MSC to Deploy World-Class Ship to Port Canaveral

MSC to Deploy World-Class Ship to Port Canaveral

MSC announced plans to deploy its fourth world-class ship to Port Canaveral for the Winter 2027-28 season, offering year-round seven-night Caribbean cruises.

According to a press release, the yet-to-be-named ship will join MSC World America as the second World Class vessel operating in North America.

Additionally, the MSC Grandiosa will begin its year-round Caribbean program from the port in winter 2026-27, following its inaugural season in winter 2025-26.

The MSC Seashore will continue operating year-round three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries.

Lynn Torrent, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, of MSC Cruises USA, said:  “Our commitment to Port Canaveral is stronger than ever, thanks to the incredible support from our partners there and the growing demand from our guests who love the port’s convenient location. Having ships dedicated to offering both short and 7-night cruises year-round will ensure we have the right options available no matter when someone wants to sail. We’re especially excited to bring a world-class ship to Port Canaveral, continuing our long-standing pledge to deploy our most modern and innovative ships in the Caribbean market.”

Capt. John Murray, CEO, of Port Canaveral, said: “We are excited to have MSC Cruises expand their presence at Port Canaveral with the arrival of MSC Grandiosa and the deployment of their fourth World Class ship to homeport with us. The addition of these exceptional ships to our homeported fleet will add even more sailing options from Central Florida and reaffirm the cruise industry’s confidence in our ability to consistently deliver a world-class guest experience.”

MSC USA: Readying for Big Moves

MSC USA: Readying for Big Moves

“We’re excited about how the product is positioned in the U.S. market with very clear points of distinction, with our European style and American comfort, and how we bring that together,” said Lynn Torrent, executive vice president and chief commercial officer.

Torrent said MSC had tweaked the product for U.S. passengers and was gaining ground on marketing and driving wider brand awareness ahead of the MSC World America’s arrival in Miami this spring.

“We’re expanding our U.S. deployment,” she continued. “We’re adding Galveston this year, a second ship in Port Canaveral and sailing to Alaska from Seattle in 2026.”

Much of the immediate focus has been revealing feature after feature on the new World America for her Miami-based deployment of week-long cruises. These include a new sports bar concept and a comedy club, in addition to the first Eataly at Sea concept which will feature dishes and cocktails only available on the World America.

A new terminal with shore power will be awaiting World America in Miami, and a second new terminal will be ready for the MSC Seascape in Texas.

“We’re investing significant yin marketing and trade sales support in Texas,” said Torrent.

More ships in the market mean MSC has the attention of travel advisors, said Torrent, and continues to enhance tools and training options. Travel agents can benefit from lunch-and-learn seminars, virtual training, and more. Torrent said the company had a lot of on-the-ground support for advisors in Texas.

While Torrent focuses heavily on North American deployed ships, the company is also busy sourcing guests for cruises in Europe and elsewhere.

“We have a significant offering in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, and the World Europa and Euribia have driven more interest. The Yacht Club is popular with American guests looking for a premium, unforgettable experience.”

2026 brings more deployment and more berths to the U.S. market, as MSC will debut in Alaska, with the Poesia offering a week-long program from May to September.

“Alaska is a marquee destination. It completes our global portfolio,” Torrent said. “We think there is a lot of demand globally for Alaska. There is significant momentum already.”

Excerpt from the Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine Winter 2024-25

 

Carnival Celebration Named in Miami

Carnival Celebration Named in Miami

Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Celebration arrived at its PortMiami homeport and was christened by actress Cassidy Gifford Sunday evening.

“This naming ceremony of our new flagship Carnival Celebration is the perfect culmination of our 50th birthday as this spectacular ship honours our past and signifies the fun and growth ahead,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Celebration builds on the success of our incredible Mardi Gras and the many innovations we introduced with our Excel-class, including a top-deck roller coaster, and offers unique features all her own that give guests a truly incredible new cruise experience to have fun and make memories.”

