MSC and Royal Caribbean Dig In at Naha
Rivals MSC and Royal Caribbean are jointly building a Naha cruise terminal due in March 2028. Expect more Okinawa calls, and a smoother turnaround, from both groups' fleets.
Two of cruising’s biggest competitors are building a terminal together. Cruise Port Naha G.K., a joint venture between MSC Group‘s CTL Maritime and Royal Caribbean Group‘s RCL Cruises Ltd., broke ground on 5 October on a new cruise terminal at Naha Port, Okinawa. It is due to open in March 2028. For advisors, it signals that both groups plan a lasting presence in East Asian cruising, with Okinawa as a regular stop for their larger ships.
The deal
Under a Cruise Hub Formation Agreement signed with the Naha Port Authority in August 2026, the joint venture will build and run the terminal. The project follows Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism naming Naha an International Cruise Ship Hub Formation Port in 2019. Okinawa Governor Genta Koja, who also heads the Naha Port Authority, attended the ceremony with representatives of Japan’s Cabinet Office.
The partners haven’t disclosed the investment, design or passenger capacity. They say only that the terminal will be “purpose-built” and will help the port handle “some of the most advanced cruise ships in the world.”
The project has been a long time coming. Naha invited cruise lines to bid for a public-private second berth in 2018; Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC and Genting Hong Kong submitted proposals, and the berth was then expected to open in 2022.
What’s there now
Naha currently has two cruise berths, according to the Japan Tourism Agency‘s port profile. Tomari Wharf No. 8 has the Naha Cruise Terminal, opened in 2014, with permanent customs and immigration and a boarding bridge. It is about 1.5 km, a 15- to 20-minute walk, from downtown. Shinko Wharf No. 12 is the larger berth, 430 metres long and 12 metres deep. It has a tent for shelter, temporary customs and immigration, and sits 5.6 km out, so passengers need a shuttle. The listed ships that have used the port include MSC Bellissima and Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas. The release doesn’t say which berth the new terminal will serve, but the gap in facilities between the two is clear.
Why both lines want it
“For Royal Caribbean Group, Japan is one of the most important cruise markets in Asia,” said Jason Liberty, the group’s chairman and chief executive, calling the country “a long-term partner in our global business.” Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s cruise division, said the project supports MSC’s plan for guests of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys “to enjoy Asia year-round.”
Mentioning Explora matters for luxury advisors. MSC’s luxury brand is part of the plan for Okinawa, not just its mass-market ships. Royal Caribbean Group’s brands include Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
For advisors
- Who to pitch: clients doing Japan and Taiwan or Korea by sea who want subtropical Okinawa alongside Tokyo and Kyoto; past Japan cruisers looking for a different itinerary.
- When: the terminal is due in March 2028. Watch 2028–29 Asia deployments from MSC, Explora, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea for more Naha calls or turnarounds.
- What to check now: for 2026–27 Naha calls, ask which berth the ship uses. Shinko No. 12 means a shuttle into town and slower disembarkation.
- What to watch: whether Naha becomes a turnaround port, which would open fly-cruise packages through Naha Airport.
Sources
- PUNCH Canada for Royal Caribbean Group and MSC Cruises, release ‘Naha Port Authority, Cruise Port Naha G.K., MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean Group begin construction of new cruise terminal at Naha Port, Okinawa’, 5 Oct 2026
- Japan Tourism Agency/MLIT, Naha port profile, as of 1 Jan 2026
- Naha Port Authority, cruise promotion
- Ryukyu Shimpo, Naha Cruise Terminal opening, March 2014