MSC Cruises has officially taken a bite from the Big Apple as MSC Meraviglia docked this morning at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, marking the beginning of year-round sailings the ship, one of the largest in MSC Cruises’ fleet, will offer from New York.
MSC Meraviglia Arrives in New York
MSC Merviglia arrived in New York City at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal early on April 20, 2023, completing her 11-night repositioning sailing from Port Canaveral and ready to begin sailings from the Empire State.
With this momentous arrival, New York City joins Miami and Port Canaveral as North American homeports for the rapidly growing cruise line.
“When we chose New York as the next step in our North American expansion, we knew that MSC Meraviglia would be the perfect ship, given her versatility and offerings for a wide variety of climates,” said Rubén Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA. “She’s big and innovative, she offers something for everyone, and now she’s more accessible than ever for our guests in and around New York.”
Multiple Itineraries Offered
The 171,598-gross-ton ship will offer year-round sailings from New York through at least September 2024, with a variety of itineraries that vary seasonally.
Most of her cruises will be tropical sailings to Bermuda, The Bahamas, or popular Caribbean destinations such as Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico.
Most cruises will also stop at MSC Cruises’ private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, in The Bahamas.
During the autumn months, the ship will also offer Canada and New England sailings, always popular for the spectacular fall foliage at that time of year.
“We’re thrilled to give guests from the Northeast a direct link to our private destination—Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve—which is part of our fantastic itineraries to The Bahamas,” said Rodríguez. “As the year goes on, they’ll have other options like spending several days exploring Bermuda, or heading north for the breathtaking fall foliage in Canada and New England.”
Sailings range from 6-8 days, but guests can create longer cruises by choosing back-to-back itineraries as well, taking advantage of the varied destinations MSC Meraviglia will visit.
Because the ship has a roofed pool deck that can open or close depending on the weather conditions, she truly is a “ship of all seasons” that can offer guests great experiences no matter what the local weather.
Onboard, guests will find a shop-lined promenade with an impressive LED sky screen, 20 bars and 12 restaurants to cater to all tastes, a ropes course, water park, the MSC Aurea Spa, a 6,000-square-foot gym, a full-sized two-lane bowling alley, the Sportsplex with basketball, pickle ball, and miniature gulf, and so much more.
Seven different shows are also presented onboard, as well as live music and other outstanding entertainment.
A Boon for the City
Not only will cruise guests be eager to experience MSC Meraviglia from New York, but the ship will also bring a welcome economic impact to the area with the more than 200,000 domestic and international visitors expected to set sail each year.
For each individual sailing, the ship can welcome 4,428 guests at double occupancy, or up to 5,642 passengers when fully booked.
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Furthermore, approximately 150 local residents will be hired to support terminal operations for the new ship, and other local businesses – retailers, restaurants, New York tours, Broadway shows, etc. – will undoubtedly benefit from the up to $102 million (USD) expected in local spending when cruise guests are ashore.