Duffy spoke before an audience gathered for the ceremony in the ship’s three-deck-high atrium, Celebration Central. Carnival Celebration Godmother Cassidy Gifford christened the ship, with a traditional breaking of a champagne bottle, alongside Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras.

Gifford was also joined by her mother, Kathie Lee Gifford, who served as godmother of Carnival Celebration’s namesake, M/S Celebration, which was similarly christened in 1987.

Along with an impromptu performance by Kathie Lee, who sang the memorable tune to the now-legendary commercials that helped to popularize the Carnival brand in the 1980s, attendees were also treated to a preview of Carnival Celebration’s spectacular entertainment programming, the company said, including an aerialist performance. A concert by Kool & The Gang caught off the night, including their dance classic, “Celebrate!”

Carnival Celebration’s first guests to board the ship from Miami will depart today on a special six-day Thanksgiving cruise, with visits to Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Nassau. On Nov. 27, the ship will begin a rotation of week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings that depart every Sunday and visit popular destinations, such as the Dominican Republic and St. Thomas, as well as Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. To see sailings offered on Carnival Celebration, visit Carnival.com.

MSC Unveils Stunning Multiple Ship Miami Terminal

MSC Cruises has announced details of what it said is a new highly-innovative cruise terminal at PortMiami that will support its expanding presence in North America and in the Caribbean

As per the terms of the agreement, which has today received approval from the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, MSC Cruises will design, construct, operate and maintain a large building that hosts two cruise terminals (AA and AAA) as well as two berths.

The PortMiami terminals will be capable of hosting two mega cruise ships at the same time, allowing the MSC to conduct two turnaround operations simultaneously, handling up to 28,000 passenger movements per day.

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman, said: “With another 13 cruise vessels due to join our fleet in the next eight years, our ambition is to have our most innovative ship classes represented at PortMiami, bringing a wealth of choice to our North American as well as international guests.

“In particular, the new terminal – which will be one of the most innovative the industry has seen – will ensure that we can provide our guests an enhanced end-to-end high-quality experience while both embarking and disembarking, thus adding to their ability to fully enjoy every moment of their vacation.”

Work on the new terminals is due to commence in early 2020. MSC Cruises currently estimates that the work will be completed by late 2022, at which time it will transfer all its PortMiami operations to the new Terminal, according to a statement. 

Newbuild underscores MSC's increased North America focus

MSC Seaside.

MIAMI BEACH — MSC Cruises is putting more of its growing capacity in North America starting in 2017 by sending a newbuild directly from the shipyard to Miami to sail the Caribbean year-round.

At 154,000 gross tons and 4,140 passengers, double capacity, the MSC Seaside will be in the same league as the largest vessels sailed by any cruise line, with the exception of Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

When the Seaside arrives, it will give MSC, a Mediterranean-focused line with world headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, two large ships in Miami during the winter months, with the MSC Divina sailing seasonally.

Ken Muskat, executive vice president of sales, public relations and guest services for MSC Cruises USA, said the line's marketing, sales force and public relations will all be amped up correspondingly.

"When Seaside goes on sale, we will have much more travel agent support, much more brand awareness and much more consumer marketing" than is currently the case, Muskat said. "We will have exposed many more people to the product."

That should encourage better pricing for the Seaside, Muskat said, a crucial factor for agents.

In 2013, when MSC brought the Divina to Miami, it coincided with a large buildup in Caribbean capacity by all the major brands.

"We stuck it out in a very competitive environment," Muskat said.

With the Divina moving to the Mediterranean this summer, MSC will be out of the Caribbean until the ship returns in November, a pattern that will repeat in 2016 and 2017 under current schedules.

Then in November 2017, the Seaside will arrive as the largest ship to be delivered by the Italian shipyard Fincantieri. It will be christened in Miami, a first for an MSC ship, and will sail from a renovated and dedicated terminal at Port Miami under a long-term berthing agreement.

All those factors underscore the elevated priority that MSC has assigned to North America, Muskat said.

"We're going to be much better positioned as a brand to succeed as a year-round product," he said.

A signature feature of the Seaside will be an elaborate water park with five distinct slides and water features, including a 367-foot raft slide with an interactive gaming feature built into the raft.

