Your MSC cruise, one numbered card at a time.

Moments worth a card on a MSC cruise

1. Embarkation day and the sail-away

   MSC sails from U.S. ports including Miami, Port Canaveral, New York and Galveston. A card at the terminal and a card at the sail-away start the set, and the back of each records the ship, the sailing and the day of the trip. If you board in Texas, the Galveston guide lists the spots.

2. Gala Night

   MSC calls its dress-up evenings Gala Nights. The line's own advice is to dress to your own level of elegance: a tuxedo or an evening gown if you like, or a collared shirt with a dress or a blouse. It applies to the main dining room only, it is optional, and nobody is turned away from a restaurant for skipping it. A well-lit spot beats an elaborate one. Name the card Gala Night.

3. Ocean Cay

   Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is the line's private island in the Bahamas, about 20 miles south of Bimini. It has eight beaches, a central lagoon and a lighthouse that is lit with LED shows, and some sailings stay late or overnight, so one stop can give you a daytime card and a night card. Type Ocean Cay, Bahamas in the Port or place box.

4. Port days

   Give every stop its own card, however short the day. Our port guides cover places that many Western Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries include, from Cozumel to Nassau, with where the photos are and how the light works.

5. The last night

   The night before you dock is the one to make the closing card, a group picture with the ship's lights behind you. It is the card people ask for later.

Portraits from the ship, cards from your phone

The ship's photographers work the embarkation line, the dress-up evenings and the gangway, and their pictures are sold onboard. CardMyCruise has nothing to do with those. It works from the photos already on your phone, which usually include the moments nobody posed. Use both if you like. It is free to start, and $39.99 a year covers every sailing you make.

Type your ship, and it is on every card

There are four boxes in the Studio for the sailing: the name of your ship, the port you left from, the day you sailed and the number of nights. Fill them in before you go. They are kept on your phone, printed on the back of every card and worked into its serial number, and the Studio never asks for a booking or an account with the line.

Details checked September 2026. Dress codes, private islands and ports change, so confirm with your ship's daily plan. CardMyCruise is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any cruise line.

Questions people ask

Is CardMyCruise connected to MSC?

No. CardMyCruise is an independent service and is not affiliated with or connected to MSC Cruises or any other cruise line. The name is used only to say which sailings this page is written for, and the ship name on a card is text you type.

What is Gala Night on MSC?

It is the name MSC gives its dress-up evenings. Guests are invited to dress to their own level of elegance in the main dining room, and it is optional, so plenty of people wear what they packed.

Can I make a card at Ocean Cay?

Yes. Take the photo on the island, then type Ocean Cay, Bahamas in the Port or place box. With the Studio already on your home screen, making the card needs no signal.

Do I need the ship's wifi package?

No. Cards are made on your phone with no connection once CardMyCruise has been added to your home screen. Sharing does need one, so leave that for port, or for home.