In the halls of FITUR, the International Tourism Trade Fair held in Madrid, MSC Cruises disclosed plans for a sustained maritime presence from homeport La Romana in the Dominican Republic, starting in November 2026.
In the company of Dominicana’s Minister of Tourism, David Collado, MSC confirmed a long-term commitment to homeport a vessel there, establishing the first year-round deployment by MSC in the Southern Caribbean.
The vessel designated for these operations will be MSC Opera, assigned to a new weekly voyage pattern that can be booked as a 7-night roundtrip or combined into a consecutive 14-night (B2B) itinerary known within the industry as a "butterfly" cruise or B2B (back-to-back).
Reservations have been opened and the first sailing is scheduled for departure on November 16th, 2026, with complete itinerary details accessible on the cruise line’s official website.
The new schedule adds a regular call at Catalina Island, a locale defined by its protected natural environment, white sands, and clear waters, where those inclined towards exploration may observe coral formations beneath the surface or find repose ashore.
With the country served by multiple international airports, connections from distant regions are facilitated, and the service is expected to channel some 120,000 international tourists through La Romana annually, alongside corresponding inbound and outbound flight traffic, stimulating activity at hotels, eateries, and wider commercial interests in the region.
MSC’s CEO, Gianni Onorato, noted that the line first called at Dominican ports in 2014 and that extending to year-round operations from La Romana represents a significant advance, extending the traditional cruising season and delivering economic benefits to the local community through sustained visitor volumes.
Under this programme the vessel’s route will include La Romana itself, noted for its combination of coastal scenery, cultural points of interest and nearby historic sites, as well as additional southern Caribbean ports of call such as Fort-de-France in Martinique, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands and St John’s in Antigua and Barbuda, each offering their own maritime and coastal attributes characteristic of the region’s island chains.