ABOUT MSC CRUISES

  Graham McKenzie engages in a lively discussion with Steve Williams, representing MSC, about the highly anticipated launch of their 2026 Southampton cruises. Williams reveals the strategic decision to launch earlier than usual, driven by feedback from trade partners and the desire to offer diverse itineraries. From short party cruises to scenic routes including Cove, Ireland, and the Icelandic fjords, MSC aims to cater to varied preferences. The interview highlights the overwhelming interest in the new itineraries, underscored by strong initial bookings, while also shedding light on MSC's loyalty program, offering enticing benefits to prospective cruisers.  

MSC Cruises confirmed an order for two new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ships. They will be built by French ship builder Chantiers de l'Atlantique. It sees these two World Class series ship options confirmed as firm orders alongside an option for another ship. The two new ordered vessels, referred to as World Class 3 and 4, will be delivered in 2026 and 2027. The new ships will be an evolution of the World Class series design with extensive use of heat recovery and other technological solutions to maximise energy efficiency, In addition, the new ships will be ready for various alternative fuels including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. The ships will also be fitted with the next generation dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip. Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman said, "We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with the Chantiers de l'Atlantique.” “We are committed to researching and investing in future environmental technologies as they become available."  The new MSC cruise ships will feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port. They will also have advanced wastewater treatment systems.

 

Highest rating achieved across eight key performance indicators

  MSC Cruises has become the first major line to be awarded the Green Marine Europe Certification, a voluntary environmental certification programme for the maritime industry.   Green Marine Europe is a partnership between North American environmental certification programme Green Marine and the Surfrider Foundation, a leading European Union NGO in ocean and maritime protection.   MSC Cruises achieved the highest possible score across eight performance indicators that the organisers said represented ‘environmental excellence and leadership’.   The performance indicators measured were aquatic invasive species, pollutant air emissions – both sulphur dioxide and particulate matter – nitrogen dioxide pollutant air emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, oil discharge, waste management, underwater radiated noise and responsible ship recycling.   Captain Minas Myrtidis, MSC Cruises’ VP Environmental Operations and Compliance today collected the award on behalf of the line at a ceremony held in Bilbao, Spain.   Captain Myrtidis said: “We are immensely proud to be awarded the highest possible rating across all of the criteria. The Green Marine Europe certificate is testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone throughout our business, both onboard and ashore, who have dedicated their collective efforts to help MSC Cruises towards achieving its sustainability goals.  Our certification underscores our strong performance credentials as well as our commitment to performance improvement, transparency and accountability.”   MSC Cruises plus its sister company and luxury brand Explora Journeys have committed to measure their environmental performance annually and submit their results to Green Marine Europe for its external accredited verification.  Both lines have set targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.   The emissions intensity of MSC Cruises’ ship operations has decreased by 33.5 per cent since 2008 and the Company is confident in achieving a 40 per cent reduction by 2030.   The line’s flagship MSC Euribia in June 2023 achieved the world’s first net zero greenhouse gas emissions cruise ship voyage from France to Denmark on a mass balance basis.

MSC Cruises has adjusted several East Mediterranean cruises for MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica due to the conflict in Israel. MSC Sinfonia's 11-night voyages will see Haifa, Israel replaced by Istanbul in Turkey. It also means Rhodes will be replaced by Piraeus, Greece and Izmir in Turkey will replace Limassol, Cyprus. Starting 21 Oct 2023, MSC Sinfonia's new itinerary will be the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia and Messina followed by Piraeus, Izmir, Istanbul and Heraklion in Crete before the ship returns to Genoa. MSC Musica's three 7-night voyages from Piraeus, Greece will see Haifa replaced by Rhodes on 18 and 25 October and Marmaris in Turkey on 1 November. Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, "We have worked rapidly to revise the itineraries of MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica to offer an attractive East Mediterranean cruise alternative for the winter months." The line has begun contacting all affected passengers and their travel agents. MSC Cruises will also update its website to reflect the confirmed details of the new itineraries.

