{"version":"1.9","identifier":"f2e329c9-8b16-468d-b333-95e5202528bc","language":"en-US","title":"MSC breaks ground on Sandy Cay, targeting a 2028 opening","layout":{"columns":7,"width":1024,"margin":32,"gutter":20},"componentLayouts":{"text":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"maximumContentWidth":720,"margin":{"top":12,"bottom":12}},"photo":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"margin":{"top":20,"bottom":20}}},"componentTextStyles":{"default":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"textColor":"#171717"},"headline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue-Bold","fontSize":36,"lineHeight":42,"conditional":[{"conditions":{"maxViewportWidth":480},"fontSize":28,"lineHeight":34}]},"intro":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":20,"lineHeight":28,"textColor":"#555555"},"caption":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":19,"textColor":"#666666"},"byline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":20,"textColor":"#666666"},"body":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"paragraphSpacingAfter":14,"linkStyle":{"textColor":"#00704a"}}},"metadata":{"canonicalURL":"https://crusiefrog.com/news/msc-breaks-ground-on-sandy-cay-targeting-a-2028-opening","datePublished":"2026-10-13T21:10:24.048445Z","dateModified":"2026-10-14T23:47:40.972225Z","authors":["Cruise Frog Editorial"],"excerpt":"The Bahamas destination is being developed for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys beside Ocean Cay.","thumbnailURL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/f2e329c9-8b16-468d-b333-95e5202528bc/e1d926318295be210de839ce06b0a21d.jpg","keywords":["port"],"generatorName":"Frog News","generatorVersion":"1.0"},"components":[{"role":"title","text":"MSC breaks ground on Sandy Cay, targeting a 2028 opening","textStyle":"headline","layout":"text"},{"role":"intro","text":"The Bahamas destination is being developed for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys beside Ocean Cay.","textStyle":"intro","layout":"text"},{"role":"byline","text":"By Cruise Frog Editorial · Published October 13, 2026","textStyle":"byline","layout":"text"},{"role":"photo","URL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/f2e329c9-8b16-468d-b333-95e5202528bc/e1d926318295be210de839ce06b0a21d.jpg","caption":"Sandy Cay destination concept; official MSC rendering · MSC Cruises","accessibilityCaption":"Sandy Cay destination concept; official MSC rendering","layout":"photo"},{"role":"caption","text":"Sandy Cay destination concept; official MSC rendering · MSC Cruises","textStyle":"caption","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"MSC Group’s Cruise Division has marked the groundbreaking for Sandy Cay, its planned private-island destination in The Bahamas. The September announcement identifies 2028 as the scheduled opening year.\n\nLocated beside Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Sandy Cay is being developed for guests of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys. MSC says the destination will emphasize wellness, relaxation, dining and private retreats. The company also describes further planned improvements at Ocean Cay, including additional dining and beach areas.\n\n## A second destination with a separate character\n\nSandy Cay is intended to complement Ocean Cay rather than simply add another name to an existing stop. MSC describes a more intimate destination experience, although the announcement does not provide a completed map of every facility or a departure-by-departure calling schedule.\n\nFor travelers, the opening year is the clearest timing detail. Groundbreaking confirms a development milestone; it does not mean the island is already open to cruise passengers. A confirmed first call and a finalized itinerary would make the destination more actionable for a particular booking.\n\nThe [MSC Cruises page](https://crusiefrog.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises) and [Explora Journeys page](https://crusiefrog.com/cruise-lines/explora-journeys) provide existing context for the two brands named in the announcement. Their ships and service models should be compared individually when considering the kind of trip desired.\n\n## Island access still depends on the itinerary\n\nThe company’s plans do not establish that every ship from either brand will visit Sandy Cay. The relevant evidence is the port list attached to a specific departure. Travelers booking around the island should confirm that it appears on their selected sailing and review subsequent itinerary updates.\n\nThe same applies to the promised shore experience. Dining venues, private retreats and wellness spaces can have different inclusion or reservation arrangements. The announcement does not publish universal prices or confirm that every planned service will be included in every cruise fare.\n\nReaders can use Cruise Frog’s [ship directory](https://crusiefrog.com/ships) to compare vessels and the [upcoming ships page](https://crusiefrog.com/upcoming-cruise-ships) to follow related fleet developments. A destination project and a ship launch can progress on separate schedules, so their availability should be checked independently.\n\n## Ocean Cay improvements are another part of the announcement\n\nMSC also outlines additional dining venues, family and adult beach concepts, relaxation areas and marine-conservation experiences for Ocean Cay. Those plans concern the established neighboring destination. They should not be read as a finished facility list for Sandy Cay itself.\n\nThat distinction helps travelers compare future options without combining two projects into a single assumed experience. A subsequent destination guide, price list or sailing announcement would be the right place to establish which features are available, when and on what terms.\n\nFor passengers arriving in the region by air, Lounge Frog’s [airport search](https://www.loungefrog.com/), [airline directory](https://www.loungefrog.com/airlines) and [lounge directory](https://www.loungefrog.com/lounges) remain useful existing resources. Flight-related benefits and airport lounge entry are separate from the shore facilities included in a cruise.\n\nThe news is the start-of-construction milestone and the stated 2028 target for Sandy Cay. Further announcements will be needed to connect the project with first sailings and finished guest facilities. Follow destination and itinerary updates in [Cruise Frog news](https://crusiefrog.com/news).\n\n## My take\n\nA new island can be a strong reason to look at an itinerary. I would wait for confirmed calls and finished facilities before paying a premium specifically to visit Sandy Cay.\n\nSource: [Official announcement](https://www.mscpressarea.com/press-releases/msc-groups-cruise-division-marks-groundbreaking-ceremony-for-sandy-cay-in-the-bah/). Reporting checked October 13, 2026.\n\n## Related reading\n\n* [5 things MSC Cruises does well—and 1 it doesn’t](https://crusiefrog.com/news/msc-cruises-five-things-well-one-drawback)\n* [MSC World Asia adds five new bar and lounge concepts](https://crusiefrog.com/news/msc-world-asia-adds-five-new-bar-and-lounge-concepts)\n* [MSC Euribia will sail Canary Islands and Madeira in winter 2027–28](https://crusiefrog.com/news/msc-euribia-will-sail-canary-islands-and-madeira-in-winter-2027-28)","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"}]}