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ABOUT MSC MERAVIGLIA

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Tempt your taste buds in a variety of restaurants and peruse the 315-foot central shopping and dining promenade. During the day, treat yourself to a relaxing spa treatment or get your heart pumping as you race down a waterslide. At night, enjoy world-class entertainment, test your luck in the casino, or dance under the stars at the Horizon Pool, which is transformed for evening activities. No matter how you spend your time on board, enjoy the everchanging views as you discover new destinations. Learn More.

MSC Yacht Club

If you prefer exclusivity, enter a world of luxury in the MSC Yacht Club, our private ship-within-a-ship, where you can retreat to pampering and relaxation amid sweeping ocean views. Indulge in lavish accommodations, 24-hour butler service, special benefits, and exclusive venues including a restaurant, lounge, and pool deck. Private access lets you savor the utmost in serene seclusion, all within a world of countless amenities and entertainment options just steps outside your door. Learn More.

Explore Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia is designed with extraordinary features for the perfect experience at sea. Enjoy gourmet dining and out-of-this-world entertainment with new panoramic areas, an innovative ocean-view lounge, a two-deck "inside promenade" with an LED dome and a spectacular amusement area connected to an outdoor water park.

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7 Night Cruise to the Bahamas

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7 Night Cruise to Bermuda

8 night cruise to the bahamas, 10 night cruise to the eastern caribbean, 14 night cruise to the bahamas, 6 night cruise to bermuda, 14 night cruise to bermuda, 11 night cruise to the eastern caribbean, 18 night cruise to the bahamas, 17 night cruise to the eastern caribbean, 21 night cruise to the eastern caribbean, explore new york city.

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MSC Cruises from New York

MSC Cruises brings Italian-style cruising to New York City. The MSC Meraviglia ship sails out out of NYC to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean . See the full schedule of departures .

MSC Cruises , the Italian cruise company, takes the best of Italy with it on all its voyages. The Italian way of doing things is reflected in the friendliness and warmth of the staff who are at your service 24 hours a day. Their sense of style is evident in the way the cabins and communal spaces are furnished and in the superb cuisine. Wines from Tuscany, oil from Puglia, and sweets from Sicily blend together to take you on a sort of gastronomic cruising tour.

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7 Night Bahamas Cruise

Contemporary and family-friendly cruising with distinct Mediterranean influences on everything from the line’s style and décor to cuisine and onboard entertainment

The Bahamas are waiting for you with adventure, history, beautiful beaches, and MSC Cruises’ exclusive, Ocean Cay.

Trendy Brooklyn has something for everyone, including some of the world's best food, shopping and entertainment.

• Msc Meraviglia - Passenger Capacity: 4,428 (double occupancy) Year Built: 2017 Last Refurbished: N/A

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Brooklyn, NY , Port Canaveral, Florida , Nassau, Bahamas , Ocean Cay, Bahamas

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7 Night Bahamas Cruise sailing on the Msc Meraviglia

Departure dates: may 2024 - oct 2025, stateroom prices for may. 19, 2024.

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New York sailing with MSC Cruises

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Here you will find all cruises sailing from New York with MSC Cruises ships. The best itineraries with MSC Cruises from your favourite departure port.

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MSC Meraviglia

The Caribbean with Ocean Cay from N.Y

7 nights sailing from New York

Departures: 26 May to 11 Aug (Sunday cruise departures)

Itinerary: New York, Port Canaveral, Nassau (Bahamas), Ocean Cay (MSC Marine Reserve)

Flights + Hotel + Cruise

Bermuda Cruise & Hotel in New York w/Flights

12 nights holiday

Departures: 14, 21 Aug; 4, 25 Sep

Itinerary: New York, Kings Wharf (Bermuda)

Orlando, Bahamas, Ocean Cay & Bermuda

14 nights sailing from New York

Departure: 11 Aug

Itinerary: New York, Port Canaveral, Nassau (Bahamas), Ocean Cay (MSC Marine Reserve), Kings Wharf (Bermuda)

Departures: 18, 25 Aug; 8, 29 Sep

Ocean Cay, Bahamas & Bermuda

Departure: 6 Oct

US, The Bahamas, Bermuda All Inc.

