.com/

Juneau Tours trolley used for our Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour in Juneau, Alaska. — Our Juneau Tours trolley took us through downtown Juneau and out to Mendenhall Glacier.

🏔️ Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls

Once we arrived at Mendenhall Glacier, we had about two hours to explore. We started at the visitor center, where there are some fantastic views overlooking Mendenhall Lake and the glacier.

From there, we walked the trail out to Nugget Falls. The trail is fairly flat and easy to follow, and the waterfall at the end is impressive. Standing near the falls, you can really feel and hear the power of the water, with Mendenhall Lake and the glacier nearby.

On the way back, we stopped at some of the viewpoints closer to the visitor center for more views of Mendenhall Glacier before it was time to meet our trolley for the ride back to Juneau.

Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Lake viewed near the visitor center in Juneau, Alaska. — A beautiful view of Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Lake during our afternoon excursion in Juneau.

🌅 Back Aboard the MSC Poesia

We made it back to the ship in time for a beautiful evening sail away from Juneau. Since we had missed our normal main dining room time, we grabbed a late dinner at the buffet and then enjoyed some of the evening entertainment, including the Silent Disco and comedy in Teatro Carlo Felice.

It was a long day, but a fantastic one. Seeing Dawes Glacier in the morning and Mendenhall Glacier in the afternoon made Day 5 feel especially memorable, and the trolley excursion gave us a fun way to see more of Juneau along the way.

If you’re planning an MSC Poesia Alaska cruise, visiting Dawes Glacier, or looking for a Mendenhall Glacier excursion in Juneau, we hope our experience helps with your own Alaska cruise planning.

Watch the full Day 5 vlog here: