MSC Cruises Has Added Year-Round Southern Caribbean Sailings. Here Are the Details
MSC Cruises will have new offerings.
MSC Cruises has announced that it will be offering year-round Caribbean sailings. These sailings, which will begin in the Winter 2026 season, will include both seven-night and 14-night offerings. Let’s look at what we know about these new sailings.
MSC Cruises Will Go to the Southern Caribbean
According to a company press release, sales for the exciting new itineraries are currently being offered by MSC Cruises, which announced the addition of MSC Opera year-round in the South Caribbean for the Winter 26/27 and Summer 2027 seasons.
The addition gives passengers even more opportunities to explore the South Caribbean’s alluring spots throughout the year, as it is the first time the company has sent a ship there in the summer and the first time it has offered two ships there in the winter.
The Dominican Republic, Martinique, Guadeloupe, the British Virgin Islands, Barbados, Antiqua and Barbuda, the Netherlands Antilles, and other breathtaking Southern Caribbean locations will be included in the selection of seven-night itineraries that MSC Opera will offer, as well as the opportunity for guests to upgrade to a 14-night “butterfly” cruise.
With the maiden cruise leaving on Nov. 16, 2026, the ship will homeport in La Romana, Dominican Republic, a new regular destination for MSC Cruises itineraries that offers seven- or 14-night “butterfly” itineraries. The ship will also provide Fort de France as a second embarkation port starting in April 2027.
Oranjestad (Aruba), Bridgetown (Barbados), Kralendijk (Bonaire, Saint Eustatius), Willemstad (Curacao), Samana Bay (Dominican Republic), Saint George (Grenada), Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Philipsburg (Netherlands Antilles), Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis), and Road Town (British Virgin Islands) are 10 more fascinating destinations that will be included in MSC Opera itineraries.
For Winter 26/27, MSC Opera will join MSC Seaview in the area. She will sail seven nights from her homeport in Fort de France to Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Philipsburg (Sint Maarten), St. John’s (Antigua and Barbuda), Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Roseau (Dominica), Bridgetown (Barbados), Kingstown (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint George (Grenada), and Castries (Saint Lucia), according to the press release.
One of the Best Cruise Lines for Sanitation
Cruise junkies who will be taking MSC Cruises to the Southern Caribbean and beyond can take comfort in knowing that it is one of the best cruise lines for sanitation, per a study completed last fall.
Even though stomach conditions like norovirus can be uncomfortable anywhere, they can be especially upsetting on cruise lines because of how easily they spread in unsanitary environments.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program was created primarily to stop the spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships. It covers vessel inspections, outbreak response, ship supervisor training, and more, according to USA Today.
Since the voluntary program started in 1990, only 1% of ships have received failing marks, while most ships receive significantly higher scores, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Additionally, according to the group, the cruise industry is the only one that posts scores in a central area and routinely reports illnesses to the CDC.
Several cruise lines have approached the brink of failure, but just two failed inspections last year as of late October. A score of 86 or above is considered decent. Anything below that is considered a failure. Carnival, Princess, and Ritz-Carlton cruises were all on the verge of failing last year. However, out of the 20 ships that had scored a perfect 100 by October, three were from MSC Cruises.
MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise line in the world, behind Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International. Switzerland is home to its headquarters.