US, The Bahamas

Departures: 06 Oct to 20 Apr 2025 (Sunday cruise departures)

US, The Bahamas All Incl.

US, The Bahamas All Inc.

Departures: 06 Jul 2025 to 19 Oct 2025 (Sunday cruise departures)

Itinerary: New York, Port Canaveral, Ocean Cay (MSC Marine Reserve), Nassau (Bahamas)

8 nights sailing from New York

Departure: 15 Sep

Itinerary: New York, Miami, Ocean Cay (MSC Marine Reserve), Nassau (Bahamas)

6 nights sailing from New York

Departure: 23 Sep

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Cruise ship drags dead whale into New York, prompting investigation

The collision with the 44-foot-long, endangered sei whale could have been avoided, experts said.

A cruise ship arrived in New York Harbor with a dead sei whale pinned to its bow, a revelation that has spawned a federal investigation and has led biologists to examine the whale’s carcass to determine the cause of death.

The MSC Meraviglia was returning Saturday from a Bermuda cruise when it sailed into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with the 44-foot-long sei whale affixed to its front. MSC, a Geneva-based cruise line, confirmed the incident “with deep regret” in a statement and said it had immediately notified authorities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating.

On Wednesday, the whale was towed to Sandy Hook, N.J., for a necropsy. According to NOAA, officials discovered broken bones in the right flipper, tissue trauma in the right shoulder blade region and a belly full of food. Biologists took samples for biotoxin and histopathologic analyses. NOAA spokeswoman Andrea Gomez said the tissue and bone samples can help biologists determine whether the whale died before the collision with the ship or because of it.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society is leading the whale examination. Results from the exam could take days to weeks, said Kathleen Collins, senior marine campaign manager with the International Fund for Animal Welfare .

Based on the findings released so far, Andy Rogan, science manager at Ocean Alliance , a whale research and conservation nonprofit, said the cruise ship probably caused the whale’s demise. If so, it would have been a sudden death.

“Whales are huge animals, but compared to a ship that size, it’s still a massive impact. So much weight and power is hitting that whale,” he said. “It’s almost certain that a ship strike killed that whale.”

According to NOAA, vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the biggest threats to sei whales, an endangered species that inhabits deeper waters off the coastline. Population figures are elusive, but NOAA documented roughly 6,300 sei whales between Florida and Nova Scotia from 2010 to 2013.

Sei whales are feeding during this time of year, and Collins said the whales eat on the surface, placing them in the potential bull’s eye for collisions with a ship’s bow. She said crew members and passengers might not have felt the bump because of the ship’s size. The MSC Meraviglia weighs 171,598 tons; sei whales weigh up to 50 tons.

“It really is a tragic case where this strike likely happened and everyone was oblivious until they came into port,” Collins said. “They likely don’t even know exactly where they struck the whale, either.”

NOAA urges boaters operating along the East Coast to cruise slowly, stay alert and report any sightings of right whales or dead, injured or entangled whales. In its statement, MSC said it follows comprehensive measures to avoid accidents with marine life, such as training deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association and adjusting itineraries in regions populated by whales.

Collins said voluntarily reducing vessel speeds can help avoid run-ins. However, she said, cruise ships and large tankers prefer to move briskly because they are on tight schedules.

Macinzie McFarland, a spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association, said in an email that cruise ships take several measures to protect marine mammals, including whale observation training for crews and reducing vessel speed.

“The chance of mortality with a vessel strike goes down pretty substantially as you reduce the vessel speed,” Collins said.

Cruise lines also rely on technology such as underwater radiated noise management systems and specially designed hulls, propellers and noise suppression devices that minimize underwater vibrations. .

Marine outlets, agencies such as the Coast Guard and the Whale Alert app share information about whale sightings and locations.

