MSC Cruises will kick off a new series of theme cruises with Major League Baseball greats with the Dec. 13 sailing of MSC Lirica. The seven-night Western Caribbean roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale will feature Hall-of-Famer Bob Feller, Dave Campbell, Tommy Davis, Jeff Torborg and Stan Bahnsen. The baseball theme cruise includes free interactive activities with the players, including a player-hosted trivia game in which guests can test their baseball knowledge, question-and-answer sessions with the players, a passenger pitching contest and a story-telling session in which the players share candid revelations about some of the characters of the game. Players will also host pitching, hitting, fielding and base-running clinics. At the end of the cruise is a free autograph session. "Guests have repeatedly told us how much they enjoyed meeting and interacting with the players during past seasons' baseball theme cruises so it was a natural for us to continue this program for our guests," said Richard Sasso, president and CEO of MSC Cruises USA.

The cruise will visit Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and the line's private paradise at Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic. Cruise-only prices begin at $449 per person, double occupancy, for a category 1 interior stateroom. For a limited time, guests can get a complimentary ocean-view stateroom by purchasing a category 5 interior stateroom and receiving an upgrade to a category 6 ocean-view stateroom from $629 per person, double occupancy. This special offer, which expires April 30, represents a savings of up to 50 percent or more off of retail rates. Government fees and taxes are additional, as is a fuel surcharge for the first two guests in each stateroom. Kids under the age of 17 sail free, except for government fees and taxes, when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults. MSC Cruises also has a full slate of baseball theme cruises scheduled for the winter 2009 Caribbean season. MSC Orchestra, one of the line's newest ships, will host baseball greats on its Jan. 24 Western Caribbean itinerary, and its Feb. 28, March 28 and April 11 Eastern Caribbean itineraries. For more information, visit www.msccruisesusa.com.