After months of limited operations in Europe, the brand has been gradually adding destinations and ships back into its active lineup for the past year.
With the Musica kicking off its summer program in the Eastern Mediterranean, all of the fleet’s 19 cruise vessels are now in service again.
Sailing from Monfalcone every Sunday, the 2006-built vessel will offer week-long cruises to the Greek Islands and Italy through November.
Passengers will also be able to board the ship in Bari before sailing to Santorini, Katakolon and Heraklion.
After completing its European deployment, the vessel is set to cross the Atlantic, ahead of a winter program in South America.
Starting in December, the vessel will serve the Argentinean market, with cruises to Brazil and Uruguay departing from the Port of Buenos Aires.
The MSC Musica originally entered service in 2006, introducing a series of four ships known as the Musica Class.
Built by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, the 92,400-ton cruise ship can carry 2,550 passengers in double occupancy and features more than 236,800 square feet of common areas.
Among them are five different dining venues, including two main dining rooms and a Japanese speciality restaurant.
The vessel is also equipped with two outdoor pool decks, a large spa, a two-deck theatre, a mini-golf course, a nightclub, a casino, a cigar room and several lounges and bars.
As the second ship to resume service for MSC Cruises this month, the MSC Musica follows the MSC Orchestra.
After a winter season in South Africa, the vessel returned to Europe on June 4, kicking off a summer program in the Western Mediterranean.
The Costa Firenze has made its debut in Genoa, marking the restart of Costa’s cruises from the city.
Guests will be able to disembark freely as the company will no longer require bubble-style excursions.
Costa said it will call at Genoa every Thursday through November as part of a one-week Western Mediterranean itinerary, which also includes Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari, Palermo and Civitavecchia/Rome.
In addition to the Costa Firenze, starting in November and through the end of the year, the Costa Luminosa will also be in Genoa every Sunday, again for one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean.
In 2022 Costa will be in Genoa for a total of 45 calls, after only a few calls in 2021 and 2020.
Numbers will continue growing in 2023 too with weekly calls on Fridays from the new Costa Toscana.
“After a two-year pause, we are finally returning regularly with our cruises to Genoa. We are doing so with a new-generation ship, Costa Firenze, and an even richer product that will allow exploring our destinations in the best possible way,” said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises.
“Costa Firenze, as well as the other ships in the fleet, offer the opportunity to generate shared value in the territories and contribute to creating models of future development that are sustainable and able to multiply growth opportunities for the territory. I am thinking, for example, of projects such as cold ironing, i.e., the use of land-based energy for ships calling at ports,” he said.
MSC Cruises has revealed the details of its winter 2022-2023 sailing program for 21 ships – including two newbuilds making their debut – to nearly 200 global destinations in 85 countries.
According to a press release, MSC next winter will introduce its first World-class of the ship and first LNG-powered vessel, the GT 205,700 MSC World Europa.
She will be based in Doha for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 football tournament to be staged during November and December.
The vessel will then offer cruises calling Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates and Doha, plus Dammam in Saudi Arabia, with a mini-cruise on Dec. 20 before starting seven-night cruises in the Gulf region.
The Seascape next winter will become the second new ship to join MSC Cruises’ fleet and the line’s second Seaside EVO class vessel. She will offer two different seven-night itineraries from PortMiami with the first sailing on Dec. 11.
Winter 2022/2023 Sailing Program:
Middle East
The MSC World Europa will offer seven-night voyages including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Dammam and Doha.
The MSC Opera will also homeport in Dubai and sail to Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island and both Muscat and Khasab in Oman.
The MSC Splendida will homeport in Jeddah calling at Yanbu and Al Wajh in Saudi Arabia, Aqaba in Jordan and Safaga in Egypt.
Caribbean Sea
The MSC Seascape will start her inaugural season from Dec. 11 from PortMiami. She will offer seven-night East Caribbean itineraries calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Nassau in the Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. The ship will also sail 7-night West Caribbean itineraries calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands and Ocho Rios in Jamaica.
The MSC Meraviglia will offer three- to seven-night Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral including Nassau, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Costa Maya in Mexico, Cozumel and Belize City in Belize.
The MSC Divina will offer three- to 10-night sailings from PortMiami with all itineraries calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Other destinations include Belize City, Isla de Roatan in Honduras, Costa Maya, Ocho Rios, Cartagena in Colombia), Colon in Panama) and Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.
The MSC Seaside will sail seveb-night cruises from Fort de France in Martinique, Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe and Philipsburg in St Maarten. There will be two different itineraries that include calls to destinations such as Castries in Saint Lucia, Bridgetown in Barbados, Saint George in Grenada), or St John’s in Antigua and Barbuda, Basseterre in St Kitts and Nevis and Roseau in Dominica.
Mediterranean Sea
The MSC Grandiosa will sail seven-night cruises from Genoa, Civitavecchia and Palermo in Italy, Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille France.
The MSC Virtuosa is offering sailings from Genoa, La Spezia and Naples in Italy, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona in Spain and Marseille.
The MSC Lirica will operate 11-night voyages from Genoa to Civitavecchia and Messina in Italy, Rhodes in Greece, Limassol in Cyprus, Haifa in Israel and Heraklion in Crete (Greece). The ship will also operate 10-night sailings from Genoa to Marseille, Barcelona, Tangier and Casablanca in Morocco, plus the Spanish ports of Ceuta, Malaga and Alicante.
Northern Europe
The MSC Preziosa is to sail seven-night sailings from Hamburg in Germany, Zeebrugge in Belgium, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Le Havre in France and Southampton in the UK.
South America
The MSC Seashore will do the new seven-night itinerary from Santos calling Maceio, Salvador and Buzios in Brazil.
The MSC Seaview will homeport for the first time in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil between December to March. She will offer 3 to 8-night cruises with different itineraries including the Brazilian destinations of Buzios, Ilhabela, Ilha Grande/Angra dos Reis, Ilheus and Salvador, as well as to Uruguay and Argentina.
The MSC Fantasia is Homeporting in Santos with a range of 3 to 7-night cruises with domestic calls including Ilha Grande, Buzios and Ilha Grande/Angra dos Reis, plus Montevideo and Punta Del Este in Uruguay and Buenos Aires in Argentina.
The MSC Armonia will homeport in Itajai/Santa Caterina with 7-night itineraries to Uruguay, Argentina and Ilhabela in Brazil.
The MSC Musica will homeport in Buenos Aires with sailings to Brazil including Ilhabela, Rio de Janeiro, Buzios and Ilha Grande/Angra dos Reis.
South Africa
The MSC Sinfonia will homeport in Cape Town with sailings to Mossel Bay in South Africa, plus Walvis Bay and Luderitz in Namibia.
The MSC Orchestra will homeport in Durban for voyages to Pomene and Portuguese Island in Mozambique, Walvis Bay and Cape Town.
MSC World Cruise 2023
The MSC Magnifica and MSC Poesia will both perform the MSC World Cruise 2023. The two ships, in an industry-first, will host more than 5,000 passengers for journeys around the world. Both vessels will depart from Civitavecchia and Genoa on 4 and 5 January 2023 respectively, Marseille one day later and Barcelona on 7 January. Once the two ships leave the Mediterranean Sea, they will part ways in the Atlantic Ocean for their separate global itineraries.
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