Rogan said there is no “silver bullet” for ships to avoid whales, but advances in technology can help lower the threat. He said hydrophones can pick up whale acoustics, information that NOAA could then disseminate to vessels. At a recent workshop, Rogan said, he learned about infrared cameras that can detect whales within a 360-degree range, particularly in front of a vessel.

Rogan urged the public Thursday to share its outrage about the incident with government agencies and with the cruise line. Collins said she hoped the incident would inspire the cruise industry to act as a better steward in the waters it shares with vulnerable marine life.

The MSC Meraviglia, she noted, is headed next to Canada, a critical ground for North Atlantic right whales, including mothers and their newborn calves.

A previous version of this article misstated the maximum weight of sei whales. It is 50 tons, not 10 tons. The article has been corrected.

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

Cruise ship sails into NYC port with 44-foot dead whale across its bow

A spokesperson for msc cruises said the whale was on the msc meraviglia, which docked at brooklyn before sailing to ports in new england and canada, by the associated press • published may 8, 2024 • updated on may 9, 2024 at 10:02 am.

A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a dead 44-foot endangered whale across its bow, marine authorities said.

The whale, identified as a sei whale, was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.

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“We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale,” officials with the cruise line said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” the officials said, adding that the Geneva-based MSC Cruises follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting the animals.

The dead whale was relocated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore there to allow for better access to equipment and to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.

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The necropsy, an autopsy on an animal, was conducted on Tuesday, Gomez said. Samples collected from the whale will help biologists determine whether it was already dead when it was struck by the ship, she said.

Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.

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Cruise ship arrives at New York City harbor with dead whale caught on bow

The 44ft-long whale corpse was an endangered sei whale, which will now be examined to determine how it died

A cruise ship has journeyed into New York City’s harbor bearing a gruesome cargo in the form of a huge, dead whale sprawled across its bow.

The incident happened on Saturday, according to local US media reports , and the event is being held by some as further evidence of the unfortunate impact on sea life that large vessels can have.

The 44ft-long whale corpse was an endangered sei whale and was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson, Andrea Gomez.

The boat involved was the Meraviglia, which docked in New York before sailing on a journey to ports in New England and Canada. It is owned by Geneva-based MSC Cruises .

“We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale,” officials with the cruise line said in a statement, who added that the company had regulations in place to avoid collisions with whales and other animals at sea.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” the statement said.

The whale is now the subject of a necropsy to try and determine how it died, notably if it was already dead when hit by the cruise ship. Sei whales are one of the largest whales and are a protected species.

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Dead whale caught on bow of MSC Cruises ship, authorities investigating

Authorities are conducting an investigation after a dead whale was found caught on the bow of an MSC Cruises ship.

The whale was discovered as the MSC Meraviglia ship approached the port in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday. “We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale,” a spokesperson for the line told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.

The roughly 44-foot-long sei whale was towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, for a necropsy, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez. The examination, done on Tuesday, found broken bones in its right flipper and “evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region.” The gastrointestinal tract was full of food, as well.

Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, the lead on the case, said in a Facebook post that the whale was a mature female.

“Most of the other organs were sampled including for biotoxin analysis and other life history studies,” Gomez said in an emailed statement. “Samples were collected and will be sent for histopathologic analysis. The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem.”

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. Gomez noted that sei whales are endangered and usually seen a great distance from the coast in deeper waters.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” the MSC spokesperson added. “We have comprehensive measures in place to help avoid collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life. This includes altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities.”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Watch CBS News

Cruise ship arrives in NYC port with 44-foot dead endangered whale caught on its bow

Updated on: May 9, 2024 / 11:41 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said.

The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale , was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said. A necropsy conducted later confirmed the whale's species and determined that the creature was a mature female, said the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, a nonprofit organization that conducted the exam on an marine mammal.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.

"We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale," officials with the cruise line said in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life," the officials said, adding that the Geneva-based MSC Cruises follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting the animals .

