MSC Cruises has opened sales for its winter 2024/25 season with more than 150 global sailings now available to book. Six ships will serve the Caribbean Sea, while the MSC World Europe will sail the Mediterranean, and MSC Euribia undertakes a new deployment in the Middle East.
The world’s fastest-growing cruise line says it will offer established both favourite destinations and new hotspots, plus short mini cruises and enriching long cruises, all providing varied options across hemispheres and “ensuring there is something for everyone.”
The cruise line says it will soon provide details for its programs in South America, Southern Africa, and the Far East, but for now, offers the following highlights of the season:
1. NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Furthering MSC Cruises’ strong presence in North America, MSC Meraviglia will continue to offer a wide range of itineraries from New York spanning seven to 11 nights, where guests will have the opportunity to see the Big Apple on embarkation and disembarkation, while experiencing the winter warmth of the Caribbean, including Orlando (port of Port Canaveral); Nassau, The Bahamas; and MSC Cruises’ private island Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Meanwhile, MSC Seascape will set sail every Saturday from Miami, offering seven-night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Ocean Cay) and Western Caribbean (Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Mexico, and Ocean Cay), offering the chance for guests to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture and natural beauty of the destinations.
These will be followed by MSC Seaside every Sunday, also offering seven-night cruises from Miami, alternating between Eastern Caribbean (The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic) and Western Caribbean (Mexico, Honduras or Belize, and The Bahamas) itineraries.
MSC Divina will also be based out of Miami, with each cruise including a visit to MSC private reserve, Ocean Cay, across an array of three to 10-night itineraries. Longer sailings will take guests to destinations such as Jamaica, Aruba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas.
MSC Seashore, on the other hand, will homeport in Port Canaveral, near Orlando, from where she will offer further mini cruise options. Guests can indulge in three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas, including stops at Ocean Cay. Seven-night sailings are also available, featuring additional stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya, in Mexico.
And MSC Virtuosa will homeport in Fort-de-France, Martinique. From there, she will embark on back-to-back seven-night Central and Southern Caribbean itineraries, featuring Guadeloupe, the Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, and Saint Lucia.
2. THE ARABIAN SEA
Embarking from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), MSC Cruises’ latest flagship MSC Euribia will make her debut in the region, offering seven-night sailings, including stops in futuristic Abu Dhabi, the island of Sir Bani Yas, also UAE; up-and-coming Doha, Qatar; and Manama in Bahrain.
3. THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Guests will embark on a journey aboard the MSC World Europa, a ground-breaking ship with an ultramodern design and a plethora of culinary, entertainment and leisure experiences for all ages. The ship sets sail from Genoa, Italy, every Sunday for a seven-night Mediterranean adventure that will give guests the opportunity to explore hotspots such as Rome (port of Civitavecchia) and Sicily (port of Messina), in Italy; Valletta, Malta; Barcelona, Spain and Marseille, France.
4. NORTHERN EUROPE
MSC Preziosa offers seven-night cruises departing every Sunday from Hamburg, Germany. Guests will explore destinations such as Bruges and Brussels (port of Zeebrugge), Belgium; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Paris (port of Le Havre), France; and finally, London (port of Southampton), UK, on Fridays. With extended stays in each port, guests can make the most of their time ashore.
Additionally, one 21-night long cruise from Southampton to visit the Canary and Madeira Islands, as well as exotic Morocco, will depart on Jan 5, 2025.
5. RED SEA
MSC Musica will offer seven-night sailings from Safaga, Egypt to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Aqaba, Jordan for the ancient city of Petra; Sharm El-Sheikh for its beaches and resorts, and the opportunities to visit pyramids near Cairo, before returning to Safaga for an opportunity to visit Luxor, famous for the ancient city of the Valley of the Kings.
6. WORLD CRUISE
Previously, the cruise line announced it had opened sales for its 2025 World Cruise, featuring an entirely new itinerary aboard MSC Magnifica. The epic 116-night journey departs from European ports – Civitavecchia/Rome, Genoa, Marseille, and Barcelona – on Jan. 4, 5, 6 and 7 2025 respectively, on its way to 50 destinations (22 of them new to the MSC World Cruise) in 21 countries. The three-month journey, will include five continents and cross three of the world’s largest oceans, sailing over 30,000 nautical miles. A highlight will be 19 days spent sailing around the Southern and Western coast of Australia.