Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Onorato says MSC plans to add a second ship in Cuba winter 2016/17

50230529ebcd21b260ae0fec99662057_XL
Onorato said MSC Opera will be joined by a second ship in Cuba winter 2016/17
CEO Gianni Onorato said MSC Cruises is 'planning to add a second ship in Cuba from winter 2016.'

Speaking at a media briefing during the presentation of the newly refurbished MSC Lirica, he outlined it will be another vessel of the class that has undergone the €200m Renaissance Programme 'as these ships fit perfectly in this area,' he added.

The 2,120-passenger MSC Opera will start homeporting in Havana next month for winter 2015/16, offering 16 Caribbean cruises.

Of the three other ships in the Renaissance Programme, MSC Lirica is headed for year-round China deployment in May 2016, MSC Armonia is based in Genoa and MSC Sinfonia is spending this winter in Durban, South Africa.

Newly renovated 65,542gt MSC Opera will visit Jamaica’s Montego Bay, Georgetown in the Cayman Islands and Cozumel in Mexico with two nights and two and a half days in the Cuban capital.

The first cruise will start from Havana on December 22, following MSC Opera’s 'Grand Voyage' to Cuba from Genoa, departing on December 2. The voyage will include a call at Havana on December 18, and resume its itinerary in the region before heading back to Cuba for its final call of the journey on December 22.

MSC Opera will depart Havana on April 12 to head back to Europe with German port of Warnemünde its destination, arriving on May 7.