I am not someone who spends their fall Sunday afternoons or Monday nights on the couch watching NFL football, nor will you find me getting up at 3 or 4 a.m. to watch the Australian Open tennis tournament.
But I do like sports, and I especially enjoy going to live sporting events. There’s an energy that I love being a part of in a stadium or arena filled with sports fans that for me is a step above the energy you feel at a concert.
That’s why I jumped at the invitation to head to Abu Dhabi for an action-packed four days in November to watch the final race in the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship and a stay aboard the MSC Virtuosa, which was in port for the event.
Unlike other sports that have a lot of nuanced rules that might make it hard for a first-time viewer to follow, the opportunity I had to watch everything from the practice sessions to the qualifying races and eventually the big race proved to me that Formula 1 is one of those great sports that anyone can get into at any time.
The author and her brother Brandon in front of the Formula 1 World Championship Drivers Trophy during an exclusive tour of the racetrack and paddock area at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Nicole Edenedo
Still, it was a good thing I invited my brother Brandon to join me on this trip. I had no idea he was a fan of Formula 1 when I asked him if he’d like to accompany me on the trip, although the speed at which he cleared his work schedule in order to tag along was my first clue. He knew everything about the drivers, their stats, the roads (literally and figuratively) they took to get there — the works. It was like having my own TV color commentator along.
Getting revved up
The 6,334-passenger Virtuosa, the second in the MSC’s Meraviglia Plus class after the MSC Grandiosa, was docked at the Abu Dhabi cruise terminal. It served as a floating hotel for cruisers as well as for travelers who purchased fan hospitality packages that ranged from cabin-only tickets to the full F1 Experience.
The F1 Experience packages included a bevy of activities and programming hosted both onboard the ship and at the Yas Marina Circuit, where the race weekend events were held. Our Formula 1 package included a number of premium, all-inclusive experiences that included tours of the track circuit, Q&As and panel discussions with current and former Formula 1 drivers onboard the ship and — probably my favorite perk — access to the air-conditioned Yas Marina Suites with our grandstand seats, which were like VIP areas that served hot meals and beverages all day.
Also available for fans looking to splurge was an even more exclusive package that gave guests access to the Paddock Club, which included entry to a luxury suite above pit lane with views of the starting grid or Turn 1, a pivotal corner in the race.
The MSC Virtuosa docked at Abu Dhabi and served as a hotel for the race weekend. Photo Credit: Nicole Edenedo
Nights after the events at the racetrack were followed by two-hour concerts by some of music’s biggest stars. DJ Tiesto, Chris Brown and Shania Twain each headlined evening performances at the Ferrari World arena next to the track, with the Foo Fighters headlining the closing show.
Making time to check out Ferrari World is a must while in Abu Dhabi, whether you’re there during race week or any time of year. It’s an auto-racing and transportation-themed space that is basically an indoor amusement park, complete with rides for adults and children. Ferrari World is also home to the world’s fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa. My roller coaster days are largely behind me, but one “thrill-seeking” thing I did was hop on a Bird electric scooter for the first time, which was exhilarating enough.
Travel tip: If you ever find yourself running late and need to get somewhere in a hurry in the Yas Marina area, you can hop on one of these scooters for a very small fee. You rent them using the Bird app, which will also let you know where there are scooters available nearby.
Spectators at the Yas Marina Circuit. Photo Credit: Nicole Edenedo
Hitting the racetrack
Friday night was our first full day of experiences. We headed to the track in the late afternoon to watch the practice sessions, ate some hearty food in the Yas Suites and then headed to the racetrack for a guided tour while standing on the back of a flatbed truck. It’s the same truck that carries the drivers during the drivers parade on race day, which was a pretty cool experience.
Another very neat feature of the F1 Experience was taking a stroll along pit lane, where we got to pass by the paddocks for all of the drivers. My brother the Formula 1 expert was like a kid in a candy store posing for pictures in front of the paddock for his favorite driver, Lewis Hamilton, who at the time was a longtime driver for McLaren (Hamilton shocked the racing world in February by switching to the Mercedes team).
The pit lane walk and the flatbed tour were both perks that came with the Cabin + F1 Experience, which was a step above the basic Formula 1 package and also included a three-day grandstand seat with access to the West Yas Suite and a balcony cabin; an even higher-end Cabin + F1 Premium Hospitality package was also available.
Prior to heading out to the track each day there were Q&A sessions with current and former Formula 1 drivers on the sun deck of the ship. These were a great start to the day as attendees could can gain more in-depth, insider knowledge about the sport and hear about career highlights and pitfalls of the drivers and what this sport has meant to them before watching races live, which I think can give newcomers to the sport a better appreciation of it.
Steak served at Butcher’s Cut, one of more than a dozen specialty restaurants onboard the MSC Virtuosa. Photo Credit: Nicole Edenedo
Spa and steak break
Although I didn’t actually sail with MSC on my visit, I was able to enjoy many of the MSC Virtuosa’s amenities during my stay on the ship. Most memorable were the lunches at the specialty restaurants and spending time at the spa.
I only got to spend a few hours at the MSC Aurea Spa because my schedule was jam-packed moving between the ship and the racetrack, but every second I had there was worth it. It’s a spacious area located in a quiet section of the ship on Deck 7, the same deck that houses some of the specialty restaurants.
There are multiple saunas, steam rooms, a salt room, a frigidarium and whirlpool baths. I highly recommend visiting the spa early in the morning (hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) to ensure you’re maximizing your time there before getting on with the rest of your day.
As for the food, I can tell you that I still salivate when looking at my photos of the steak I had at Butcher’s Cut, the steakhouse specialty restaurant on Deck 7, just a short walk from the spa. It was juicy, tender, thick and medium-rare, just the way I like it, with a few sprinkles of sea salt in each bite.
I was surprised to see the restaurant had both bone marrow and lobster bisque on the menu, two of my favorite dishes, and they were just as delicious as the steak. The bone marrow dish felt particularly generous and was a bigger portion than I’m used to getting, even at one of my favorite restaurants in New York.
I’d also recommend Indochine, located one floor below Butcher’s Cut, serving Asian-fusion cuisine with a Vietnamese twist. I really enjoyed the appetizers, including the spring rolls in rice paper, and my main dish, the pork belly, which came in four thick slices.
It’s a tricky place to find (it’s located inside L’Atelier Arts bar), so maybe give yourself extra time if you’re meeting friends there.
