MSC Cruises and Heineken® are launching a new dimension to their long-standing relationship, focused on “enhancing the Formula 1® experience for guests at sea,” a press release explains.
Race-day watch parties, live screenings and themed activations will roll out across MSC Cruises’ fleet throughout the 2026 and 2027 Formula 1 seasons, with a new “limited-edition branded can” available on board.
The new bespoke Heineken can is said to celebrate the partnership between MSC Cruises, Heineken and Formula 1 in a single design. It features an F1 car and an MSC Cruises ship side by side, set against a coastal town backdrop in Heineken’s recognisable green.
Cruise passengers can now enjoy the can in select bars across the MSC Cruises fleet, while F1 fans ashore can find it in selected duty-free stores in Brazil, in a tie-in that appears to feed a new “pilgramerch” trend for very specific travel souvenirs. It will also be served onboard MSC World Asia, MSC Cruises’ newest flagship, when she begins sailing in the Mediterranean from 4 December 2026.
Over the weekend of 6-8 November 2026, while the cars were racing at the Grande Premio Sao Paulo 2026 with MSC Cruises as title sponsor, those sailing from Miami aboard MSC World America were the “first to experience the excitement of race weekend alongside the enjoyment of cruise holiday,” boosted by Heineken, described by the cruise line as “a trusted supplier onboard MSC Cruises’ ships for many years.” While the biggest celebrations took place on MSC World America, additional activities ran on selected ships across the MSC Cruises fleet, including MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaside and MSC World Europa. Prizes and onboard activities vary by ship.
The two brands are both established partners of F1, so race weekend was “a natural opportunity to bring the two partnerships together,” the press release continued. Race-day experiences will continue across the fleet for the rest of the 2026 Formula 1 race season and throughout 2027, with the calendar intended to promote on-board guests’ enjoyment of race weekends, allowing them to “gather with fellow fans in sports bars, on pool decks and at other entertainment hotspots to follow the action live.”
Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said in a statement: “At MSC Cruises, we are always looking for new ways to enhance the guest experience through partnerships with world-class brands. 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.”
Reinoud Ottervanger, Managing Director of Heineken operating company EMEA Export & GDF, echoed that, claiming: “MSC Cruises, Heineken® and Formula 1® are leaders in creating legendary experiences that inspire and excite people around the world. Our longstanding partnership with MSC Cruises is built on that shared ambition.” He added that joint partnering the F1 events would help in “bringing fans together and creating moments they will remember forever.”
