I wish MSC had more ports

[laudergayle]

Sailing from the US, I wish MSC had more ports.  Alaska, southern Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal.  How long, if ever, do you think we’ll see an expansion?  And, when it finally happens…their prices match CCL, RCL, NCL? 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

3 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Sailing from the US, I wish MSC had more ports.  Alaska, southern Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal.  How long, if ever, do you think we’ll see an expansion?  And, when it finally happens…their prices match CCL, RCL, NCL? 

I completely agree!  I was thinking, even if I like them, they don’t have anything new to offer, besides their private island. 

[RichYak]

Lol, I thought this was going to be a post about power outlets and USB ports. I’m such a nerd. 

[kernow]

I think it will only happen when/if they have a large enough market of US based cruisers to fill all the ships. Currently the majority of their customers worldwide are from outside the US so I would imagine they concentrate on itineraries that appeal most to them.

I haven't sailed MSC from the US but from what I read on here even the ships that sail from Florida have a bigger mix of nationalities than RCL/CCL etc. It seems like MSC are a 'Marmite' type product in the US, you either love them or hate them.

If you want more ports you're going to have to leave the US, they offer plenty of good itineraries worldwide.

[ready2cruzagain]

11 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Sailing from the US, I wish MSC had more ports.  Alaska, southern Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal.  How long, if ever, do you think we’ll see an expansion?  And, when it finally happens…their prices match CCL, RCL, NCL? 

I totally agree! We have 21 days booked on MSC next January then we are going back to NCL for the ports. Love MSC but tired of the same old ports after 12 cruises out of the Caribbean.

[Morgsmom]

TOTALLY agree.  Please don't make me go to Cozumel and Costa Maya ever again.  Bring on all of the lovely ports that were wide open pre-pandemic.  

[morpheusofthesea]

Then there are those like us that care less for ports of call. We just love sailing on the newest MSC Yacht Club vessel sailing from 'our' homeport so we do not have to fly (DW 12 suitcases). We love that there are as many stops as possible which unloads the ship and find many of us smiling all the time with the YC all to us as well as the entire ship on port days. We figure as the new MSC ships keep being produced , like World America, which will take Seascapes place out of Miami, then the Seascape will be moved to another perhaps new US port like Galveston or Charleston or New Orleans (I do not even know if these places have ports). Meraviglia is now NY. Then there is the California coast. Exciting things are happening.

[Homosassa]

Before covid MSC had wonderful itineraries that covered many different ports and lasted longer than seven days.

 

We were on an eleven night Armonia cruise when we notified at dinner on the Friday before we were due to return on Monday that cruising had been suspended and that we were on the last cruise  until cruising restarted.

 

We, too, are waiting for the return of the wonderful itineraries and longer cruises we enjoyed on MSC  before Covid. One change we will have to make  is no longer booking a Bella cabin as Bella is now only a guarantee category.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

37 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Before covid MSC had wonderful itineraries that covered many different ports and lasted longer than seven days.

 

We were on an eleven night Armonia cruise when we notified at dinner on the Friday before we were due to return on Monday that cruising had been suspended and that we were on the last cruise  until cruising restarted.

 

We, too, are waiting for the return of the wonderful itineraries and longer cruises we enjoyed on MSC  before Covid. One change we will have to make  is no longer booking a Bella cabin as Bella is now only a guarantee category.

The had better itineraries from the states?

[JamieLogical]

Meraviglia will be sailing to Bermuda out of Brooklyn.

 

I know they are hoping to expand into other US markets like Galveston, Alaska, Wester Riviera. It all takes time and ships. Especially for new home ports, they need to work out a lot of details WAY in advance with those ports. I am happy to see them home porting in Brooklyn now and can't wait for them to add more.

[Homosassa]

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

The had better itineraries from the states?

Yes.

 

 

[Nashna]

I totally agree that it's the same old, same old ports.  I would love to see an 11-day once in a while.  When booking a new cruise, I always check out MSC first but rarely book the cruise because of the boring, repetitive ports.  We are thrilled to be going on the Canada/New England cruise as the itinerary is new to us.

 

[rikitikitavii]

4 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Meraviglia will be sailing to Bermuda out of Brooklyn.

 

I know they are hoping to expand into other US markets like Galveston, Alaska, Wester Riviera. It all takes time and ships. Especially for new home ports, they need to work out a lot of details WAY in advance with those ports. I am happy to see them home porting in Brooklyn now and can't wait for them to add more.

Also sailing to New England and Canada.

[lovemycruisetoo]

They are doing an 11 night Western Caribbean Jan 2024. 

[jules815]

8 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

TOTALLY agree.  Please don't make me go to Cozumel and Costa Maya ever again.  Bring on all of the lovely ports that were wide open pre-pandemic.  