A second ship in the Seaside class is scheduled for delivery in 2018, and MSC has an option with Fincantieri for a third. Its fleet consists of 12 ships, which spend the bulk of their time in Europe, but it has firm orders for four ships, including the two Seaside-class vessels, for delivery by 2020.

3 New, Hip Miami Hotels for Cruise Passengers

The Miami Beach Edition, Thompson Miami Beach and Yve Hotel Miami are ideal for discerning cruise passengers before and after sailingBy: Jimmy Im

PortMiami sees four million cruise passengers a year, with 15 cruise lines sailing away to tropical destinations. Considering Miami’s top hotels, buzzing restaurants and myriad attractions, cruise passengers spend several days exploring the city pre- and post-sail.

To help your clients plan the perfect Miami visit, we rounded up three of Miami’s newest properties, all very unique in the hotel landscape.   

The Miami Beach Edition
Take three household names, give them a prime location on South Beach and prepare for the most game-changing hotel the destination has seen in 20 years: The Miami Beach Edition.  

Hotelier Ian Schrager, who put Miami on the map with the highbrow crowd more than 20 years ago with the opening of Delano Hotel, returns with an over-the-top, outside-the-box, whimsical hotel that defies all expectations of a Miami luxury property. 

For one, it’s the first hotel on the beach where you can see the sea from the lobby. It’s also the first hotel with a separate, exclusive wing featuring one and two-level, ocean-view bungalows. In the basement, there’s ice skating and a bowling alley. And two outdoor pools are linked to a sprawling lawn, separate on-site beach area with beach bags and, of course, a snazzy outdoor bar. 

Additionally, the spa is a highlight with steam rooms, a sauna and a massive fitness center. The hotel is glitz and glam in all the right places, particularly for money-is-no-object, Instagram-bragging travelers. Standard rooms with no view and no balcony average $600. Internationally-acclaimed Yabu Pushelberg design firm was careful with the interiors, preserving architectural details from the historic building while staying true to Schrager’s vision. 

Schrager also partnered with world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to handle all food and beverage. Clients will enjoy getting all dolled up for the signature restaurant Matador Room, a scene-stealer thanks to the unique, oval-shaped dining room. Here, Vongerichten offers his modern take on Latin cuisine inspired by Spanish, Caribbean and South American flavors. 

Rooms at The Miami Beach Edition start at $429. 

www.editionhotels.com

Thompson Miami Beach
Thompson Hotel has been banging out cool properties across the country, and Thompson Miami Beach — opened November 2014 — is the company’s most ambitious. While Thompson typically panders to the hip, jet-set variety, Thompson Miami Beach is groovy for all types of travelers. 

Young and old alike will appreciate the well-preserved art deco design for its unique, retro-modern allure. Most of the hotel is outdoors — from the rooftop spa to the Crown Room vista deck to the exclusive sunbeds on the beach — which ensures your clients will get loads of that famous Florida sun. 

The 380 guestrooms are understated, artsy and comfortably spacious, but most visitors sprawl out at the hotel’s two outdoor (and heated) pools, where sunbeds on a tiered deck ensure that everyone gets a view of all the action. There’s also an open-air spa, which features six cabanas.

Another next-level on-property feature is the historic 1930s house. It’s an actual, vintage home that was moved across the street to the hotel and transformed into a swanky lounge for the perfect, craft-cocktail nightcap. 

Foodies have raged in all the right ways at signature restaurant Seapgrape, helmed by Miami-born, celebrity chef. The Florida brasserie has garnered massive attention from locals, who approve of Bernstein’s creative and refined spin on the locavore-friendly menu featuring local produce, fish and other ingredients. 

Rooms at Thompson Miami Beach start at $359. 

www.thompsonhotels.com

Yve Hotel Miami
Open since December 2014 in downtown Miami, Yve Hotel Miami (formerly B2 Hotel) is a terrific boutique hotel for travelers not looking to splurge. It’s also a preferred hotel for cruise passengers, considering its convenient location next to Port Miami. 

