MSC Cruises has announced the introduction of the French Antilles as a new destination for the 2012-2013 winter season. Complemented by an extensive array of fascinating shore excursions, this is an unmissable opportunity for guests to experience this idyllic region at first hand.
The inaugural voyage begins on 30 November 2012 when MSC Lirica departs from Genoa, Italy for a 16-day/15-night cruise, arriving at her new homeport in Martinique just over two weeks later. MSC Lirica's course will take her from the Mediterranean through the Atlantic and on to the Caribbean, with scheduled stops in Marseilles, Barcelona, Funchal and, after five full days at sea, Bridgetown in Barbados. Scheduled stops then follow in Saint George in Grenada, Basseterre in Saint Kitts & Nevis and Castries in Saint Lucia, with MSC Lirica arriving in Fort-de-France in Martinique on 15 December 2012.
From 15 December 2012 through to 16 February 2013, MSC Lirica has a full schedule of ten 7-day/8-night cruises, departing every Saturday from Fort-de-France, Martinique, and every Sunday from Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. During these Caribbean experiences, guests will discover not only the breathtaking beauty but also the rich history of the islands, with scheduled stops in St John’s in Antigua & Barbuda; Road Town on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands; Santo Domingo and La Romana in the Dominican Republic and Philipsburg in St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles.
The French Antilles will bid farewell to MSC Lirica on 23 February 2013, when she starts her 16-day/15-night return cruise from Fort-de-France to Genoa. Scheduled stops are Pointe-à-Pitre, Castries, Funchal, Malaga, Barcelona and Marseille. Excursions meanwhile will range from gentle tours around botanical gardens and plantations through to canopy zip lines high above the rainforest. Those with a thirst for knowledge may prefer a visit to the fishing village where Christopher Columbus landed in 1502 or a Chocolate Tour to the Caribbean’s largest organic cocoa processing plants.
The 59,000 gross ton MSC Lirica has capacity for a total of 2069 guests in 780 cabins.
