MSC Meraviglia has become the largest ship to ever dock in Manhattan, New York City. The cruise ship, with a capacity for 4,488 guests and a gross tonnage of 171,598 GRT, arrived in the Big Apple after a trans-Atlantic crossing from Kiel in Germany with calls in Copenhagen (Denmark), Southampton (England), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Reykjavík (Iceland) plus St John and Halifax in Canada.
MSC Meraviglia will also set records in the days ahead as the largest ship to visit Boston, Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine.
And MSC Meraviglia will be the first ship to call on Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, MSC Cruises’ new breathtaking private island destination in the Bahamas that opens on 9 November, 2019.
Ken Muskat, EVP & Chief Operating Officer of MSC Cruises (USA) said: “We are so thrilled to welcome MSC Meraviglia, a truly beautiful ship, to the United States as she marks another major milestone for MSC Cruises in the North American market.
For the first time in MSC Cruises history, the Italian cruise line now has four distinct ships sailing in the region as MSC Meraviglia joins MSC Seaside, MSC Armonia and MSC Divina. Each ship offers its own unique design and guest experience inspired by the company’s European heritage.
MSC Meraviglia will homeport in Miami for the winter season and offer itineraries around the Caribbean as well as cruises to New England and Canada from New York.
MSC Meraviglia boasts an innovative and glamorous design that showcases MSC Cruises’ signature European style. The ship’s two-storey Mediterranean-style promenade is lined with a variety of shops and specialty restaurants including restaurants by two Michelin-starred Spanish chef Ramón Freixa, and Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Café, an open fronted chocolate atelier by world-renowned pastry chef, Jean Philippe Maury. MSC Meraviglia also features the exclusive MSC Yacht Club, where guests can savour exclusivity and privacy in a world of choice.
Launched in June 2017, MSC Meraviglia was MSC Cruises first ship to feature MSC for Me, a multi-channel digital programme designed to help guests book services, find information, plan activities, stay connected with friends and family and navigate easily around the ship.