A big cruise ship arrives in Miami after a major refurbishment. Take a tour
The latest fancy cruise ship to dock at PortMiami arrived Wednesday, and it will give travelers a new option to sail to the Caribbean later this year.
The MSC Poesia, from the European conglomerate the MSC Group, docked at about 7 a.m., according to the website Cruise Mapper, the end of 17-day voyage that started in Rome.
The ship sailed in and stayed at PortMiami all day, offering tours to travel agents and guests. On Thursday, the Poesia headed to the West Coast, via the Panama Canal to Seattle, where it’ll be based starting May 12 and offer seven-night cruises to Alaska.
MSC Poesia will then return in the fall to Miami, where starting Oct. 17 and throughout the winter, the ship will offer 5- to 29-night voyages to the Caribbean.
That will give MSC four ships home-ported in Miami for the upcoming winter, said Neil Palomba, executive vice president of operations for MSC Cruises. That “confirms our commitment and our growth here in the U.S. and more specifically ... at PortMiami,” the executive told the Miami Herald on Tuesday in the Yacht Club’s Top Sail Lounge aboard the MSC Poesia.
The vessel, built in 2008, has 1,229 staterooms and a capacity of 3,223 guests. It holds 1,039 crew members.
MSC Poesia was refurbished this year. The ship now has a new Yacht Club onboard where guests can enjoy sunset cocktails. It boasts new specialty restaurants like Butcher’s Cut with prime steak, and Kaito Sushi Bar. The ship has also upgraded its spa and gym.
While nearly two decades old, this year marks the ship’s first sailings to Alaska, a destination becoming more popular among cruisers. The company describes the remodeled vessel as a place “where European style meets American comfort on the Last Frontier.”
The MSC Group has its global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The firm’s cruise business is within MSC Cruises which has been increasingly betting on Miami.
Earlier this year, MSC Cruises and luxury sister company Explora Journeys opened a new North America headquarters in Miami. Last year, the carrier opened a new modern terminal at PortMiami.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 1:47 PM.