MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately owned cruise line, has revealed their 2019/2020 cruise season that includes new cruise ships, new ports, new destinations, and a new private island in the Bahamas.
New Itineraries for North America
Before MSC Meraviglia begins cruising from Miami, MSC Cruises has introduced new itineraries from New York. MSC Meraviglia will offer two 10-night round-trip itineraries from New York, calling at Bar Harbor, Boston, and Portland before moving onto Canadian ports like Charlottetown, Corner Brook, Halifax, Quebec, St. John and Sydney. Cruisers can discover the stunning scenery on the East Coast of North America as MSC Meraviglia sails the region for the first time. Prior to arriving in New York, MSC Meraviglia will complete a 17-night transatlantic cruise from Kiel, Germany with ports of call in Denmark, the United Kingdom & Ireland, Iceland and Canada.
Caribbean Itineraries
The Caribbean continues to be the world’s most popular cruise region, and for winter 2019/2020 MSC Cruises will deploy six ships in the Caribbean, offering a wider choice of ships, itineraries and experiences than ever before.
A key highlight for guests will be the opening of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in winter 2019, a new private island exclusively for MSC Cruises guests. This paradise island in the Bahamas will offer 40 acres of fine golden beaches, split into six unique areas, each with its own distinctive atmosphere and surrounded by crystal blue seas rich with marine life. MSC Seaside, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Divina and MSC Armonia will all call at the island where the ships will dock at a specially built pier so that guests can move at leisure between the ship and the shore.
From her new homeport of Miami, MSC Meraviglia will offer two different itineraries out of PortMiami in the West Caribbean. The iconic MSC Seaside, known as the ship that follows the sun, will continue to sail seven nights from Miami to the eastern and western Caribbean.
MSC Divina will return from the Mediterranean in November 2019 offering two long cruises from Miami. The ultramodern ship will offer an 11-night cruise to Jamaica, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. A 10-night cruise will include Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
MSC Preziosa will offer two embarkation ports in the fascinating French Antilles, setting sail from Fort de France in Martinique and Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe. The two 7-night-7 ports itineraries can also be combined in a 14-night cruise, visiting the British Virgin Islands (Tortola), St Maarten, Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada as well as Saint Vincent & The Grenadines.
Mediterranean Cruises
With sales opening on March 5, 2018, MSC Grandiosa is one of two ships to come into service in 2019 and will be spending her inaugural winter season in the Western Mediterranean. MSC Grandiosa is named to signify magnificence and grandeur, a fitting name for this even richer, ultra-modern mega-ship.
MSC Sinfonia will offer longer cruises of 11, 12 and 14 nights in the Mediterranean for those vacationers looking for a longer break in the winter sun. New for this season will be a spectacular 14-night cruise that calls at the historic port of Haifa, Israel with two full days to discover the ancient cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This brand new itinerary also includes calls to Mediterranean favorites from Civitavecchia (Rome), Messina and Genoa to Barcelona and Marseille, as well as the beautiful Greek island of Rhodes, southern Cypriot city of Limassol and Heraklion, Crete with its ancient archaeological sites.
MSC Sinfonia will also be sailing a brand new 12-night cruise from Genoa to exotic destinations across the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Destinations include the sun-drenched island of Tenerife, unique Moroccan city of Tangier — known for its huge local markets, the Dar el Makhzen museum of Moroccan artefacts, and its white-washed hillsides. Other highlights of this beautiful itinerary include the historical Roman-Spanish city of Cartagena, Gothic-tinted Portuguese city of Funchal and Civitavecchia, close to Rome, Italy.
New Cruise Ship for Dubai and Adu Dhabi
MSC Cruises is introducing one of its newest ships to the United Arab Emirates. MSC Bellissima will come into service in March 2019 in the Mediterranean and will then move to the Middle East for winter, with two different 7-night itineraries taking guests to Sir Bani Yas Island, exclusive to MSC Cruises guests when in port, and to Khasab and Muscat in Oman or Bahrain and Qatar. MSC Lirica will also join MSC Bellissima in this popular sunny region, with a series of long cruises in the Persian Gulf. The 14-night itinerary includes calls in the Indian ports of Mumbai and Goa with an overnight stay, while the 11-night cruise features a stop in Muscat and an overnight stay in Oman.
117 Day World Cruise
With a brand new itinerary, MSC Cruises second World Cruise will commence on board MSC Magnifica from Civitavecchia, Genoa, Barcelona and Marseilles in January 2020. With more than 40 destinations and 23 countries, guests will be able to cross five continents on a three-month plus voyage of discovery to some of the world’s most talked-about destinations.
With these highlights for winter 2019/2020 and the variety of vacation options to choose from, guests can still expect the key distinguishing elements of the MSC Cruises experience — modern ships, comfortable accommodations, fresh, authentic and internationally-inspired food, award-winning entertainment, plenty of relaxation, impeccable service, expertise and elegantly designed ships.
And with MSC Cruises, the earlier you book, the better the benefits. By booking ahead, guests can easily enjoy significant savings and a wider choice of staterooms within the Fantastica, Aurea or MSC Yacht Club experiences.
