The MSC Group has announced plans for the development of its new home in downtown Miami. The MSC Group’s $100 million investment in Miami-Dade will bring approximately 250 South Florida-based team members from MSC Cargo, MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys under one roof in a new facility within Block 55 at Sawyer’s Walk. While MSC Cargo has had an on-the-ground presence in Miami-Dade for more than 25 years, MSC Cruises is moving to establish the Cruise Division’s North American headquarters as part of the group’s commitment to Miami.
The 130,000-square-foot office space will support the continued growth of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys in the North American market, allowing them to expand alongside MSC Cargo (which will maintain its New York headquarters). Per the economic impact analysis run by Miami-Dade County, this latest development from the MSC Group will generate 668 direct and indirect jobs over the next three years. It will also provide $65.2 million annually in recurring direct economic impact (gross regional product), delivering measurable growth to the local community.
The Cruise Division is establishing Miami as its new home and is building a new, next-generation cruise terminal at PortMiami, set to become North America’s largest once it’s completed later this year. The new terminal will feature a four-story building capable of accommodating 36,000 passenger movements per day, and feature enough berthing space to serve three latest generation ships at once.
Canceled Red Sea Sailings
MSC Cruises has also announced that it has canceled three repositioning “Grand Voyage” sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates to Europe due to ongoing attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea.
The company canceled a 24-night cruise of MSC Splendida from Durban to Genoa; a 21-night sailing of MSC Opera from Dubai to Genoa; and a 23-night voyage of MSC Virtuosa from Dubai to Southampton.
The three ships will transfer directly to Europe without any passengers onboard and avoid transiting through the Red Sea. Instead, they will sail around the west coast of Africa with no ports of call on their journeys to their respective European homeports for the summer 2024 season. None of the other ships in the company’s fleet are affected.
All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or are in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel advisor and can transfer their booking to a future “Grand Voyage” of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking, or receive a full refund with no cancelation fee.
For more information, visit www.msccruisesusa.com.
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