MSC to base second cruise ship, the Grandiosa, at Port Canaveral starting late next year

Dave Berman, Florida Today
Updated ·4 min read

MSC Cruises will base a second cruise ship at Port Canaveral, starting late next year, boosting options for cruise passengers and boosting revenue for the port.

The MSC Grandiosa will offer alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral, starting in December 2025, which will be the first sailings of that ship out of a U.S. port.

When it comes to Port Canaveral, the Grandiosa will join the MSC Seashore, which will offer three- and four-night cruises from Port Canaveral to Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, MSC's private island in the Bahamas that aims to focus on conservation of marine life.

In announcing the addition of the Grandiosa to the port lineup, Port Canaveral CEO John Murray said the port is "honored that MSC Cruises chose Port Canaveral for the North American debut of their magnificent MSC Grandiosa. Expanding their home-port fleet at Port Canaveral underscores their confidence in our partnership and shared commitment to success."

MSC Cruises USA President Rubén Rodríguez said the winter 2025-26 season will mark MSC's largest presence in the United States to date, "and our expansion at Port Canaveral is a big part of that. Ever since we started sailing from Port Canaveral in 2021, our guests have told us they love how convenient that makes it to experience MSC Cruises’ unique international flavor."

Here are more details about the addition of the MSC Grandiosa to the Port Canaveral lineup:

How big is the Grandiosa?

The MSC Grandiosa will sail out of Port Canaveral, starting in December 2025, on seven-night Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries.
The MSC Grandiosa will sail out of Port Canaveral, starting in December 2025, on seven-night Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries.

Another cruise terminal planned: Port Canaveral announces plans for new north side cruise terminal at cargo berth site

MSC Grandiosa — one of MSC Cruises’ "Meraviglia-plus-class" ships — will become MSC Cruises’ largest ship to home-port at Port Canaveral when it arrives next year. It is 1,094 feet long; 141 feet wide; has 2,421 cabins; and has 19 decks, including 15 decks for passengers. It has a passenger capacity of 6,334, plus 1,704 crew members. It began sailings with passengers in 2019.

In comparison, the Seashore has 2,270 cabins, a passenger capacity of 5,877 and crew of 1,648. It began sailings with passengers in 2021.

Both ships rank as among the world's 25 largest cruise ships.

What are some of the Grandiosa's features?

  • 10 restaurants, including Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, Kaito Sushi, Kaito Tepanyaki and L’Atelier Bistrot.

  • Five pools and nine hot tubs.

  • Wild Forest Aquapark.

  • Enhanced MSC Yacht Club, a private luxury area of the ship for passengers who pay additional fees for access.

  • Expansive MSC Aurea Spa.

  • Large Broadway-style theater and Carousel Lounge for nightly entertainment.

  • 323-foot-long Galleria Grandiosa promenade shopping and dining area, with an LED sky screen.

Where will the ship sail to on its seven-night cruises from Port Canaveral ?

  • Eastern Caribbean: Various calls, including Nassau (the Bahamas), Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (the Bahamas), Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Charlotte Amalie (U.S. Virgin Islands).

  • Western Caribbean: Various calls, including Nassau (the Bahamas), Cozumel (Mexico), Costa Maya (Mexico), George Town (Cayman Islands), Montego Bay (Jamaica), Falmouth (Jamaica) and Belize City (Belize).

How will the addition of the Grandiosa affect revenue at Port Canaveral?

The Grandiosa will roughly double the guaranteed annual revenue Port Canaveral receives from MSC, under a proposed amendment to the port's operating agreement with the cruise line, which Port Canaveral commissioners will vote on at their meeting on Wednesday.

Under the current operating agreement, the annual guaranteed fees payment from MSC to the port is about $6.84 million. That will increase to $13.16 million after the Grandiosa joins the lineup. It will rise to $14.52 million the following year and to $14.95 million the year after that.

The port also will get more parking revenue from MSC cruise passengers, with the second ship and resulting increased passenger counts.

Where is the Grandiosa now?

The Grandiosa currently is doing Mediterranean sailings. Before coming to Port Canaveral, the ship also will do South American sailings out of ports in Brazil.

What other cruise lines have ships based at Port Canaveral?

Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Two other cruise lines will be bringing ships to the port later this year — Princess in November and Celebrity in December.

How big is MSC Cruises?

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is the world’s third-largest cruise line. It is the market leader in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Southern Africa, with a growing presence in North America and the Far East. The MSC Cruises fleet consists of 22 ships, with three new vessels due to be launched in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

The company operates in more than 100 countries around the world, offering cruises across five continents, calling at more than 300 destinations.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

The MSC Grandiosa features a 323-foot-long Galleria Grandiosa promenade shopping and dining area, with an LED sky screen.
The MSC Grandiosa features a 323-foot-long Galleria Grandiosa promenade shopping and dining area, with an LED sky screen.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Port Canaveral to get second MSC Cruises ship, starting late next year