MSC Cruises is making history this summer and they’re doing it with a whale watch on the bridge.
The MSC Poesia is currently sailing its inaugural Alaska season out of Seattle, marking the first time MSC Cruises has ever deployed a ship to Alaska. That alone is a big deal. But what makes this debut even more interesting is a unique partnership the line has formed with ORCA, an international marine conservation nonprofit based in the UK, to place a dedicated marine mammal observer aboard the ship during peak whale season.
MSC’s Big Alaska Debut
Let’s address MSC’s presence in Alaska first, because this really is a big deal for MSC Cruises in North America.
The MSC Poesia arrived in Seattle in May 2026 making it an official MSC homeport, and the line has committed to seven-night Inside Passage itineraries running through September 2026.
Each sailing calls at Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and Juneau, with a stop in Victoria, British Columbia, and scenic cruising through Endicott Arm for views of Dawes Glacier. It’s a traditional Alaska itinerary hitting all the major Southeast Alaska ports with each being a first-ever call for MSC Cruises.
The ship itself received enhancements ahead of the Alaska season, including the addition of MSC Yacht Club (the line’s exclusive ship-within-a-ship concept with butler service), two new specialty restaurants – Butcher’s Cut steakhouse and Kaito Sushi Bar – and an updated spa and fitness center. MSC also put together an Alaska-specific culinary program featuring Pacific Northwest seafood and regional ingredients sourced locally throughout the season.
Entertainment gets an Alaska twist as well, with expert talks, narrated scenic cruising, and wildlife and geography enrichment sessions woven into the daily program.
A Whale Observer on the Bridge
Now here’s where it gets really interesting.
As part of their commitment to responsible operations in Alaskan waters, MSC Cruises is hosting a marine mammal observer aboard the Poesia for five weeks this summer. The observer, Maria Snell, will work from the ship’s bridge using binoculars and a video camera to track humpback whales as the ship moves through the Inside Passage.
This isn’t just a feel-good PR move. It’s a legitimate research collaboration with ORCA with the goal to study how large cruise ships can better maneuver to avoid whales. That may sound simple but it actually turns out to be surprisingly complex.
In addition to tracking whales and collecting behavioral data, Snell will train crew members on whale avoidance and talk with passengers about marine conservation. ORCA makes its citizen science data freely available and has shared findings with organizations like NOAA and Happywhale, which identifies individual whales from crowd-sourced photos.
Why This Matters
Whale strikes are more common than most people realize. Between 2020 and 2024, there were nine reported vessel strike incidents in the Juneau area alone – six of them involving calves. Alaska law prohibits vessels from approaching within 100 yards of humpback whales, speeding near them, or disrupting their behavior, but collisions still happen, often going unnoticed or unreported.
Research out of Glacier Bay National Park has shown that ships actually can avoid whales if crew members are actively watching. Scientists found that on average, a ship has three chances to spot a whale surfacing as it approaches. The catch is you have to be looking. That’s exactly what a dedicated marine mammal observer is there to do.
With enough advance notice and the right conditions ships can do more than just slow down – they can actually steer around whales altogether.
MSC Alaska Season
MSC Poesia is available for bookings for the current 2026 Alaska season running through September, with the ship returning for a second season from April through September 2027. What happens after that is anyone’s guess until MSC opens up future itineraries.