MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere) is a Swiss-Italian global cruise line based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1988 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In addition to being the world's largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries as of 2017[update],[1] MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group, with a 10.2% share of all passengers carried in 2021.[2]
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Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Transportation |
Founded | 1988Naples, Italy |
Founder | Gianluigi Aponte |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Cruises |
Number of employees | 23,500 |
Parent | Mediterranean Shipping Company |
Subsidiaries | Explora Journeys |
Website | msccruises |
History
editStarLauro Cruises
editIn 1988 Gianluigi Aponte, founder of Mediterranean Shipping Company cargo shipping company, decided to enter the cruise industry and purchased the Achille Lauro from Flotta Lauro Line. He retained "Lauro" in the company name in honour of his mentor, naming the new cruise line StarLauro Cruises.[3] The original Lauro Lines (Italian: Flotta Lauro) was originally founded in Naples, Italy by Achille Lauro in the 1940s.
In 1990 Mediterranean Shipping Co. purchased the Monterey to sail for their StarLauro Cruises brand.
MSC Cruises
editIn 1995, StarLauro Cruises was rebranded as MSC Cruises, with the livery changed from the blue funnel star logo to a white funnel with the MSC Logo.[4]
In 1997 MSC purchased the Atlantic from Premier Cruise Lines, and renamed the ship Melody.
In 2003 the MSC Lirica entered service, the first new purpose built ship for the cruise line.
In 2014, MSC Cruises announced that the four Mistral class ships underwent renovation under the "Renaissance Programme".[5]
In July 2018, the company announced that it would build a second cruise terminal at PortMiami for its World-class cruise ships as an expansion of its North American program. It is scheduled to be completed in October 2022.[6] In October 2018, MSC announced an order for four luxury ships of 64,000 gross tons each.[7] These ultra-luxury vessels were to be based on the cruise line's luxury concept, the "MSC Yacht Club."[7]
In January 2019, MSC Cruises unveiled the world's first virtual personal cruise assistant - ZOE, an artificial intelligence device designed by Harman International. It is currently featured on MSC Bellissima and MSC Grandiosa and will be featured on future newbuilds upon their delivery.[8][9]
In mid 2020, MSC Cruises suspended most (or all) of their operations for over six months during the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]
On 7 January 2021, MSC had released a plan for the MSC Grandiosa to start its 7-night cruises on 24 January 2021 and for MSC Magnifica to start its 10-night cruises on 14 February 2021, both in the Mediterranean. Only passengers who were residents of Schengen countries would be accepted until further notice, however.[10]
On 9 January 2021, a report stated MSC was hoping to resume some cruises in Europe in the near future but added that "it remains to be seen whether this will go ahead with much of the continent still in lockdown".[10]
In June 2021, MSC announced a new luxury brand named Explora Journeys, with four vessels planned beginning with the Explora I.[11][12]
In March 2022, MSC Cruises signed a multi-year deal with Formula 1 to become their official cruise partner.[13] They were the title sponsor of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.[14]
In January 2023, MSC Cruises announced a new multi-year partnership agreement with the New York Knicks. The deal gets MSC promotion during Knicks home games, including LED signage, virtual-on-court signage, and the opportunity to serve as the presenting partner during in-game t-shirt tosses.[15]
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
editIn December 2015, MSC Cruises signed a 100-year lease for the private island of Ocean Cay in the Bahamas to develop the land for an exclusive island experience.[16] The site had previously been used to mine white Aragonite sand for decades, and after the original owners abandoned the 95 acre island, the land had to be restored to remove all of the old mining equipment, with MSC Cruises committing $200 million for the project involving restoration and conversion of the island into a private resort.[17]
The restoration required the work of many scientists to bring the area back into a functioning marine habitat. And, once the Bahamian government granted the site marine reserve status, the project was then officially named the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and was set to open in mid-November 2019, but weather delays pushed the date to 5 December 2019.[18]
Fleet
editCurrent fleet
editShip | Built | Builder | Joined MSC | Gross tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mistral-class | |||||||
