Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Transportation |
Founded | 1970Naples, Italy |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Cruises |
Number of employees | 23,500 |
Parent | Mediterranean Shipping Company |
Website | msccruises |
MSC Cruises (Italian : MSC Crociere) is a Swiss global cruise line based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1970 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]
Lauro Lines (Italian : Flotta Lauro) was founded in Naples, Italy by Achille Lauro in 1960. The company entered the cruise business operating two ships, MS Angelina Lauro and MS Achille Lauro. Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands in 1979 and Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front in 1985 which put the company in financial difficulties. [3]
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) |
In 1988, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) entered the cruise business by buying the liner Monterey. [4]
In 1989, MSC bought Lauro Lines. The new company was named StarLauro Cruises and had 2 ships, Monterey and Achille Lauro. [5]
In 1995, StarLauro Cruises was renamed MSC Cruises. [5]
In 2014, MSC Cruises announced that the four Mistral class ships underwent renovation under the "Renaissance Programme". [6]
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. [7] In October 2018, MSC announced an order for four luxury ships of 64,000 gross tons each. [8] These ultra-luxury vessels will be based on the cruise line's luxury concept, the "MSC Yacht Club." [8] The first ship will arrive in the spring of 2023. [8] All ships will be built at Fincantieri. [8]
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. [9] [10]
In mid 2020, MSC Cruises suspended most (or all) of their operations for over six months during the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]
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. [11]
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". [11]
In June 2021, MSC announced a new luxury brand named Explora Journeys, with four vessels planned beginning with the Explora I . [12] [13]
In March 2022, MSC Cruises signed a multi-year deal with Formula 1 to become their official cruise partner. [14] They were the title sponsor of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. [15]
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. [16]
In 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. [17] 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. [18]
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. [19]
Ship | Built | Builder | Joined MSC | Gross tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mistral-class | |||||||
MSC Armonia | 2001 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | May 2004 | 65,542 | Panama | ||
MSC Sinfonia | 2002 | March 2005 | 65,542 | Panama | |||
MSC Lirica | 2003 | March 2003 | 65,591 | Panama | |||
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 [20] | ||
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 | [21] | |
MSC Virtuosa | 2021 | May 2021 | 181,541 | Malta | [21] | ||
MSC Euribia [22] | 2023 [23] | May 2023 | 184,011 | Malta | Second ship powered by liquid natural gas (LNG) to join the fleet. | ||
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 [24] | November 2022 | 170,400 [25] | Malta | |||
World Class | |||||||
MSC World Europa [26] | 2022 [27] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | December 2022 | 215,863 [28] | Malta | Originally named MSC Europa [29] Largest ship built for MSC Cruises and first in the fleet to be powered by LNG and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) | |
Explora class | |||||||
Explora I | 2023 [12] | Fincantieri | July 2023 | 63,900 [12] | Malta | First ship in MSC’s luxury brand, Explora Journeys. Delivered on 20 July 2023. |
Ship | Due to enter service | Builder | Gross tonnage | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
World class | |||||
MSC World America [30] [31] | 2025 [31] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 215,863 [28] | LNG-fueled cruise ship [32] | |
MSC World Asia [33] [31] | 2026 [28] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 215,863 [28] | LNG-fueled cruise ship [32] | |
TBA [34] | 2027 [28] | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 215,863 [28] | LNG-fueled cruise ship [32] | |
Explora class | |||||
Explora II | 2024 [12] | Fincantieri | 64,000 (approximate) [35] | Keel laid on 5 May 2022 [36] | |
Explora III | 2026 [12] | Fincantieri | 70,000 (approximate) [35] | LNG-fueled cruise ship | |
Explora IV | 2027 [12] | Fincantieri | 70,000 (approximate) [35] | LNG-fueled cruise ship | |
Explora V | 2027 [12] | Fincantieri | 70,000 (approximate) [35] | LNG+Hydrogen-fueled cruise ship | |
Explora VI | 2028 [12] | Fincantieri | 70,000 (approximate) [35] | LNG+Hydrogen-fueled cruise ship |
Ship | Built | Builder | Joined MSC | Gross tonnage | Left MSC | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angelina Lauro | 1938 | Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij | 1965 | 24,377 | 1979 | Built for Netherland Line as the MS Oranje. Sank after catching fire in 1979. | |
Achille Lauro | 1947 | Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen | 1965 | 23,629 | 1994 | Built for Royal Rotterdam Lloyd as the MS Willem Ruys. Sank after catching fire in 1994. | |
Monterey | 1952 | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. | 1989 | 20,000 | 2006 | 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 | 1994 | 16,000 | 2000 | Previously Provence for SGTM Line and Enrico C for Costa Cruises. Scrapped in 2001. | |
Rhapsody | 1977 | Burmeister & Wain | 1995 | 17,095 | 2009 | Previously Cunard Conquest and Cunard Princess for Cunard Line. Scrapped in 2022. | |
Melody | 1982 | CNIM (La Seyne-sur-Mer) | 1997 | 35,143 | 2013 | Previously Atlantic for Home Lines and StarShip Atlantic for Premier Cruise Line. Scrapped in 2018. |
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in Norway in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6% of the total worldwide share of the cruise market by passengers as of 2021. It is wholly owned by parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
MSC Opera is a cruise ship built in 2004, carrying 2,679 passengers in 1,071 cabins, and with a crew complement of approximately 728, currently operated by Swiss company MSC Cruises. She served as the flagship of the company until MSC Musica entered service in 2006.
