MSC Sinfonia will cruise to Mossel Bay and Namibia for 2022/23 Cape Town season

MSC Sinfonia will join MSC Orchestra in cruising from South Africa during the 2022/23 cruise season, but while Orchestra will be based primarily in Durban, Sinfonia will sail exclusively from Cape Town.

MSC Sinfonia’s season in Cape Town will feature 22 roundtrip cruises of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 nights. The week-long cruise is the only one of the season, and is a special New Year cruise with New Year’s Eve Spent in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

The combination of MSC Sinfonia is Cape Town and MSC Orchestra in Durban for the 2022/23 cruise season marks MSC Cruises largest ever commitment to the South African cruise market, and is an indication of its recovery after the travails of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSC Sinfonia will homeport in Cape Town

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MSC Sinfonia will kick off the season on December 16th with a 3 night cruise to Mossel Bay, South Africa, the seaside retreat of the Western Cape on the Garden Route.

There are three of these 3-night itineraries on offer, departing December 16th, 2022, and January 13th, and 20th, 2023.

MSC Sinfonia’s 4-night cruises visit Walvis Bay in Namibia. Walvis Bay is a coastal city with a bay sheltered by the Pelican Point sand spit, this tidal lagoon is home to abundant birdlife including flamingos, pelicans and Damara terns, while east of the bay, coastal sand dunes like Dune 7 mark the start of the Namib Desert.

There are three of these 4-night itineraries on offer, departing December 19th and 23rd, 2022 and January 9th, 2023.

The Namib Desert

The 5-night cruises also visits Walvis Bay. There are two of these cruises, and for the first, departing January 23rd, 2023, the itinerary is identical with a day at sea on the way to and from Walvis Bay, but with the ship staying overnight in port, rather than departing in the evening as the 4-night cruises do. A second 5-night cruise departing February 20th, 2023, calls in Walvis Bay, as well as Luderitz.

For those short of time, or the budget for these longer cruises, MSC Sinfonia will also sail three 2-night cruises to nowhere. These popular ‘booze cruises’ depart Cape Town on January 7th and 28th, and February 25th, 2023.

MSC Sinfonia is a smaller, more intimate ship than MSC Orchestra, but features everything the Cape Town-based South African cruise passenger might want, from her 4 restaurants, 9 cafes and bars and 2 pools, 2 Jacuzzis and Doremi spray park for kids, to her two-deck theatre, casino, and spa and gym. For families, the ship even features a Baby Club, Mini Club, Juniors Club, Young Club, Teens Club and a Galaxy video arcade.

Shaun Ebelthite

Founder and editor of Cruise Arabia & Africa. I try to create the best news and information specifically for cruise passengers taking cruises to and from Dubai (where I live) and South Africa (where I was born). You can contact me at shaun(at)cruisearabiaonline.com.

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