07/12/2018

MSC Cruises announces new Cruise Terminal at Portmiami

MSC Cruises and Miami-Dade county announced the signing of an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami.

Expanded partnership with Miami-Dade County includes extension of weekend preferential  berthing rights and development agreement for construction of a new cruise terminal


Geneva, Switzerland and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 11, 2018 – MSC Cruises and Miami-Dade county announced the signing of an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami.
 
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, commented: “The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises, as we continue to strengthen our global footprint, with a strategic focus on North America."
 
PortMiami is the Company’s exclusive home-port in the U.S. The new agreement extends MSC Cruises’ existing Saturday preferential berthing rights also to Sundays. Additionally, the new terminal — which is projected to be completed by October 2022 — will be able to accommodate MSC Cruises’ next-generation, still under construction MSC World Class cruise ships carrying up to 7,000 guests.
 
Currently the revolutionary MSC Seaside, which debuted only a few months ago in late 2017, sails year around from Miami to the Caribbean from the recently completed Terminal F. MSC Divina also sails seasonally to the Caribbean from October through March, and MSC Armonia will join MSC Cruises’ North American-based fleet beginning year-round cruises to Havana, Cuba in December 2018. In addition, as of November 2019, MSC Meraviglia, the Company’s largest ship at 171,598 GRT with the capacity to carry 5,714 cruise guests, will join the other three ships at PortMiami.
 
“Investing in PortMiami's infrastructure positions Miami-Dade County as a global destination for visitors," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "The construction of a new cruise terminal AAA with the capacity to berth an additional 7,000-passenger cruise ship represents thousands of jobs and increased opportunities for our community. We are grateful for MSC Cruises continued partnership.”  
 
"We are proud and extremely honored by MSC's commitment to PortMiami and Miami-Dade County,” said Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Economic Development and Tourism Committee Rebeca Sosa. “MSC’s continued partnership is a big win for the growth and expansion of tourism in Miami-Dade County.”