MSC Meraviglia to Cruise Year-Round from New York City
(9:30 a.m. EST) -- MSC Cruises will base its 5,700-passenger MSC Meraviglia year-round in New York City beginning in April 2023. The ship will sail six- to 11-night itineraries that include Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
The Swiss-based, Italian line has rapidly been increasing its presence in the U.S., especially with ships sailing from Miami and Port Canaveral (near Orlando). The addition of New York as a home port represents a milestone for the company.
"New York City was the natural choice when we picked our next U.S. port because it’s so accessible, whether the guest is coming from somewhere nearby or from around the world," said Rubén Rodríguez, president, MSC Cruises USA, in a prepared statement. "MSC Meraviglia was a huge hit when she first came to New York in 2019. Our guests really appreciated the ship’s modern and glamorous features, as well as her state-of-the-art environmental technologies, and we are sure we’ll see strong demand when she returns."
MSC Meraviglia will homeport at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
The ship's seven- and eight-night Caribbean itineraries will include a call at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas, as well as Nassau.
Six-night Bermuda sailings will dock for three days at King's Wharf on the island. Canada and New England itineraries are for 10 or 11 nights and call in Boston and Portland, Maine as well as Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick, in Canada. The 11-night itineraries also visit Newport, Rhode Island.
MSC Meraviglia Part of MSC Cruises' North American Expansion
MSC has long talked about its expansion plans in the North American cruise market, especially as it relates to brining more international travelers into the U.S. The rapidly expanding cruise line has been sending its newest ships to Florida ports, most recently MSC Seashore, based year-round in Miami.
The company has launched five new ships since 2017, with two additional ships coming into service later this year.
Bookings for MSC Meraviglia cruises from New York open on Wednesday, March 9.