It’s no secret MSC Cruises is looking to be a major player in the United States cruise market. In 2013, the family-owned Italian cruise line homeported their first cruise ship in North America when the MSC Divina arrived in PortMiami to offer Caribbean cruises. In just a few short weeks, Divina will be joined by the brand new MSC Seaside which was specifically designed “to follow the sun” in the warm waters of the Caribbean.
Earlier this week, MSC announced a third ship will be coming to PortMiami in December 2019, the 4,500 passenger MSC Meraviglia. Before arriving in the 305, the ship will offer three cruises from the Big Apple starting with a maiden call to New York City on October 7, 2019. The ship will sail two 10-night round trip cruises on a Canada/New England itinerary followed by a 13-night Caribbean itinerary from New York to Miami where she will join Divina and Seaside for the winter 2019-2020 season.
Photo credit: Bernard Biger STX France
This will be the first time in MSC’s history that they will have three ships homeported in the United States. Combined total passenger capacity between the three ships is more than 8,600.
BONUS: Read more about the launch of MSC Seaside in MSC Cruise News.
MSC Meravigila is the first in the Project Vista-class and features a promenade with an LED roof, water park with 3 slides, a ropes course, a dedicated theatre for a Cirque de Solei show, full-size bowling alley, flight simulator, the line’s signature Aurea Spa and 10 restaurants. She was launched in June 2017 and is one of the largest cruise ships in the world. A second Project Vista ship, MSC Bellissima is under construction and is scheduled to be delivered in 2019.
Bookings for the New York and Caribbean sailings go on sale January 2, 2018.