Short Escapes - Small Rates: MSC Poesia's Short Caribbean Escapes Begin at $239 Per Person

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Don't have a lot of time but still yearning for a Caribbean escape? Don't worry -- MSC Cruises has the solution.

MSC Cruises features several short (3- and 5-night) cruises scheduled on the luxurious MSC Poesia as she sails her inaugural season in North American waters (sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale) during the 2009-10 Caribbean season:

• 5-night "Caribbean Escape": calling at Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Grand Cayman, with two days at sea; departing Nov. 10 and Nov. 15, 2009; rates begin at $399;
• 5-night "Mayan Discovery": calling at Belize City, Belize and Costa Maya, Mexico, with two sea days; departing Jan. 3, 2010; rates begin at $399; and
• 3-night "Tropical Getaway": calling at Nassau, Bahamas and Key West, Florida; departing April 24, 2010; rates begin at $239.

All rates are cruise-only, per person, double occupancy; government fees and taxes are additional.

As on all MSC Cruises' sailings, children ages 17 and younger sail free when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults.

"Even on a 3- or 5-night itinerary, guests can enjoy the ambiance of an MSC Cruises sailing, from the elegant decor and unparalleled service to the highly acclaimed international entertainment and cuisine, which includes many authentic Italian dishes," says Richard E. Sasso, president and CEO of MSC Cruises (USA), Inc.

MSC Poesia's season will also include a variety of 7- and 10-night itineraries, as well as special Christmas and New Year's sailings.

MSC Poesia features 1,275 staterooms, of which 80 percent are outside staterooms and 65 percent have a balcony. The ship has a generous 236,000 square feet of public spaces, 2 pools and 4 hot tubs, plus a 13,000-square-foot spa. Guests can select from four restaurants, including a Sushi Bar alternative dining restaurant.

Like her sister ships (MSC Musica and MSC Orchestra), MSC Poesia features sophisticated and elegant decor, attention to detail, the finest in international entertainment and Italian hospitality.

For more information about MSC Cruises and MSC Poesia's 2009-10 Caribbean season, visit www.MSCCruisesUSA.com or your local travel professional.

MSC Cruises currently has the most modern fleet in the world with nine ships: MSC Fantasia (the largest ship ever built for a European ship owner), MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody, cruising in the Mediterranean year round and seasonally in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, North and South America, the Indian Ocean and South Africa. MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica will be launched, respectively, in 2009 and 2010. MSC Cruises is the only company to receive the "6 Golden Pearls" award from the Bureau Veritas in recognition of its high level of quality management and environmental protection.

SOURCE MSC Cruises