MSC Armonia | 2001 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | May 2004 | 65,542 | Panama | Built as the MS European Vision for Festival Cruises | |
MSC Sinfonia | 2002 | March 2005 | 65,542 | Panama | Built as the MS European Stars for Festival Cruises | ||
MSC Lirica | 2003 | March 2003 | 65,591 | Panama | First purpose built newbuild for MSC Cruises | ||
MSC Opera | 2004 | March 2004 | 65,591 | Panama | |||
Musica class | |||||||
MSC Musica | 2006 | Aker Yards (Saint-Nazaire) | July 2006 | 92,409 | Panama | ||
MSC Orchestra | 2007 | May 2007 | 92,409 | Panama | |||
MSC Poesia | 2008 | Aker Yards/STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) | Oct 2008 | 92,627 | Panama | ||
MSC Magnifica | 2010 | STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) | March 2010 | 95,128 | Panama | Modified Musica class | |
Fantasia class | |||||||
MSC Fantasia | 2008 | Aker Yards/STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) | Dec 2008 | 137,936 | Panama | ||
MSC Splendida | 2009 | July 2009 | 137,936 | Panama | |||
MSC Divina | 2012 | STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) | June 2012 | 139,400 | Panama | Modified Fantasia class | |
MSC Preziosa | 2013 | March 2013 | 139,400 | Panama | Modified Fantasia class[19] | ||
Seaside class | |||||||
MSC Seaside | 2017 | Fincantieri | Nov 2017 | 153,516 | Malta | ||
MSC Seaview | 2018 | June 2018 | 153,516 | Malta | |||
Seaside EVO-class | |||||||
MSC Seashore | 2021 | Fincantieri | August 2021 | 170,412 | Malta | ||
MSC Seascape | 2022[20] | November 2022 | 170,400[21] | Malta | |||
Meraviglia class | |||||||
MSC Meraviglia | 2017 | STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) | May 2017 | 171,598 | Malta | ||
MSC Bellissima | 2019 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | March 2019 | 171,598 | Malta | ||
Meraviglia Plus-class | |||||||
MSC Grandiosa | 2019 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | November 2019 | 181,541 | Malta | [22] | |
MSC Virtuosa | 2021 | May 2021 | 181,541 | Malta | [22] | ||
MSC Euribia[23] | 2023[24] | May 2023 | 184,011 | Malta | Second ship powered by liquid natural gas (LNG) to join the fleet. | ||
World Class | |||||||
MSC World Europa[25] | 2022[26] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | December 2022 | 215,863[27] | Malta | Originally named MSC Europa[28]
Largest ship built for MSC Cruises and first in the fleet powered by LNG with solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and having "G"-shape bow design |
Future ships
editShip | Due to enter service | Builder | Gross tonnage | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
World class | |||||
MSC World America[29][30] | 2025[30] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 215,863[27] | LNG-fueled cruise ship[31] | |
MSC World Asia[32][30] | 2026[27] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 215,863[27] | LNG-fueled cruise ship[31] | |
TBA[33] | 2027[27] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 215,863[27] | LNG-fueled cruise ship[31] |
Rumors about new ships from Meyer Turku[34][35] (picture from this article). The name is Project Ultimate, they would be the largest cruise ships in the world.[36][37] Designed for its own MSC Crociere brand, they will have a gross tonnage of around 270,000 tons and, if a construction contract is actually signed, they will be the largest passenger ships ever built in the world. Even larger than the World Class ships under construction for MSC at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France (215,000 tons) and the same units of the Royal Caribbean Icon class (250,000 tons).
Former ships
editShip | Built | Builder | In Service for MSC | Gross tonnage | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Achille Lauro | 1947 | Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen, Netherlands | 1988- 1994 | 23,629 | Built for Royal Rotterdam Lloyd as the MS Willem Ruys. Sank after catching fire in 1994. | |
Monterey | 1952 | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Maryland, United States | 1990- 2006 | 20,000 | Originally known as SS Free State Mariner. Previously Monterey for Matson Lines and Monterey for Aloha Pacific Cruises. Scrapped in 2007. | |
Symphony | 1951 | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, England | 1994- 2000 | 16,000 | Previously Provence for SGTM Line and Enrico C for Costa Cruises. Scrapped in 2001. | |
Rhapsody | 1977 | Burmeister & Wain, Denmark | 1995- 2009 | 17,095 | Previously Cunard Conquest and Cunard Princess for Cunard Line. Scrapped in 2022. | |
Melody | 1982 | CNIM (La Seyne-sur-Mer), France | 1997- 2013 | 35,143 | Previously Atlantic for Home Lines and StarShip Atlantic for Premier Cruise Line. Scrapped in 2018. |
References
edit- ^ "MSC Cruises Company Profile - MSC Fleet - Mediterranean Way of Life". Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ "Cruise Market Watch - Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
- ^ "MSC Cruises - Our History".