MSC Cruises will add new ports of call for two of its three sailing itineraries in the Middle East during the winter 2023-24 season. The line will also back up its Middle East cruise expansion with 80,000 return air seats as part of its 'Fly&Cruise' programme with leading airlines. MSC Virtuosa will sail 17 new seven-night voyages in the Arabian Gulf from Dubai to Doha, Manama in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island. International guests have a choice of three embarkation ports: Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. MSC Virtuosa will also serve as a cruise ship hotel for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. MSC Opera returns to the region with 22 seven-night sailings in 2023-24 from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Muscat and more. MSC Orchestra will operate a new Middle East cruise tinerary from Safaga in Egypt with 20 seven-night sailings to Jeddah, Aqaba for Petra in Jordan, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Cairo. The 'Fly&Cruise' product for MSC Orchestra's Red Sea sailings will provide more than 20,000 return air seats throughout the season.  

MSC Cruises is heading back to China next year. It will offer international China cruises aboard the MSC Bellissima from March 2024. A short season will see the ship sailing from the Baoshan Wusongkou Cruise Terminal in Shanghai. It will operate nine China cruises of four or five nights calling at Fukuoka, Kagoshima, and Sasebo, Japan. Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “We can really sense a rapid recovery in the country’s cruise industry.” “Our team in China has been working tirelessly to prepare for our return to the Chinese market.” Prior to mainland China, MSC Bellissima will homeport in Taiwan from January 2024.

MSC Cruises new flagship MSC Euribia has been officially named in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Naming Ceremony event was presented by Danish television host and actress Sarah Grünewald. The ship’s Godmother is screen legend, Sophia Loren. The ship is MSC Cruises' second LNG cruise ship. Sustainable innovations include onboard wastewater treatment systems and waste management handling. The ship can also incorporate future innovations, such as carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels. During her maiden voyage, MSC Euribia completed a net zero GHG emissions journey from St Nazaire to Copenhagen. MSC Euribia begins sailings in Northern Europe with seven-night sailings from Kiel, Germany and Copenhagen to the Norwegian Fjords.

 

• MSC Cruises is celebrating 15 years in Japan and the start of MSC Bellissima’s summer season out of Yokohama
• First-ever winter season means guests can now sail year-round in the region with MSC Cruises
• The cruise line now offers the largest capacity of cruise passengers from Japan

  MSC Cruises hosted a special event on board MSC Bellissima in Yokohama, Japan to mark the start of the summer 2023 season and to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of the line’s presence in the country. At the same time, sales have today opened for MSC Cruises’ first ever winter season in Japan. With cruises now year-round from Japan, MSC Cruises offers the largest cruise capacity in the region, setting the line on track to become the number one cruise line in the country.   The new winter programme on MSC Bellissima will commence from November 2023 with an 11-night, 9-night and 6-night cruise from Yokohama. From  January to March 2024, MSC Bellissima will homeport in Naha/Okinawa offering guests from around the world the opportunity to experience Japan’s stunning landscapes and beaches, rich cultural heritage, ancient traditions, and modern attractions with multiple destinations – all without having to repack a suitcase.   The Winter 23/24 season will see MSC Bellissima sailing within Japan and to Keelung, Taiwan (China), offering cruises of four to five nights in length, with varying itineraries visiting destinations such as:  

• Okinawa, Japan - The fifth largest island of Japan is known for its balmy tropical climate, expansive beaches and stunning coral reefs, as well as historical sites
• Ishigaki, Japan – Another stunning beach destination with incredible snorkelling, diving and surfing sites, guests may go searching for the Shiraho Reef's rare blue coral in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park
• Keelung, Taiwan (China) - Keelung City is surrounded by inspiring mountains and is home to a bustling waterfront, where street-food stalls at Miaokou Night Market offer traditional snacks and seafood. Several forts pepper the area and offer breath-taking views out to sea
• Miyako Island, Japan - Miyako Island is revered for its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Guests will delight in local foods, including sweet mangoes, or go out looking for adventure in the many underwater caverns

  This summer, MSC Bellissima is now sailing eight- to nine-night summer sailings out of Yokohama, Tokyo - offering one-of-a-kind opportunities to discover the beauty of the region. Some of the departures still have availability – for more information visit here.

