 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2014) |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Travel,Transportation, Travel |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Lebanon, Dubai, Syria |
| Products | name Cruises |
| Parent | Mediterranean Shipping Company |
| Website | www.wilddiscovery.com.lb |
MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere S.p.A.) is a division of Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC). MSC is an Italian-Swiss shipping company devoted to the cruise market with headquarters in Geneva. The company, whose capital is wholly Swiss, employs 12,000 people worldwide and has offices in 43 countries.
Originally founded as Lauro Lines by Achille Lauro, the company entered the cruise business in the 1960s, operating two ships, the Angelina Lauro and MS Achille Lauro, both of which met fiery ends. After the Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St.Thomas in 1979, Lauro Lines, also known as Flotta Lauro, met with bad times, now operating just one ship, the Achille Lauro. In 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front, and the much-publicised event further dropped passenger numbers. In 1989, Flotta Lauro was purchased by Mediterranean Shipping Company and renamed StarLauro Cruises.[1] In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank. In 1995, the company name was changed to MSC Cruises.[1]
MSC Cruises claims to be the third largest cruise operator in the world,[2] after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. with a 6% share of all passengers carried and cruise revenue in 2012. Yet, because MSC Cruises has no stakes exchanged on the market, it has no obligations to issue its budget certified by independent parties, which therefore it does not; as a consequence the data MSC Cruises releases about itself are not verifiable.
On March 1, 2010, after strong support from French government, STX Europe and MSC Cruises announced signing a new Letter of Intent to build one, 139,000 ton, 3502 passenger, Fantasia-class ship, which is subject to financing, at STX Europe St-Nazaire.
Ships edit
Lirica class edit
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Armonia | 2001 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | May 2004 | 58,625 tons |  Panama |
Previously European Vision for the failed Festival Cruises. |
| MSC Sinfonia | 2002 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | March 2005 | 58,625 tons | Panama |
Previously European Stars for the failed Festival Cruises. |
| MSC Lirica | 2003 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | March 2003 | 59,058 tons | Panama |
Modified ex Festival's European-class. |
| MSC Opera | 2004 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | March 2004 | 59,058 tons | Panama |
Modified ex Festival's European-class. |
Musica class edit
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Musica | 2006 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | July 2006 | 92,409 tons | Panama |
|
| MSC Orchestra | 2007 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | May 2007 | 92,409 tons | Panama |
|
| MSC Poesia | 2008 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | Oct. 2008 | 92,627 tons | Panama |
|
| MSC Magnifica | 2010 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | March 2010 | 95,128 tons | Panama |
Modified Musica-class. |
Fantasia class edit
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Fantasia | 2008 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | Dec. 2008 | 137,936 tons | Panama |
|
| MSC Splendida | 2009 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | July 2009 | 137,936 tons | Panama |
Ordered as MSC Serenata and renamed MSC Splendida in 2008. |
| MSC Divina | 2012 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | June 2012 | 139,400 tons | Panama |
Modified Fantasia-class. Ordered as MSC Meraviglia and renamed MSC Divina in 2010. |
| MSC Preziosa | 2013 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | March 2013 | 139,400 tons | Panama |
Modified Fantasia-class.Originally ordered for Libyan based General National Maritime Transport.[3] |
Former ships edit
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC |
Gross Tonnage | Year Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Symphony | 1951 | Wigham Richardson | 1994 | 16,000 tons | 2000 |
| MSC Monterey | 1952 | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. | 1994 | 20,000 tons | 2006 |
| MSC Rhapsody | 1977 | Burmeister & Wain | 1995 | 17,095 tons | 2009 |
| MSC Melody | 1982 | CNIM (La Seyne-sur-Mer) | 1997 | 35,143 tons | 2013 |
| Angelina Lauro | 1938 | Koninklijke Maatschappi | N/A | 24,377 tons | 1979 |
| Achille Lauro | 1947 | Koninklijke Maatschappi | N/A | 23,629 tons | 1994 |
References edit
- ^ a b "The history of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA". Swiss Deep-sea Shipping. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ^ "2012 World Wide Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. 2011-11-20.
- ^ "MSC Cruises-UK News: MSC Cruises Welcomes MSC Preziosa". Msccruises.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
External links edit
- MSC Cruises Corporate Global website
- MSC Cruises USA website
- MSC Cruises UK website
- MSC Cruises Australia & New Zealand website
- MSC Cruises South Africa website
- MSC Cruises Asia Facebook Page
- Cruise Critic review
- MSC Cruises fleet location in Google Maps
- Lauro Lines, StarLauro and MSC Cruises Information and Postcards at Simplon Postcards
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