MSC Cruises & Heineken bring Formula 1 race weekends to sea

MSC Cruises and Heineken are expanding their longstanding relationship with Formula 1 watch parties, live screenings and themed activities at sea throughout the 2026 and 2027 racing seasons.

The collaboration launched aboard MSC World America, sailing from Miami, during the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend from Nov. 6 to 8. Guests took part in live race screenings, watch parties and race-themed competitions while MSC Cruises served as the event’s title sponsor.

Additional activities took place aboard MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaside and MSC World Europa.

The onboard programming will continue through the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season and throughout 2027, with guests gathering in sports bars, on pool decks and at other entertainment venues to follow the races live. Activities and prizes will vary by ship.

“At MSC Cruises, we are always looking for new ways to enhance the guest experience through partnerships with world-class brands,” Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said. “We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Heineken® as a trusted supplier onboard our ships, and we are proud to deepen that relationship through this new activity.”

“Together with Heineken® and Formula 1®, we are creating engaging new experiences that bring the excitement of race weekend to life at sea, allowing guests to connect with the sport they love while enjoying unforgettable moments onboard.”

The collaboration also includes a limited-edition Heineken can featuring a Formula 1 car and an MSC Cruises ship against a coastal town backdrop.

Available in select bars across the fleet from Nov. 4, the can will also be served aboard MSC World Asia when it begins Mediterranean sailings on Dec. 4. Selected duty-free stores in Brazil also carry it.

“With this limited-edition can and unique race-weekend parties, live screenings and themed activations on the open sea, we are bringing fans together and creating moments they will remember forever,” Reinoud Ottervanger, managing director, EMEA Export & GDF at Heineken, said.

Both companies are global partners of Formula 1. MSC Cruises joined in 2022, while Heineken has held the designation since 2016.

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