The dead whale was relocated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore there to allow for better access to equipment and to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.

The necropsy, an autopsy on an animal, was conducted on Tuesday, Gomez said. Samples collected from the whale will help biologists determine whether it was already dead when it was struck by the ship, she said.

Basic results of that exam showed evidence of tissue trauma in the area of the whale's right shoulder blade and a fractured right flipper, said the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society. In a post shared Wednesday to its Facebook page, the organization also said those tests revealed the whale's gastrointestinal tract was "full of food." Samples of its organs will undergo toxicology reviews and analyses to identify any potential tissue diseases.

"The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem," said the conservation society.

Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation , sei whales eat 2,000 pounds of fish and plankton per day. They can grow up to 60 feet long, weigh as much as 50 tons and live on average between 50-70 years.

The incident marks the latest endangered whale to be found dead along the East Coast.  Last month, federal authorities said a North Atlantic right whale that was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was killed in a collision with a ship .

In March, NOAA said the first  North Atlantic right whale  baby born this season had  died after being hit by a vessel .

Environmental groups have called for tighter regulations on commercial fishing and shipping to try to save the whales.

In Massachusetts, there's a proposal to put  speed limits on fast ferries  to Cape Cod and the Islands to protect whales. The ferry companies counter that this would drastically reduce service, and say their captains have never seen a right whale on the job. 

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44-Foot Whale Found Dead on Bow of Cruise Ship Coming Into New York

The endangered sei whale, usually found in deep waters, was discovered on the bow of a cruise ship as it arrived at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, marine authorities said.

By Livia Albeck-Ripka

As the cruise ship approached New York on Saturday, it was found to be carrying a grim, and unexpected, catch: The carcass of a 44-foot-long endangered whale, draped across its bow.

The whale, which marine authorities described as a sei whale, is known for its rapid swimming and preference for deep waters, far from the coast. Its body was discovered as the ship neared the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and the authorities were “immediately notified,” said MSC Cruises, which owns the ship.

A spokeswoman for the company said in an email that it had “comprehensive measures” in place to avoid such collisions, including training deck officers and altering itineraries in certain areas to avoid them. “We will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities,” she said.

Marine authorities said that they had towed the animal, estimated to weigh some 50,000 pounds, from the bow, and transferred it by boat to a beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., where they conducted a necropsy on Tuesday.

The investigation is continuing, but preliminary results — broken bones in the whale’s right flipper; tissue trauma along its right shoulder blade; a full stomach and decent layer of blubber — all pointed toward the animal having been in otherwise good health when it was likely struck and killed by the ship, said Robert A. DiGiovanni, the chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, which is leading the investigation .

The whale was already “pretty decomposed” by the time scientists began the necropsy, he added, so they worked quickly to collect samples that could be tested for contaminants and other biotoxins that would indicate any other relevant health issues. “It looks like the animal was alive and it was hit by a vessel,” he said, noting that investigators had not ruled out other factors.

Mr. DiGiovanni said that his conservation group, which is federally authorized to respond to marine mammal strandings in New York, had dealt with more than 100 whales over the past several years, many of which had been entangled in nets or struck by vessels. Most of those whales were humpback and North Atlantic right whales, he added, noting that it was more uncommon to come across a sei whale.

Sei whales usually live in subtropical, temperate and subpolar waters and are named after the Norwegian word for pollock, “seje,” because the mammals are often found together with the fish. Their long, sleek bodies are usually dark blue or black with a cream-colored underside, and are often scarred by shark and lamprey bites.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the whales were commercially hunted for their meat and oil, decimating their population, which is now designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act .

Mr. DiGiovanni said that the death was a reminder that humans shared the open water with many other mammals. “When you’re out there, these animals might be there,” he said. “We need to make people more aware about how to operate around these animals.”

A spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said by email that mariners along the East Coast were encouraged to slow down their vessels, stay alert, and report any sightings of dead, injured or entangled whales to the authorities.

Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects. More about Livia Albeck-Ripka