MSC Cruises confirms ship for Southampton
Wednesday, 28 Jan, 2010
0
MSC Cruises has confirmed plans to base a ship in Southampton for summer 2011.
The Italian line is to deploy the 2,000-passenger MSC Opera in the port from May next year.
A range of ex-UK cruises are to be offered to destinations including the Baltic and Mediterranean.
MSC has previously run UK departures from Dover.
The move into Southampton – where new ship MSC Magficia is to be showcased to the trade in a special preview visit next month – will further intensify cruise line competition from the Hampshire cruise hub.
The line’s UK and Ireland managing director Giulio Libutti said: “Ex-UK cruising is becoming ever more desirable and popular and we are delighted to be working with Southampton port in 2011.
“Southampton port is well suited to our new planned itineraries cruising to the north of France, Spain and Portugal.
"The infrastructure and amenities at the port and in the city make Southampton a desirable and attractive port for us, with great transport links offered by road, rail and air, which will better service our passengers.
“The move also allows us to better penetrate Southampton’s local markets, as well as the whole of the South West, which is saturated with established cruisers and an increasing number of first time cruisers.”
Doug Morrison, ABP Port of Southampton director added: “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming MSC Cruises to the port in February to show case their new vessel MSC Magnifica.
"This, together with the exciting announcement of their decision to sail from Southampton in 2011, is wonderful news for the city and the surrounding area.
“In recent years we have invested over £41 million in our cruise terminals to ensure all passengers using the Port experience a high quality and efficient service.
"MSC passengers will benefit from our bespoke facilities, and we hope will enjoy the plethora of attractions in the region.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025