MSC Cruises will be temporarily closing its private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, in 2024, to help prepare the island for the company’s growth plans.
“Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve will be temporarily closed to MSC Cruises guests from April 7 to May 22, 2024, in order to make necessary guest experience enhancements and support the island’s future growth plans,” the company said in a statement.
“We are in contact with impacted guests and travel advisors to share updated itineraries and travel options,” MSC added.
Of note, the new World America debuts from PortMiami in early 2025 and will be the largest MSC ship to visit Ocean Cay.
Royal Caribbean International will put the new Oasis-class Utopia of the Seas in the short cruise market from Port Canaveral when she debuts next year.
“Vacationers are looking to make every moment count by celebrating and recharging with their friends and family, and Utopia of the Seas makes all that possible in more ways than one,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, of Royal Caribbean International. “With the variety of dining, bars, pools, entertainment and thrills that make Oasis Class ships revolutionary and the experiences to match on our private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, we’ve combined the best of the best to create the world’s biggest weekend for everyone.”
The signature adventures of the newest LNG-powered Oasis ship will make their short getaway debut alongside firsts and reimagined experiences, like a new Caribbean tiki bar, a first-of-its-kind immersive dining experience, the latest, greatest – and longest – dry slide at sea; newly designed resort-style pools; and more, the company said.
The Utopia opens for bookings on Royal Caribbean’s website as soon as Friday, June 23. Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members can book on Thursday, June 22.
Royal Caribbean International plans to take 2.5 million guests to Perfect Day at CocoCay in 2023 as the company’s private island in the Bahamas has become a major selling point on itineraries.
“The pricing premiums continue to be really robust, and the spend on the island continues to be really robust as well,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, of Royal Caribbean International, speaking on the company’s first-quarter earnings call.
Bayley said the company had about 250,000 guests disembark at Perfect Day in March.
Naftali Holtz, CFO, added: “The booking strength has been particularly evident on Caribbean sailings where our superior hardware and Perfect Day at CocoCay continue to be a winning combination.”
Holtz said that these itineraries are driving outsized yield and pricing growth.
“As we’ve increased the volume, we’ve seen no decline in the power of the pricing. And in fact, it continues to accelerate. With Hideaway Beach, that will accommodate approximately 2,500 more guests,” added Bayley.
The new Hideaway Beach area at Perfect Day is slated to open later this year ahead of the debut of the Icon of the Seas, which will call at Perfect Day weekly on its roundtrip Miami cruises.
“We’ve also got Utopia coming online in June (2024),” said Bayley. “We haven’t announced the deployment, but Utopia will also be going to Perfect Day. There’s a lot of demand for that particular product in any of our ships that have Perfect Day on their itinerary demanded, and there’s a strong pricing premium that we see there.”
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