MSC Sets 2026 Opening for Catalina Sugar Beach in Dominican Republic
MSC Opera is due to call weekly from La Romana as MSC Cruises begins what it said will be its first year-round Southern Caribbean program.
MSC Group’s upgraded beach destination on Catalina Island, off La Romana in the Dominican Republic, will be called Catalina Sugar Beach. The site is scheduled to open in November 2026. It will be operated with CTL Maritime and Casa de Campo Resort & Villas and will be available to MSC Group cruise passengers and guests staying at the resort.
La Romana deployment makes the island a weekly call
The beach call is being built into MSC Cruises’ new La Romana homeport program. MSC Opera is due to call at the island on each weekly itinerary, and MSC Cruises said the deployment will be its first year-round Southern Caribbean program.
The La Romana program includes seven-night cruises and a 14-night back-to-back option. The port’s Sugar Breeze Cruise Terminal has an eastern cruise berth on the La Romana River; after a 2023 expansion, the port can handle Oasis-class ships.
Beach facilities and excursions
Planned guest facilities center on an open-air beach pavilion buffet serving local and international dishes, with shaded seating near the water. Two bars are planned, including a palapa-style open-air bar, along with daybeds and rental cabanas.
A water-sports center will rent equipment for guests using the surrounding waters. The upgrade also includes changing rooms, showers, toilets and a walking path through the island’s vegetation, with signs identifying tree species and viewpoints over the beach and island landscape.
Shore excursions listed for the destination include catamaran trips, snorkeling, boat rides to Isla Saona, and visits to the Cave of Wonders and Altos de Chavón.
A protected island setting
Catalina Island is an uninhabited protected natural area known for snorkeling, diving, coral reefs and marine biodiversity. The island is managed with environmental restrictions, including limits on development and visitor flow.
MSC Group did not disclose an investment amount for the destination upgrades. Explora Journeys is scheduled to call at Catalina Sugar Beach on select Caribbean Journeys.
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