The Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) “MSC Meraviglia” cruise ship made its first-ever visit to the Puerto Plata province, carrying 4,934 passengers. The vessel, part of the Meraviglia class and constructed by STX France at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, commenced operations in June 2017.
With 3,358 passengers and 1,577 crew members, it docked at the modern Taíno Bay terminal on April 17, becoming the world’s sixth-largest cruise ship after Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class and AIDAnova. Atahualpa Paulino, the North regional director of the Ministry of Tourism, highlighted that the ship’s arrival further boosts Puerto Plata’s status as a sought-after cruise destination, according to Nuevo Diario.