WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING CRUISE LINE SAILS INTO NEW YORK CITY AS MSC CRUISES LAUNCHES YEAR-ROUND SAILINGS ON MSC MERAVIGLIA

• New York City becomes MSC Cruises' third homeport in the U.S., marking the first time the line will offer year-round sailings from the Northeast.
• Award-winning megaship MSC Meraviglia will sail to The Bahamas and Florida, Canada and New England, and Bermuda.
• Launch of service represents major ongoing impact for New York City.

NEW YORK, April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MSC Cruises—the world's third-largest and fastest growing cruise line—arrived in New York City this morning when MSC Meraviglia docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Starting Saturday, the modern and glamorous megaship will sail from the Big Apple to The Bahamas and Florida, Canada and New England, and Bermuda. Itineraries will be available year-round, resulting in a sizeable and ongoing economic impact to the region and confirming MSC Cruises' commitment to the New York cruise market.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9138351-msc-cruises-launches-year-round-sailings-on-msc-meraviglia/

MSC Meraviglia is one of the world's biggest ships, with a long list of activities and amenities to match. She is known as "The Ship for All Seasons" thanks to expansive indoor and outdoor public spaces and a pool deck with a roof that opens and closes depending on the weather. MSC Cruises is deploying the ship to New York as part of an ongoing pledge to bring its largest, most modern ships to the U.S. market as it continues to grow in the region. New York City joins Miami and Port Canaveral on the cruise line's roster of North American homeports.

Rubén Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA, said: "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. 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. 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. 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."

Itineraries from New York on MSC Meraviglia include:

• The Bahamas and Florida – Tropical 7- to 11-night sailings with a selection of destinations including Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.
• Bermuda – Starting in August, guests can enjoy 5- and 6-night sailings to Kings Wharf in Bermuda, with several days in port to explore the beauty of the island.
• Canada and New England – Just in time for the fall, MSC Meraviglia will offer 10- and 11-night itineraries calling at Newport, Boston and Portland in the U.S and Saint John, Halifax, Charlottetown, and Sydney in Canada.

Economic Impact

According to data from the NYC Economic Development Corporation and CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association, MSC Cruises' expansion to New York City and ongoing deployment of MSC Meraviglia in the region is expected to generate significant economic impact:

• Up to 10,000 full time-equivalent jobs, including the direct hiring of 150 New Yorkers to facilitate terminal operations in partnership with SMS International Shore Operations and NYC's Workforce1.
• More than 200,000 domestic and international visitors to the city each year.
• Up to $102 million in local spending each year while those visitors are ashore.

About MSC Meraviglia 

At 1,036 feet long and 213 feet tall, with an impressive 19 decks and capacity of more than 5,700 guests, MSC Meraviglia is a vacation destination in its own right—packed with innovative features to provide an unforgettable experience, including: 

• 10 different types of staterooms to choose from, including solo cabins, popular balcony cabins, and stylish suite accommodations in the MSC Yacht Club – the premium 'ship within a ship' featuring butler service, along with an exclusive restaurant, lounge, and pool area.
• Galleria Meraviglia, a promenade lined with shops, restaurants and bars that stretches more than 315 feet and is lined with an impressive LED sky screen.
• 20 bars and 12 restaurants, including the popular Butcher's Cut steakhouse, Ocean Cay, HOLA! Tacos and Cantina, and Kaito Sushi and Teppanyaki.
• Indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, together with one of the most intricate water parks at sea, featuring three twisting slides and an intricate ropes course—the Himalayan Bridge.
• Seven different shows in the 985-seat Broadway Theatre and the famous Carousel Lounge.
• The extensive MSC Aurea Spa, providing massage therapy, body treatments, facial treatments, and a dedicated thermal area.
• The 6,000 square-foot gym featuring state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym™ framed with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, overlooking the main pool deck.
• Entertainment area including the MSC Formula Racer, a full-sized bowling alley with two lanes, an interactive XD cinema, a flight simulator, and a video games arcade.
• Sportsplex with facilities for basketball, tennis, squash, volleyball, Pickle Ball, mini golf and five-a-side soccer.
• MSC Kids' Club for children 0-17 years old, with dedicated areas for babies, toddlers, children and teenagers, plus the Lego® Experience.

Environmental Features

MSC Meraviglia is fitted with innovative technology and solutions to minimize her environmental footprint. These include an exhaust gas cleaning system for cleaner emissions; an advanced wastewater treatment system; smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to recover heat from machinery spaces; and LED lighting and smart devices to significantly save energy. This is part of MSC Cruises' commitment to provide its guests with the best holiday experiences at sea in a sustainable manner. 

To learn more about MSC Meraviglia, click here.

About MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises is the world's third largest cruise brand as well as the market leader in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and Southern Africa. It is also the fastest growing global cruise brand with a strong presence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East markets.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is one of the two brands that sit within the Cruise Division of MSC Group, the world's leading and privately held shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage. MSC Cruises – the contemporary brand - has a modern fleet of 21 vessels combined with a sizeable future global investment portfolio of new vessels, terminals and other assets. The fleet is projected to grow to 23 cruise ships by 2025, with options for six more vessel orders in place through 2030.

MSC Cruises offers its guests an enriching, immersive and safe cruise experience inspired by the Company's European heritage, where they can enjoy international dining, world-class entertainment, award-winning family programs, and the very latest user-friendly technology on board. To learn more about MSC Cruises' itineraries and experience on board its ships, click here.

The line's number one priority has always been the health and safety of its guests and crew, as well as the communities at the destinations its ships serve.  In August 2020, MSC Cruises implemented a new comprehensive and robust health and safety protocol to become the first major line to return to sea. To learn more about MSC Cruises' health & safety protocol, click here.

MSC Cruises has long been committed to environmental stewardship, with a long-term goal to achieve net zero emissions for its operations by 2050. The Company is also a significant investor in next-generation environmental marine technologies, with the objective to support their accelerated development and availability industry-wide. To learn more about the Company's environmental commitment, click here. 

Finally, to learn more about the MSC Foundation, MSC Group's own vehicle to lead, focus and advance its conservation, humanitarian and cultural commitments, click here.

SOURCE MSC Cruises USA