MSC adds second ship for 2023 world cruise

MSC Cruises will operate two world cruises in 2023 after being forced to cancel its global cruise next year.

The line announced that a second ship, MSC Magnifica, will be joining MSC Poesia on the MSC World Cruise 2023.

In an industry first, the two ships will host more than 5,000 guests for simultaneous world cruises departing on January 4, 2023, from Civitavecchia, and January 5, 2023, from Genoa, Italy, although they will take different routes around the globe.

MSC Magnifica will take the same itinerary that was due to be performed by MSC Poesia for the cancelled MSC World Cruise 2022.

Next year’s world cruise was cancelled due to too many ports facing restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

MSC Cruises’ chief executive Gianni Onorato said: “Unfortunately we had no choice but to cancel the 2022 MSC World Cruise but we know that a world cruise really is the voyage-of-a-lifetime for many people and so it was important to us to offer the best possible solution for our loyal guests.

“MSC Poesia’s World Cruise in 2023 was already sold out and so we worked to amend MSC Magnifica’s schedule, a popular world cruise ship, so that we are able to offer the same itinerary as 2022, only one year later with the ship departing on the same date and calling at all of the same planned ports.”

Sales for MSC Magnifica’s World Cruise 2023 are now open and guests booked onto the MSC World Cruise 2022 will be given the chance to move their booking to 2023.

Guests who move their booking to 2023 will be able to book a complimentary cruise between January 1 and May 3, 2022, so that they can still enjoy a cruise holiday during this period.

MSC Poesia’s World Cruise 2023 is currently sold out and has a waiting list, so this provides an opportunity for those guests to sail on MSC Magnifica.