MSC Cruises Reveals 2017-2018 Winter Schedule

MSC Cruises has announced their most comprehensive range of winter cruising options in company history.  The expanded options are part of an exciting year for the line, as two new ships will enter service in 2017 alone.  MSC Meraviglia will arrive in June and spend the winter in the Mediterranean, and MSC Seaside will arrive in December 2017 and sail the Caribbean from Miami.

Caribbean

Guests looking for Caribbean voyages will have a great variety to choose from.  There will be nearly 50 departures to choose from during the season.  MSC Seaside will be christened in December 2017 and feature a beach condo design, 360 degree outdoor promenade, two glass-floor catwalks, and elevators with an ocean view.  The ship will offer an eastern Caribbean itinerary stopping in San Juan, St. Maarten, and Nassau, and a western Caribbean schedule stopping in Ocho Rios, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel.

MSC Fantasia will introduce 7 and 14-night cruises in the southern Caribbean from Martinique or Guadeloupe.  New ports of call on the itineraries will include Kingstown, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines.

Mediterranean

MSC Cruises’ new flagship MSC Meraviglia will launch next month, and sail the Mediterranean for her inaugural season.  For those looking to sail in Europe during the quieter winter season, the ship will offer 7-night western Mediterranean cruises until April 2018.  Designed as a ship for all seasons, guests can enjoy a variety of activities no matter what the weather outside looks like.  There’s exclusive Cirque de Soleil at Sea shows, a number of bars and restaurants, an authentic Balinese spa, and more.

MSC Orchestra will be offering a brand new series of 10, 11, and 12-night cruises with four ports of embarkation: Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, and Civitavecchia.  The 10-night will offer only one day at sea with lots of ports to see, and the 11-night itinerary will stop in Corfu, Greece and Crete, with only two days at sea.  Also new for the season is the 12-night voyage calling in destinations such as Madeira, the volcanic landscape of the Canary Islands, and Morocco.

South America

MSC will have four ships based in South America for the winter season.  MSC Preziosa and Magnifica will offer cruises of up to seven nights from São Paulo, Brazil; MSC Poesia will offer 8 and 9-night cruises from Buenos Aires, Argentina; and MSC Musica will offer a range of voyages from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Itineraries on these sailings include stops in exotic destinations such as Salvador and Rio, Ilhabela and Ilha Grande islands, and Punta del Este and Montevideo in Uruguay.  Throughout the season, guests can choose from over 70 departures that are 7-9 nights long.

United Arab Emirates

The line will continue to offer their popular UAE cruises with two embarkation ports: Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  MSC Splendida will be new to the region and offer guests the most modern ship facilities in the area, including the MSC Yacht Club.

All itineraries will include a call at Sir Bani Yas Island, one of MSC’s private beach destinations.  It offers 387,500 square feet of pristine beaches and access to a massive safari reserve exclusive to the line’s guests.  Other stops will include Muscat, Oman; Khor al Fakkan; Doha Qatar; and Bahrain.