Fincantieri S.p.A. is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014). The company builds both commercial and military vessels.
Star Pride was the first of three German built cruise ships that were initially built for the Seabourn Cruise Line. She was known as Seabourn Pride and is now operated for Windstar Cruises and was the first of her class.
Silversea is an ultra-luxury and expedition travel brand headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
P&O Cruises Australia is a British-American owned cruise line with operational headquarters as part of Carnival Australia, based in Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia.
MSC Fantasia is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises and serves as the lead vessel for the Fantasia class of ships. She entered service in December 2008 and ushered in a new generation of larger ships for MSC Cruises, becoming the largest ship to operate for MSC at the time of delivery. She was also the first vessel to feature the MSC Yacht Club, MSC Cruises ship within ship concept.
Paul Gauguin Cruises is a cruise line that was owned by Beachcomber Croisieres Limited until 2019, when it was purchased by French company Compagnie du Ponant. Paul Gauguin Cruises operates cruises with one ship, the Paul Gauguin, to Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific.
The Royal-class cruise ship is a class of cruise ships constructed by Fincantieri of Italy and operated by Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises, both subsidiaries of Carnival Corporation & plc. There are seven Royal-class ships, with six operated by Princess and one by P&O. The lead vessel of the class, Royal Princess, debuted in June 2013 for Princess. MV Britannia is a derivation of design from Princess' version and debuted in 2015. The final Royal-class ship, the Discovery Princess entered service in spring 2022.
MSC Seaside is a Seaside-class cruise ship currently owned and operated by MSC Cruises. As the lead vessel of the Seaside class, she lends her name to the company's Seaside class. At 153,516 GT, she would become the largest cruise ship ever to be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, and the 14th largest cruise ship in the world, behind Norwegian Epic, upon her delivery in December 2017.
The Seaside class is a class of four cruise ships owned and operated by MSC Cruises. The lead ship of the class, MSC Seaside, entered service in the Caribbean Sea in December 2017. A fourth cruise ship, the MSC Seascape was christened in New York on December 7, 2022.
MSC Bellissima is a cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises. She was constructed at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France.
MSC Seaview is a Seaside-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in Monfalcone and delivered in June 2018, she is the sister ship to her class' lead vessel, MSC Seaside.
Carnival Panorama is a Vista-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. After Carnival finalized the ship's order with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in December 2016, the vessel had her keel laid in January 2018. She was formally delivered in October 2019 as the last Vista-class vessel and as the flagship of the fleet; she has served in the latter role until the Mardi Gras debuted in 2021. Measuring 133,868 GT and 323 m long, she is the largest of Carnival's three Vista-class vessels. Since her debut in December 2019, she has been homeported at the Port of Long Beach and sails week-long itineraries to the Mexican Riviera.
MSC Virtuosa is a Meraviglia-Plus-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, she is the second ship in the Meraviglia-Plus class and sister ship to MSC Grandiosa. Originally scheduled to debut on 8 November 2020, her delivery and entry into service was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was delivered to MSC Cruises on 1 February 2021 and entered service in May 2021.
MSC Seashore is a Seaside EVO-class cruise ship built for MSC Cruises at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. As of August 2021, she became the lead ship of MSC's Seaside EVO class, a sub-class of the Seaside-class of ships built with larger dimensions. She was joined by sister ship MSC Seascape, since delivery in November 2022.
The Sphere-class cruise ship is a class of cruise ships currently under construction that will enter service with Princess Cruises in February 2024. They will be the largest ships built for Princess Cruises and the company's first ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The first name was revealed to be Sun Princess.
Explora Journeys is a luxury cruise line owned by the MSC Group.
For all cancelled cruises please refer to the FAQ Which cruises benefit from the compensation packages policy?
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)