MSC Cruises recently opened bookings for its 2025-26 winter deployment in South Africa, which will feature a return of the MSC Opera.

After completing a summer season in the Eastern Mediterranean, the 2004-built vessel is scheduled to offer a repositioning cruise from Venice to Durban.

Sailing through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and Africa’s East Coast, the 26-night voyage features visits to destinations in Croatia, Greece, Egypt, and Jordan, as well as Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion.

Upon arriving in South Africa, the MSC Opera is scheduled to kick off its local season on November 28, 2025.

Replacing the MSC Musica, which is scheduled to sail in the region in the 2024-25 season, the vessel will sail a series of short cruises departing from Durban and Cape Town.

Sailing to Mozambique and Namibia, the two- to five-night itineraries include visits to Maputo, Pomene, and Portuguese Island, as well as Walvis Bay.

The deployment also includes a special 14-night cruise to additional destinations in the Indian Ocean in late December 2025.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve at sea, the itinerary features three ports of call in Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion: Nosy Be, Port Louis and La Possession.

Before returning to Durban, the two-week voyage is also scheduled to make a visit to Mamoudzou, the capital city of Mayotte, a French overseas region.

According to MSC’s South Africa website, the MSC Opera continues to sail from South African ports through April 17, 2026.

Returning to the region for the first time in nearly five years, the MSC Opera originally debuted in South Africa during the 2012-2013 winter season.

At the time, the 2,160-guest ship joined the MSC Sinfonia, which was sailing from Cape Town, for a series of cruises out of the port of Durban.

In addition to South Africa, MSC Cruises also confirmed its plans for the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and the Middle East for the 2025-26 season.