MSC World Cruises Set to Depart from Barcelona on Separate Itineraries

After leaving Genoa earlier this week, the two MSC Cruises ships on world cruise itineraries are now in Barcelona and set to sail in different directions.

The MSC Poesia and MSC Magnifica departed Genoa on Thursday for their respective four-month cruises and both vessels called Marseille in France before arriving simultaneously this morning in the Spanish port.

 Nearly 600 Spanish guests today boarded both ships before they started their different routes, the company said.

The MSC Poesia will next sail to Funchal on the island of Madiera and the MSC Magnifica to Cadiz in Spain.

 Nearly 4,200 guests from 54 countries will sail the world on both vessels, an industry first for two global voyages operated by a major cruise line.

The MSC Poesia will call 53 ports in 33 different countries and her 117-day voyage will cross the Atlantic, transit the Panama Canal and travel up the West Coast of Central America and North America and then sail the Pacific Ocean before an extended period in Asia.  The vessel will cross the Indian Ocean and return to Europe via the Suez Canal.

MSC Magnifica’s 119-day sailing will circumnavigate South America following a transatlantic voyage, crossing the South Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and then through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea.  The ship will visit 43 destinations in 24 different countries.

MSC Virtuosa the First Ship to Dock in Hamburg in 2023

MSC Virtuosa arriving into Southampton Photo Credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)
The MSC Virtuosa was the first cruise ship to dock in Hamburg in 2023.

The MSC Virtuosa arrived in Hamburg on January 1, 2023, marking the beginning of this year’s cruise season. 

From January 8 to January 29, the ship will set course for the Canary Islands for three weeks. The ship will make calls in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Lisbon, Cadiz and Casablanca followed by visits to the Atlantic islands of Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. On the way back to Hamburg, the MSC Virtuosa will call in La Coruna and Southampton.

The MSC Virtuosa will make several calls in Hamburg before April 16 turning around in the German port.

 In the summer of 2023, the cruise ship will then depart from Southampton, England for Norway or southern Europe. 

The MSC Euribia will then take over the trips to Hamburg from the MSC Virtuosa. In the summer of 2023, it will depart from Kiel and head to the Norwegian fjords. Throughout the 2023/2024 season, the MSC Euribia will return to Hamburg on a weekly basis.

The Port of Hamburg is expecting around 280 calls from cruise ships in 2023. The highlights in the port are the port birthday from May 5 to 7, 2023, and the Cruise Days from September 8 to 10, 2023. 

Four MSC Cruises Ships Now in Service in the Caribbean

With the MSC Seascape now sailing from PortMiami, MSC Cruises completed its Caribbean fleet for the 2022-2023 winter season.

One of the newest ships sailing in the region, the Seascape is the highlight of the deployment, which also includes the MSC Meraviglia, the MSC Divina and the MSC Seaside.

After being delivered in November, the newbuild was christened in New York City earlier this month and launched service from its South Florida homeport on Dec. 11.

A Seaside EVO Class ship, the Seascape is currently the newest and also one of the largest ships of the MSC Cruises fleet.

Set to serve the U.S. market year-round, the 4,560-guest vessel is now offering week-long cruises to the Caribbean departing from Miami.

Itineraries include visits to popular ports in the Eastern and Western Caribbean, including San Juan, Cozumel, George Cayman and Ocho Rios. Every cruise also features a visit to Ocean Cay, MSC’s private island destination in the Bahamas.

Sailing from Miami as well, the MSC Divina offers a seasonal program of three- to 10-night cruises, visiting additional destinations in the Southern and Western Caribbean, Central America and the Bahamas. Featured ports include Cartagena, Roatán, Limón and Freeport.

Based in Port Canaveral, the MSC Meraviglia is the third MSC cruise ship serving the North American market.

From its Central Florida homeport, the 2017-built ship offers a series of three- to seven-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean.

In addition to Ocean Cay and Nassau, itineraries include calls to Cozumel, Belize and Costa Maya.

A fourth vessel, the MSC Seaside is also offering a winter program in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean.

Departing from St. Maarten, Barbados and Martinique, the ships cater to other publics, including Europeans and Brazilians.

MSC is set to broaden its offering in North America and the Caribbean in 2023-2024, with five ships sailing from U.S. ports, and a sixth based in the South Caribbean.