Port Canaveral’s cruise ship plate is getting bigger with the announcement Thursday that MSC Cruises will bring in a second ship for the first time starting next year.

MSC Grandiosa will begin seven-night Caribbean itineraries in December 2025 for the winter sailing season while MSC Seashore remains, but sailing short three- and four-night Bahamas sailings to Nassau and the cruise line’s private island Ocean Cay.

It’s the largest MSC ship yet to sail from the port. The Meraviglia Plus-class vessel is among the top 20 largest cruise ships worldwide at 181,541 gross tons and a maximum passenger capacity of 6,334. It debuted in 2019 and features a water park, five pools, nine hot tubs, spa, the MSC Yacht Club exclusive area and a Lego partnership in its kids clubs.

One of the more dramatic features is the 323-foot-long Galleria Grandiosa promenade with an LED projection screen over the length of the walkway. The ship features 10 restaurants including the Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, Kaito Sushi, Kaito Tepanyaki and L’Atelier Bistrot.

This is its first time taking on North American duties, and its arrival coincides with the debut out of PortMiami of the MSC World America, which will be even larger.

“The Winter 2025-2026 season will mark our largest presence in the U.S. to date, and our expansion at Port Canaveral is a big part of that,” said MSC Cruises USA President Rubén A. Rodríguez in a press release. “We know people sailing from Central Florida want options, and we’re delighted to offer them two of our most modern and glamorous ships with itineraries that will appeal to everyone from first-time to seasoned cruisers.”

MSC first began sailing from the port in 2021, joining mainstays Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian. It has shuffled several ships for short runs for what Rodríguez said was a taste of what MSC has to offer. That has included MSC Divina, MSC Meraviglia and MSC Seashore.

The family-owned cruise line has its roots in Europe, so the line plays up its “unique international flavor” compared with the other lines, while also touting its environmental efforts such as can be found on the private Bahamas island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. It is undergoing a major expansion effort to support excursions and on-island activities.

MSC Grandiosa will trade off alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries. Eastern trips will visit Nassau and Ocean Cay, Bahamas; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands. Western trips will visit Nassau; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; George Town, Cayman Islands; Montego Bay and Falmouth, Jamaica; and Belize City, Belize.

“We are honored that MSC Cruises chose Port Canaveral for the North American debut of their magnificent MSC Grandiosa,” said Port Canaveral CEO John Murray in the release. “Expanding their homeport fleet at Port Canaveral underscores their confidence in our partnership and shared commitment to success.”

The growing port for a time took on the title of world’s busiest cruise port after the pandemic, and while PortMiami has since retaken that title, Port Canaveral continues to expand its ship offerings.

The last sailing season saw 16 ships that either homeported year-round or sailed seasonally, and it expects that number to grow to 19 for the 2024-2025 sailing season, including the debuts of Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises this fall.