The cruise company activates cold ironing at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, reducing emissions and confirming its commitment to more sustainable ports
New York – The Msc Meraviglia ship has, for the first time, connected to the onshore power grid (shore power) at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in New York, allowing it to turn off its engines and eliminate local emissions during its port stay.
The initiative is part of a joint plan between Msc Cruises and the City of New York to improve air quality and reduce the environmental impact of cruises.
Since 2017, Msc has been installing shore power technology as standard on all new vessels and is progressively retrofitting its existing ships: currently 16 of the 23 ships in the fleet are already equipped, a number that will rise to 17 by the end of the year.
The group has already performed 142 connections in 13 ports in 2024, tripling the results of the previous year. Among the ports involved are Valletta, La Spezia, Le Havre and PortMiami, where the company inaugurated its new state-of-the-art terminal in April 2025.
The President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Andrew Kimball, emphasized that the operation represents “a decisive step towards the electrification of New York’s waterfront” and a concrete signal of the city’s commitment to a more sustainable, efficient, and competitive cruise industry.
With this new milestone, Msc Cruises strengthens its position as a leader in the cruise industry’s energy transition, focusing on innovation and cooperation with ports to reduce global emissions.
