Stretching over 100,000 square miles of sparkling ocean, the islands of The Bahamas are an ecological wonder, boasting the clearest water on earth with sunny skies and eclectic marine life. This area of the Atlantic is made up of 700 stunning islands and more than 2,000 breathtaking rocks and cays.
Explore the magnificent views of Nassau, Paradise Island, and the greater Bahamas from the top of Queen’s Staircase at Fort Fincastle or shop along Bay Street and Straw Market. Discover the underwater kingdom that is Athol Island. Better yet, every Bahamas cruise features Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – our exclusive private island, only available to MSC Cruises guests, with over 2 miles to spread out and relax, making it feel like your own private island.
You’ll enjoy a full day, or two, on Ocean Cay, where guests can soak up the Bahamian sun on one of our pristine beaches, rent a private and socially distance cabana, or book a spa treatment at our oceanside spa. Experience unique activities like Glow Paddle Boarding in our lagoon, or a sunset picnic on the beach while watching the sky paint unimaginable sunsets. The best part? With a dedicated pier, our island allows guests to come and go on the ship as please. Enjoy the daytime island activities, head back on board to freshen up and have a delicious dinner in one of our specialty restaurants and then exit back on to the island for evening entertainment, including a magnificent lighthouse show and beach fire pits.
Discover our best Bahamas cruise deals right now including family cruises, weekend cruises, all-inclusive cruises, last-minute cruises, and start planning your 3-night weekend cruise or 4-night cruise from Miami or Orlando (Port Canaveral)
For every new ship class that we develop, we completely revise the design to achieve optimal efficiency. We rethink the ship’s overall structure, deck space, weight distribution including the ship’s hull, rudder and bulbous bow to reach optimal hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, and maximize energy and fuel efficiency.
Energy saving technology on board:
Voyage planning software
An optimized itinerary means a reduced consumption of energy. We plan our itineraries efficiently and use specialized software to optimize sailing routes and berthing times.
Optimising energy use
In 2020, MSC Grandiosa's crew supported the implementation of Ecorizon, an innovate process of ship energy optimisation that collects data using onboard automation systems and sensors, allowing a very precise status report on the energy profile of the ship. The information collected is then compared with a dynamic digital twin to guide onboard operators, improve operational profiles and voyage managment.
Using data to drive efficiency
MSC Cruises' onboard engineers are supported by integrated automation systems that aggregate and make sense of enormous quantities of data acquired by field sensors and machineries. Better data has enabled huge advances in how the ships are managed and has also helped achieve emissions reduction goals.
Trim optimization
Optimizing trim requires constant readjustment. Our ships are equipped with a software application to monitor and optimize trim in real-time. This technology helps ship officers to keep the vessel’s trim optimized to reduce fuel consumption and improve performance.
Anti-fouling paint
Ships are naturally prone to barnacles, algae and marine organisms growing on their underwater surfaces. These can increase drag and make vessels less efficient. By using the most advanced anti-fouling paints on the hulls of all the ships, we keep them as streamlined as they can be. It’s TBT-free: we strive to keep toxic substances as far from the ocean as possible.
High-efficiency appliances
Reducing our carbon footprint is not just about grand gestures; everyday electricity use is equally important. Energy-efficient appliances including refrigerators, water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers across our fleet help us keep our carbon footprint lower.
Energy-saving LED lighting
Our ships only use energy-efficient LED and fluorescent lighting, saving energy by producing the same amount of light per bulb at a lower wattage.
Smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC)
The HVAC systems on board our ships are designed to reduce energy consumption. They distribute heat and cold intelligently and are set up to recover heat from warmer areas of a ship to heat those which need it more.
New technologies combined with energy efficiency programs has led to a 28% reduction in carbon intensity since 2008
A target has been set to reduce further energy use across the fleet by 2.5% per year on a per ship basis