I went on MSC Cruises' Meraviglia now sailing year-round from NYC see what it's like aboard the 5,700-guest vessel
The MSC Meraviglia is now sailing out of New York's Brooklyn Cruise Terminal year-round.Brittany Chang/Insider
- MSC Cruises' Meraviglia is now sailing year-round out of New York's Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
- It's MSC Cruises' third US home port after Florida's PortMiami and Port Canaveral.
MSC Cruises is continuing to make a big splash in the US cruise market with its latest stateside home port.
Brittany Chang/Insider
And this time, it's not in cruise magnets like Florida, Texas, or California.
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Instead, the MSC Meraviglia has homeported in New York City.
Brittany Chang/Insider
In late April, the cruise giant launched year-round itineraries on the Meraviglia from New York's Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
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Since then, it has homeported in destinations like Barcelona and Marseille, France.
Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: MSC Cruises
And now it's temporarily calling New York home, bringing its up to 5,714 guests on six to 11-night sailings to the Bahamas, Florida, Bermuda, Canada, and New England.
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This is the first MSC ship to home port year-round out of New York and one of five vessels currently based in the US.
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Source: Insider
Besides New York, MSC also has a presence in Florida's PortMiami and Port Canaveral.
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"Our success here in the US is important to our continued growth," a spokesperson told Insider in March.
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Source: Insider
When I first boarded the Meraviglia just days after it docked in New York, I was immediately greeted with live music and sparkling crystal-embedded staircases.
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These striking stairs are a trademark of the cruise brand, a spokesperson said during the tour of the ship.
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But besides these unique stairs, the 19-deck vessel has many amenities that overlap with other large family friendly cruise ships.
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Up the crystal stairs, visitors will find an indoor promenade topped with a 262-foot-long LCD ceiling, shown below.
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This 315-foot-long walking strip is similar to Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas' promenade.
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Here, stores, restaurants, bars, and live music stem from the main walkway.
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It's the place to grab gelato, tartare at the Ocean Cay restaurant, and some sweet treats from pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury's chocolaterie.
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Overall, the ship has 20 bars and 12 dining venues, a mix of complimentary and specialty restaurants.
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The latter includes a steakhouse and a joint sushi and teppanyaki restaurant, all of which have been popular additions on several new cruise vessels.
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For traveling families, there's also children's and teens' clubs and an outdoor water park with amenities like three water slides.
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Source: MSC Cruises
This area doesn't include the other activities that will likely be a hit with children, such as the indoor sports court, bowling alley …
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… and a virtual reality ride, flight simulator, and Formula 1 race car game.
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The Meraviglia also has the typical cruise amenities like pools, a gym, a spa, and a theater.
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The theater — which puts on least six shows per itinerary — seats 985 people.
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Source: MSC Cruises
But it's not the only show venue aboard the vessel.
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There's also the 400-guest Carousel Lounge where you can see performances like MSC's acrobatic House of Houdini. However, entry is not included in the base fare.
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As for the pools, travelers have their pick: There are six public swimming holes.
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This includes a traditional pool deck lined with lounge chairs and a separate outdoor pool space that has a club-like atmosphere at night.
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Source: MSC Cruises
As for the staterooms, the vessel has 2,244 cabins and 10 cabin styles ranging from 129-square-foot staterooms …
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… to 635-square-foot suites with an outdoor hot tub.
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Many new cruise ships have spaces reserved for travelers staying in suites and the Meraviglia is no different.
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Here, there's the MSC Yacht Club, which gives these higher spending travelers access to amenities like butler service …
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… and a private restaurant and outdoor lounge.
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The ship is now sailing out of New York through September 2024.
Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: MSC Cruises
Itineraries include 7 to 11-night sailings to Florida and the Bahamas, including a stop at MSC's private island …
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… five to six-night sailings to Bermuda …
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… and 10 to 11-night cruises to Canada and New England cities.
Brittany Chang/Insider
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