MSC Cruises Connects to Shore Power in New York
MSC Cruises utilized shore power in New York for the first time when MSC Meraviglia connected to shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
The connection allowed MSC Meraviglia to switch off her engines to eliminate emissions locally, as part of the City’s and MSC Cruises’ commitment to improving local air quality while the ship is in port.
MSC Cruises has fitted shore power capability as standard on all new ships since 2017 and is working to retrofit other vessels in its fleet. Currently 16 of the line’s 23 ships are equipped with shore power which will increase to 17 by the end of the year.
The MSC Group’s Cruise Division last month celebrated a year of shore power success at the Mediterranean Sea port of Valletta in Malta, when MSC World Europa connected to the local electricity grid to total 300 hours during a 12-month period.
The Cruise Division’s luxury brand, Explora Journeys, successfully tested shore power connectivity for the first time in Europe with its second ship, EXPLORA II, at the same port the following day.
MSC Seaview recently tested a new shore power facility at the port of La Spezia in Italy and last week MSC Poesia also trialled a new landside port plug-in capability at Le Havre in northern France.
MSC Cruises’ first use of shore power in the United States occurred in April 2025 when MSC World America plugged in while docked at the cruise line’s state-of-the-art terminal at PortMiami, which opened during the same month.
MSC Cruises in 2024 connected to shore power in 13 ports and made 142 successful connections, more than triple the number undertaken in the previous year.
Andrew Kimball, President & CEO, New York City Economic Development Corporation, added, “NYCEDC is making crucial investments – from shore power upgrades at BCT and the recently approved Brooklyn Marine Terminal project to the forthcoming Manhattan Cruise Terminal master plan – ensuring the future of the cruise industry in New York City is sustainable, efficient, and economically competitive. MSC Cruises’ shore power connection this past weekend – and the connections of Cunard and Princess cruise ships in recent months – delivers on years of community feedback and marks a major step in electrifying New York’s waterfront.”
