With the departure of the MSC Euribia on May 16, 2026, MSC Cruises officially launched its summer program for Northern Europe from its base in Kiel. The flagship of the Meraviglia-Plus class will regularly sail to the Norwegian fjords in the coming months.
The itinerary includes calls at Hellesylt, the Geirangerfjord, and Flåm, among other ports. Jörg Eichler, Managing Director for the DACH region at MSC Cruises, emphasized at the start of the season the strategic importance of the Port of Kiel, which, alongside Hamburg and Warnemünde, represents one of the cornerstones of the company's German business.
The program for summer 2026 comprises a total of three ships operating from German ports. In addition to the MSC Euribia in Kiel, the MSC Magnifica will be deployed from Warnemünde. This ship recently underwent extensive modernization, including the integration of the exclusive "ship-within-a-ship" MSC Yacht Club concept and new dining areas such as a steakhouse and a sushi bar. Itineraries from Warnemünde include destinations in Norway and the Baltic region, with stops in Gdynia, Riga, and Stockholm.
The MSC Preziosa is the third ship in the fleet to serve the Port of Hamburg. From the Elbe River, the ocean liner sails seven- to fourteen-day cruises to destinations in the far north, including Iceland with its capital Reykjavik, as well as Norwegian ports such as Tromsø and Honningsvåg. The North European offering is complemented by the MSC Virtuosa, which is based in Southampton and, in addition to Scandinavian destinations, also offers itineraries to the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean. The cruise line is thus focusing on broad geographical coverage to meet the consistently high demand for cruises in cooler latitudes.
Industry analyses show that the market for Northern European cruises continues to be characterized by high capacity utilization and increasing interest in expedition-style itineraries. The Port of Kiel has established itself as an efficient starting point for large ships through investments in its handling infrastructure. With the basing of the MSC Euribia, which offers space for over 6.000 passengers, MSC is strengthening its market position against competitors in the German cruise segment. The logistical handling of passenger transfers in German ports is considered a key success factor for the smooth execution of the tight schedules during the summer months.