This 243-room property truly stands out by plugging into Miami’s local culture as much as possible. It taps into the city’s strong Latin influence by placing a Cuban coffee cart in the lobby and offers a taste of Miami’s thriving art scene through a partnership with a local gallery, Art Bastion, to curate hotel installations. Guests especially enjoy Miami-raised restaurateur’s Jeffrey Chodorow’s Biscayne Tavern, which serves craft beers and elevated comfort food. 

Chic, nautical-themed guest rooms (in seven categories) come equipped with bay and city views, high-end Nest toiletries and seriously cushy beds. But guests might spend little time actually at the hotel as some of Miami’s best attractions are literally steps away. 

Yve Hotel Miami is easy walking distance to Adrienne Arsht Center for concerts, opera and Broadway shows; American Airlines Arena for sporting events; and Bayfront Park for leisurely strolls or work outs (Yve can provides a jogging route, and yoga mats are available upon request). The new, buzzing Perez Arts Museum is a 20-minute walk, and Wynwood Art District (chockfull of restaurants and galleries) is a short Uber ride away. Miami Beach is about a 10-minute drive. 

Rooms at Yve Hotel Miami start at $130. 

www.yvehotelmiami.com

RCCL part of coalition opposing Port-Miami Stadium

By Tom Stieghorst

A proposal to build a 25,000-seat soccer stadium on a neglected corner of PortMiami is drawing opposition from a group of port users, including Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The planned stadium would be adjacent to RCCL’s headquarters campus at the port.

A coalition called the Miami Seaport Alliance was recently formed to oppose the stadium, which would house a new professional franchise partly owned by soccer superstar David Beckham.

The Miami-Dade County Commission, which governs the world’s busiest cruise port, voted in December to have the county manager begin negotiations with Beckham’s group.

There are several other non-port sites under consideration, but Beckham prefers the port site for its views of the downtown skyline.

Renderings of the proposed stadium have been created by Arquitectonica, the Miami firm that designed the nearby American Airlines Arena, home to the Miami Heat professional basketball team.

According to John Fox, president of the Miami Seaport Alliance, the area around the port entrance is already congested.

“When there’s a Heat game, or things going on at the Arsht Performing Arts Center, we now have an art museum that’s fantastic, there’s a children’s museum there, there’s a science museum coming,” Fox said. “And so, even forgetting the cruise and cargo interests, there’s horrendous, horrendous traffic problems.”

Currently, the only way to access Dodge Island where the port sits is over a bridge from downtown Miami, though a $1 billion tunnel connecting the port to a freeway is nearing completion.
Fox, who is the former vice president of government relations at RCCL, said an open-air stadium is simply not an appropriate use of the port.

“Is there another seaport in the world that would even consider putting a sports arena with 30,000 fans right in the middle of its public property?” he wondered.

Beckham’s real estate adviser has said that games would occur at night, after cruise ships have departed. But Fox said there was no way a single team could guarantee the league’s schedule.

The stadium would take about 12 acres on the port’s southwest corner. There is currently a warehouse on the parcel used by the Marine Spill Response Corp. The port’s master plan calls for development of office towers, hotels and other such uses there.

Wary of competition, Miami’s Downtown Development Authority is supporting the Beckham stadium, which might also include ancillary development but be far less intensive.

Fox said his group includes seven or eight members, including another cruise line besides Royal Caribbean, labor unions, stevedore companies and freight forwarders. Two other cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line, have said they’re not involved.

The closest cruise terminal to the proposed stadium is Terminal J, which is used by Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal and Azamara.

Fox said that if the stadium were to be built and make access to PortMiami more difficult, it could mean an exodus of cruise ships and passengers to other East Coast ports, particularly Port Everglades 30 miles to the north.

“The [port] users are concerned that this will either choke off the economic engine or bring it to a halt,” Fox said, though he added that the decline would be gradual.

“This isn’t going to happen overnight,” he said. “But as businesspeople … make decisions about where to put their freight or their cruise lines, certainly this is one of the things that needs to be considered.”