My husband and I are going to Cozumel in September for the, I don't know how many times, but it's a lot. Usually go to Nachi Cocum which is a really nice beach day, but kinda burned out on that too. Last time we stayed on the ship which isn't a negative, a pool day in the YC is awesome. So for our next visit, since we'll have plenty of pool time because it's for 2 weeks, I think I'm going to book an MSC excursion for the day we're in Cozumel. Little tour of the area with a stop at a tequila factory and something about chocolate, oh and bees! Sounds like something that might be fun. Not opposed to using a 3rd party (we've done that a lot too over the years), but the MSC one ticked all the boxes for something we might enjoy, so I think we're going to do it.

 

A few years ago, pre-covid we did a little island tour in Grand Cayman. We were on Celebrity that cruise and I booked it thru them. My husband still talks about how much he liked it.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by jules815

[NCteacherlovescruising]

3 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Yes.

 

 

I wonder why they don’t offer them anymore. 

[smokeykat]

7 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Meraviglia will be sailing to Bermuda out of Brooklyn.

 

I know they are hoping to expand into other US markets like Galveston, Alaska, Wester Riviera. It all takes time and ships. Especially for new home ports, they need to work out a lot of details WAY in advance with those ports. I am happy to see them home porting in Brooklyn now and can't wait for them to add more.

I spoke to one of the officers onboard about this. He said they are planning to have 2 ships home port in Brooklyn sometime next year!

[ready2cruzagain]

12 hours ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

They are doing an 11 night Western Caribbean Jan 2024. 

Yes they are but it is not new. We are doing the 11 day along with more but did this exact cruise in 2018 for 32 days. In 2018 it was a 10 and an 11 day. Now it is an 11 day and a 7 day. Nothing new and same ports they have been doing for years. What gets me is it on the Divina which is the exact ship we did it on in 2018.  Wish it was on a newer ship with a better spa. Since we have been on all their itineraries and ships we have decided to go back to NCL for a while. 

[sfaaa]

MSC was openly talking about going to Alaska for a number of years but it never materialized. My guess is some of the more popular destinations outside Caribbean are already saturated with cruise ships or that the barrier to entry may be uneconomical for MSC to overcome.

[morpheusofthesea]

According to one Travel agency quoted in Travel Weekly "I think once MSC has more ports in the U.S., they will have no problem being one of the top cruise lines here." 

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/MSC-Cruises-the-US-disruptor

[Essiesmom]

I think they had some plans that were scuttled by Covid.  They had planned to put an Armonia class ship in Tampa…not that it would have added new ports, but opportunities.  I suggested the same class ship would fit nicely into JAX.  They do visit other Caribbean ports, but not from the US.  For their European guests, they should add a stop in NOLA or Galveston…EM

[morpheusofthesea]

10 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I think they had some plans that were scuttled by Covid.  They had planned to put an Armonia class ship in Tampa…not that it would have added new ports, but opportunities.  I suggested the same class ship would fit nicely into JAX.  They do visit other Caribbean ports, but not from the US.  For their European guests, they should add a stop in NOLA or Galveston…EM

The problem more and more cruisers are discovering is the unreliability of the world's airlines. Bringing the cruise lines to expand to new ports instead of relying on airlines. Many cruisers are now learning their flights costs are not being covered by cruise line insurances and cruise lines can not guarantee they can get their passengers to the ports as they did in the past. New ports in many new markets close to home is great.

Edited June 1, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[SirWolf]

It’s more complicated.. the cruise industry faces challenges introducing LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) powered cruise ships:

MSC World Europa (2022)

MSC Euribia (2023)

MSC World Class Unnamed (2024,2025,2027)

 

Most LNG ports in the U.S. are on the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Additional ports are proposed and in planning.

Just a few ports are capable of LNG bunkering by barques.

 

Cruise companies have to balance the wish-list of ports from passengers and ports suitable for certain types of cruise ships (LNG powered).

[Woody14]

MSC has come along way in the North American Market in 10 years.  The Divina was their fist ship to sail out of the US on a regular basis and that was the only one they had here.    Now they have several and they keep on expanding for example they recently signed a deal to sail from Galveston.  So more will come.   But that said this is the same problem that other lines have as well since there are only so many places that you can sail from or sail too in the North American market for a 7 day cruise.

[sverigecruiser]

On 5/31/2023 at 11:11 AM, ready2cruzagain said:

Yes they are but it is not new. We are doing the 11 day along with more but did this exact cruise in 2018 for 32 days. In 2018 it was a 10 and an 11 day. Now it is an 11 day and a 7 day. Nothing new and same ports they have been doing for years. What gets me is it on the Divina which is the exact ship we did it on in 2018.  Wish it was on a newer ship with a better spa. Since we have been on all their itineraries and ships we have decided to go back to NCL for a while. 

 

I agree that they should use a newer ship on the longer itineraries in the Caribbean. For us 7 days from Miami is too short and since we prefer the newer ships we don't plan a Caribbean cruise right now.

 

We will probably cruise in the Mediterranean until MSC use one of their newer ships for longer itineraries in the Caribbean.