MSC Cruises will base one of its ships in New York and operate year-round sailings from the city for the first time.

MSC Meraviglia will homeport in New York from April 2023 for cruises to the Caribbean, Bermuda, New England and Canada.

Caribbean itineraries of either seven or eight nights will feature calls to Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas.

Six-night Bermuda itineraries will offer three days docked at King’s Wharf, while Northern American itineraries of 10 or 11 nights will stop in Boston, Portland, Charlottetown, and Prince Edward Island, among other destinations.

The line said that the decision to deploy a ship year-round in New York was the “latest example of the brand’s long-standing focus on the overall North American cruise market, which includes attracting more international holidaymakers and continuing to place some of its most advanced ships at US ports”.

MSC enhancing US offering

MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato said: “New York is one of the most incredible and vibrant destinations in the world so by adding the city as a year-round homeport for MSC Meraviglia we are greatly enhancing our offering in North America.

“The itineraries will have a very strong appeal not only for our guests in the US but also for international holidaymakers and given the huge range of intercontinental flights to and from the Big Apple, these sailings will be accessible to guests from all around the world.

“We designed our mix of itineraries to take advantage of New York’s geographic flexibility, so that our guests can soak up the sun in the Caribbean during the spring and winter seasons, head to Bermuda during the summer or go north to see Canada’s natural beauty in the autumn.

“For those guests that wish to discover New York there is the option to do so pre or post their cruise to really make the most out of their holiday.”