- ^ "About MSC History". MSC Cruises USA. MSC Cruises. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "MSC Renaissance Program Begins with Laying Out of Armonia's New Section". cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "MSC Cruises to Build Second Cruise Terminal in Miami - MSC Cruises". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ a b "MSC places order for four luxury vessels: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ "MSC Cruises Officially Unveils "Zoe" the World's First Personal Cruise Assistant". www.cruisecritic.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ Mathisen, Monty (1 February 2019). "MSC Unveils Zoe Virtual Personal Assistant". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "CRUISE & ITINERARY UPDATES". MSC. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
For all cancelled cruises please refer to the FAQ Which cruises benefit from the compensation packages policy?
- ^ Payne, Holly (10 June 2021). "Steel cut for Explora I, first vessel in MSC Cruises' luxury Explora Journeys fleet". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ "Brand Reveal". explorajourneys.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ Formula 1 (21 March 2022). "Formula 1 announces MSC Cruises as a Global Partner for the 2022 season". Formula 1. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Pettit, Carl (31 July 2023). "MSC Cruises and Formula 1 Have Something to Celebrate". Cruise Hive. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "New York Knicks and MSC Cruises Partner on Multi-Year Marketing Plan". www.travelmarketreport.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ Staff, C. I. N. (17 December 2015). "Confirmed: MSC Closes Deal on Private Island in Bahamas". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ Arlene Satchell, Arlene. "MSC Cruises plans $200 million private Bahamian island". Sun-Sentinel.com. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "MSC Cruises Announces New Opening Date for Ocean Cay Marine Reserve". TravelPulse.
- ^ "MSC Cruises-UK News: MSC Cruises Welcomes MSC Preziosa". Msccruises.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
- ^ "New MSC Seascape Delivered from Fincantieri". 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ "MSC SEASCAPE, THE LARGEST AND MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED CRUISE SHIP EVER BUILT IN ITALY, JOINS THE FLEET". 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ a b Williamson, Jeannine (31 October 2019). "MSC Cruises Takes Delivery of first Meraviglia Plus Class Ship, MSC Grandiosa". www.cruisecritic.com.au. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ "MSC Begins Construction of Euribia, Its Most Environmentally-Advanced Ship". 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ Ebelthite, Shaun (29 June 2021). "MSC begins construction of third Meraviglia-Plus class ship, MSC Euribia -". cruise-arabia.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ Kalosh, Anne (29 June 2020). "Chantiers de l'Atlantique lays keel for LNG-powered MSC World Europa". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "MSC and Chantiers Mark Double Newbuild Milestones". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f McCarthy, Daniel (21 January 2020). "MSC Cruises Adds Two World Class Vessels, New Ship Class to Expansion Plans". Travel Market Report. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ "Msc guarda all'ambiente, ecco 'Europa': a Saint Nazaire il taglio della prima lamiera". Primocanale.it (in Italian). Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "MSC CRUISES CUTS STEEL ON MSC WORLD AMERICA, SECOND INNOVATIVE WORLD CLASS SHIP". 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "MSC Names Next New Ship World America". 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "New Cruise Ships - MSC Cruises | New Ships - World Class". Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "MSC Cruises Holds Steel Cutting Ceremony for MSC World Asia". 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "TESS -- Error".
- ^ https://www.shippingitaly.it/2024/05/27/msc-in-trattative-con-meyer-turku-per-una-nuova-serie-di-navi-da-crociera-da-record/?fbclid=IwY2xjawE80rpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYe2J-PVFuWPsDutdzhYcUxm2jxxMahufcCrrmmKRDRVaoQ7s0gaAzlnkg_aem_oBI2vjvsclPhMEze24fKpg
- ^ https://www.shippingitaly.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Icon-of-the-Seas-in-costruzione-a-Meyer-Turku.jpg
- ^ https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/croisieres/msc-relance-son-projet-ultimate-pour-construire-les-plus-gros-paquebots-du-monde
- ^ https://www.cruisetricks.de/neubau-geruechte-msc-cruises-soll-weltgroesste-kreuzfahrtschiffe-mit-meyer-turku-planen/
External links
edit- Official website
External videos The Secret Life of the Cruise – a 2018 documentary film directed by Ben Ryder showcasing the operations and management of a MSC cruise (Tubi, full episode)