MSC Cruises to Homeport in Tampa for First Time
by Daniel McCarthy /
MSC Cruises is set to make its Tampa, Florida, debut when MSC Armonia starts sailing from the city, moving from its Miami homeport, in November 2020.
MSC announced this week that MSC Armonia will sail Caribbean, Mexico, and Bahamas itineraries out of Tampa, kicking off the winter season with four- and five-night sailings before sailing week-long itineraries starting in May 2021. The sailings will include stops at Key West, MSC’s new private island Ocean Cay, Cozumel, Costa, Maya, and more.
The move gives MSC another ship in Florida. MSC has already built a heavy presence in Miami that includes MSC Seaside, MSC Divina, and, later this year, MSC Meraviglia; along with a brand-new PortMiami terminal that will be completed in late 2022.
In a statement, MSC USA’s EVP and COO Ken Muskat said that the introduction of MSC Armonia to Tampa “plays an important role in our long-term deployment strategy for this region.”
“We’ve seen increased demand for cruise options from Tampa as vacationers from around the world look to explore the city and surrounding areas pre- and post-cruise. We’re looking forward to bringing MSC Armonia, one of our more classic and charming ships, to Tampa,” he said.
For the Tampa sailings, MSC is offering advisors 20% commission on all individual (FIT) and group bookings. For group bookings, MSC is also offering, on top of the 20% commission, discounted rates of up to $50 per person over FIT rates; a waiver of good face deposit for groups of 16 staterooms or less; eight Amenity Points to use toward amenities for themselves or their clients; and one free tour conductor credit for 10 full-fare guests.