MSC Cruises will open sales for its summer 2026 ex-UK programme on March 14, which will mark the first time the line has had three summer seasons on sale at one time.
Steve Williams, sales director for the UK and Ireland, told Travel Weekly the line is releasing its newest collection six months earlier than it has in the past in response to demand from agents.
MSC Virtuosa will homeport in Southampton for the sixth consecutive year, operating sailings ranging from two to 14 nights in length.
The line has added new itineraries and new ports of call to its summer 2026 programme, with destinations in the Mediterranean, northern Europe and the Norwegian fjords.
Williams said he is “thrilled” to be opening sales for summer 2026 early, and the programme has been a culmination of six months of work.
He said there is an “increased appetite” from customers to book further out as the booking curve has extended, and he is “delighted” to have product available to meet the demand.
“The decision to release these sailings so early was very much driven by feedback from our guests and trade partners and it’s a real first for us so it’s really exciting,” he said.
“We know a lot of our guests want to plan and budget so we’re giving them the opportunity to secure the date, cabin and itinerary they want much further out so it’s perfect for those guests who want to get organised.
“It also gives our trade partners a much broader spectrum of what they are able to sell so it’s a total win-win for us”
A new nine-night Mediterranean cruise is featured in the collection, calling at Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malaga and Cadiz. The cruise will depart on August 20, 2026, and has been designed to cater for families who want to sail for less than two weeks but longer than one, Williams said.
A 14-night Iceland a Norwegian fjords itinerary has also been created, with calls at Cobh, Reykjavik, Akureyri and Isafjordur.
“These new sailings are so exciting and mean we have even more to offer our customers,” Williams said.
“The nine-night cruise is one I’m very excited about as it caters for those people who feel seven nights isn’t long enough but 14 nights is too long, so it’s a perfect length and I’m so glad we’ve managed to squeeze it in during the school holidays. I think that one will be a top seller.
“I’m also so excited about the Iceland and fjords cruise as it’s something we’ve been wanting to introduced for a while but we now think the time is right.”
He added: “Across the whole collection, there is something for everybody. We’ve got sun, cities, shopping, nature and scenery and sailings that last two, three, four, five, seven, nine, 12 and 14 nights, so we’ve got a bit of everything to keep everyone happy.”