MSC Cruises is replacing MSC Virtuosa with MSC Meraviglia on its ex-UK sailings from Southampton for summer 2027.
MSC Meraviglia will operate 19 sailings of between six and 14 nights out of Southampton between May and October 2027.
Itineraries include calls in new destinations such as Ibiza, Gibraltar, and Tangier in Morocco. There is also a new Baltic Sea cruise visiting Oslo, Fredericia and Copenhagen.
MSC Virtuosa will sail the summer season from Southampton in 2026, before moving to homeport in Barcelona from April to October 2027, with cruises around the Western Mediterranean.
For 2027, MSC will not offer shorter two- to five-night cruises from the UK that are currently available on MSC Virtuosa. VP of International Sales Antonio Paradiso explained customers have said they wanted longer sailings.
He said: “We want to give our customers new experiences, so it’s wonderful that MSC Meraviglia is sailing from the UK in summer 2027.
“Customers have told us that they want longer sailings, so we are offering six-14 night holidays visiting new destinations including Ibiza, Gibraltar and Tangier in Morocco, as well as favourite destinations in the Mediterranean and Norwegian Fjords.”
He added: “MSC Virtuosa, one of our most popular ships, will sail in the Western Mediterranean in summer 2027. We’re seeing strong demand from UK customers for Mediterranean cruises, so having MSC Virtuosa there for summer 2027 is a natural fit for us.”
Additionally, for winter 2026/27 MSC Preziosa will based in Southampton, sailing its longest season from October 2026 until April 2027, replacing MSC Poesia.
