Here’s where MSC Orchestra is going to be cruising for 2019/20 SA season

MSC Orchestra will replace MSC Musica in the South African cruise market for the upcoming 2019/2020 cruise season between November and March, offering short roundtrip cruises from Durban and Cape Town.

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Like MSC Musica, Orchestra will divide her time between Durban and Cape Town, but the majority of her season will be spent cruising the Indian Ocean from KZN, with 3, 4 and 5 night cruises on offer, as well as the annual 11-nighter to Mauritius and Reunion.

MSC Orchestra’s 3-night itineraries will cruise from Durban and arrive at Portugese Island the following morning, where she will stay overnight at anchor, before taking a leisurely voyage home, departing the island at 7am and spending the day and night at sea.

The 4-night roundtrip cruises from Durban go further up the coast to MSC’s new Pomene Bay cruise destination, first introduced during the previous cruise season. MSC Orchestra will only spend the day at Pomene (arriving at 8am and departing at 6pm) because it takes a full day at sea to get both there and back.

The 5-night Durban to Dubai cruises aboard MSC Orchestra (of which there are just three), visit both Pomene and Portuguese Island. On these itineraries Orchestra will stay overnight at Portuguese Island, departing at 4pm the following day and arriving at Pomene at 9am the next morning.

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She’ll then depart Pomene in the evening and spend the following day and night at sea before arriving back in Durban. The three 5-night roundtrip cruises depart Durban on November 24^th, December 23^rd, and March 27^th.

The 11-night New Year cruise will depart Durban on December 28^th, with New Year celebrated somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. MSC Orchestra will spend four nights and three days at sea before reaching Port Louis, Mauritius, where she’ll spend two nights in port.

She’ll then sail to Saint-Denis, Reunion, where she’ll stay overnight in port as well before embarking on the voyage back to Durban, which will be quicker with just two days and three nights at sea.

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MSC Orchestra will then head for Cape Town, sailing a leisurely 4-night cruise down the coast of South Africa on January 8^th.

There’ll be just one roundtrip cruise from Cape Town with MSC this cruise season, a 5-night voyage to Luderitz and Walvis Bay, before she heads back to Durban.

MSC Orchestra is a sister ship to MSC Musica and is almost identical apart from the names of public rooms and lounges such as the theatre, casino and so on.

There are still five dining venues to choose from, 10 bars and restaurants, five pools, four Jacuzzis, and (a plus for parents), the Jungle adventure children’s activity zone, which Musica does not have.