MSC Virtuosa Returns To Southern Caribbean For An Exciting Winter Season Of Luxury Cruises

Published on December 13, 2025

The MSC Virtuosa has begun its 2025-2026 winter season in the Southern Caribbean after completing its European dry dock. The 177,100-ton boat embarked from Southampton, England, with scheduled stops in Europe. It crossed the Atlantic, arriving in Martinique the first week of December, from where the Meravigilia ship has offered week-long cruises to some of the Caribbean’s most popular ports. This winter, Virtuosa returns to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, offering travelers the opportunity to enjoy the islands and all they have to offer.

The MSC Virtuosa’s Trans-Atlantic Journey To The Caribbean

To kick off its Caribbean season, MSC Virtuosa began a repositioning cruise on November 28, 2023, which is destined for the Caribbean. The ship will be in the Caribbean for most of this winter. The repositioning cruise is 16 nights and scheduled to include ports in Southern England, France, and Portugal before crossing to the Caribbean. This cruise gives travelers a chance to see some of Europe’s beautiful coastal cities while giving Virtuosa a chance to adjust to the Caribbean’s warmer climate.

Southern Caribbean Itineraries: A Week-Long Adventure

Southern Caribbean, the MSC Virtuosa sails a collection of weeklong voyages catered to global travelers. These voyages, which span various tropical destinations, begin in Fort-de-France, Martinique. Adventurers will get to experience the remarkable, diverse cultures and beautiful sandy beaches of St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Antigua, Tortola, and St. Maarten. The Caribbean’s most loved islands are explored in a week, and patrons get a chance to experience a perfect combination of relaxation, fun, and exploration.

Every port in the MSC Virtuosa’s schedule has something special. St. Lucia’s eco-friendly volcanic landforms and tropical temperature rainforests are perfect for Outdoorsy. Antigua is among the most popular in the Caribbean and has an idyllic beach for every day of the year, as it has 365 beaches. The spice farms of Grenada and hiking on Tortola are added to the experiences, and St. Maarten’s unique blend of Dutch-French cultures. The ship’s schedules make it a point to have every port of call offer its own separate adventure, whether that is culture, beach fun, or unique excursions.

Seasonal Deployment and Future Expansion

In April 2026, the MSC Virtuosa will complete her now routine winter season in the Southern Caribbean and complete her now routine April stars in Northern Europe as Southampton is her summer season homeport. This will be the Virtuosa’s final summer in Northern Europe (2025-2026) as MSC will begin the 2026/2027 season deployment of the Virtuosa in South America. The Virtuosa will then continue on to debut in the Brazilian market as the First and Largest cruise ship to permanently occupy the Brazilian market, offering the highest and best quality of cruise hospitality ever offered in that country.

At the same time, MSC will continue to expand its presence in the Southern Caribbean region. Starting in late 2026, two MSC ships, the MSC Seaview and MSC Opera, will be deployed to the Southern Caribbean, integrating the MSC Opera as a year-round ship offering. This will lead to greater cruise travel offerings in the Southern Caribbean, and especially in La Romana, Dominican Republic, which will now be established as an MSC homeport. This is an exciting new chapter for MSC in the Caribbean, as the company has now increased the number of lifts to the market.

MSC Cruises’ Expanding Presence in the Caribbean

Catering to island-hopper cruisers, MSC Cruises has premium offerings in the Caribbean and is expanding its Southern Caribbean fleet to add to its growing demand for the idyllic island getaways. MSC is responding to expanding demand for luxury cruising in the Caribbean with the addition of the MSC Seaview and MSC Opera in 2026-27. MSC Cruises adds La Romana as a homeport and offers more cruisers accessibility to the Caribbean and its gorgeous Dominican Republic beaches.

MSC is also focusing on a Southern Caribbean expansion strategy by adding in multi-port and La Romana homeport offerings for year-round winter and summer Caribbean cruises. Southern Caribbean experiences will meet demand coming from MSC’s significant investments. Guests will enjoy top entertainment and curated cultural/natural excursions from world-class dining.

Future Sails: MSC Virtuosa’s Future Plans

MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa will continue to offer amazing holidays in the winter 2025-26 season. Passengers will have the opportunity to experience the beautiful beaches of St. Lucia and the rich culture of St. Maarten, and will have the chance to relax and immerse themselves in the culture of the Caribbean. MSC Cruises and MSC Virtuosa continue to expand in the Southern Caribbean and beyond, and will continue to add new vessels and itineraries to the world’s most beautiful cruising locations.

Conclusion

The MSC Virtuosa’s return for the 2025-26 winter season Southern Caribbean will allow MSC Cruises to showcase additional Caribbean Additions. After the Virtuosa’s first-ever drydock in Europe and repositioning trip across the Atlantic, the ship is now conducting a series of 7-night cruises featuring the best of the Southern and Eastern Caribbean. While expanding its operations in the Southern Caribbean, MSC Cruises will continue to enrich its travelers with even more luxurious and personalized cruising experiences, complete with additional regional itineraries and homeports to match the growing demand for Caribbean vacations. From all the ports of call, the MSC Virtuosa is sure to be a vacation for travelers to remember, whether it’s from the beautiful beaches or the many cultures.