The MSC Foundation teamed up with the International Union for Conservation of Nature to help conserve coral reefs. It will enable the completion of the global assessment of coral reef species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The assessment project aims to deliver actionable restoration plans for coral reefs, as well as the species populating them. The project will include prioritisng conservation and restoration actions based on the threats they face. “Our new partnership is a powerful commitment to conserve threatened coral reefs, and seagrass beds,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group Cruise Division. The partnership will also contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

  MSC Cruises announced today that the Naming Ceremony for MSC Cruises’ newest flagship, MSC Euribia, will take place in Copenhagen on 8 June. The new flagship will become MSC Cruises’ second ship to be powered by LNG one of the world’s cleanest marine fuels available at scale and will also feature further state-of-the-art environmental technologies including ‘Baltic Standard’ advanced onboard wastewater treatment system, waste management handling, energy efficiency measures as well shore power connectivity to enable zero emissions from the ship where onshore power is available. MSC Euribia symbolises the line’s commitment to protecting the oceans and this is why the port of Copenhagen was selected as the launch location – as not only does the port have a rich maritime heritage but Denmark is a country with a deep respect for the sea and commitment to sustainability.   Antonio Paradiso, MSC Cruises, commented, “We are committed to offering the best experience for our guests from the UK and Ireland, and that is why our newest environmentally advanced flagship, MSC Euribia, will be sailing from the UK during Winter 2023. Since our first full ex-UK season back in 2018, we’ve seen a huge demand for stress-free, no-fly cruises from Southampton on board our current UK-based ship, MSC Virtuosa.We will be able to build on this success by offering our UK customers the opportunity to experience one of the most impressive cruise experiences available, featuring leading sustainability technology and cutting-edge design.”   This highly anticipated new ship will feature a striking fresco painted on her exterior that represents MSC Cruises’ commitment to protect and preserve the marine environment. Designed by German graphic artist, Alex Flaemig, the artwork is designed to communicate the importance of protecting this delicate and complex ecosystem. MSC Euribia is named after the ancient goddess Eurybia who harnessed the winds, weather and constellations to master the seas, furthering the vision of the ship to master the deployment of state-of-the-art sustainable technologies to protect and preserve the precious marine ecosystem.   Starting her inaugural season in Northern Europe from 10 June, MSC Euribia will offer 7-night sailings from Kiel, Germanyand Copenhagen, Denmark to the stunning Norwegian Fjords including Geiranger, Ålesund, and Flaam.   To find out more about MSC Euribia, please click here. For more information for media please visit www.mscpressarea.com.

 

• Brand new itinerary with 50 stunning destinations across 21 countries to be discovered through an epic 116-night World Cruise
• Extended discovery of Australasia with 19 days spent sailing around the Southern and Western coast of Australia – new for World Cruise 2025

  MSC Cruises today opened sales for the MSC World Cruise 2025 with an entirely new itinerary aboard MSC Magnifica. Voyagers can embark on this unique journey of a lifetime from four European ports - Civitavecchia/Rome, Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona (on 4, 5, 6 and 7 January 2025 respectively).   The 116-night voyage around the world will visit 50 breath-taking destinations in 21 countries, with seven overnight stays, featuring 22 destinations that have never featured on an MSC World Cruise before. The three-month long journey will bring cruisers to five continents, crossing three of the world’s largest oceans, sailing over 30,000 nautical miles. Whether it’s natural splendour, vibrant cosmopolitan cities or world-famous historical sites, this incredible itinerary will tick off many must-visit places on the bucket-list and will broaden horizons with new tastes and traditions, diverse cultures and communities all whilst delivering authentic global experiences.   The wondrous voyage begins with world-famous cities and ports in Italy, France, and Spain before sailing to Casablanca in Morocco which offers a myriad of markets and medinas. One week into the trip, guests will spend their first days at sea, followed by a day trip to Cape Verde’s capital - Mindelo.   After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, guests will spend ten days exploring South America including overnights in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile as well as a visit to the Falkland Islands with its stunning vistas and the most southern point of the continent - Ushuaia.   Following this, the ship then makes its way across the South Pacific Ocean visiting tropical islands for almost two weeks – the world-famous Easter Island (Chile), Moorea (French Polynesia) and Aitutaki and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.   Then begins an extended discovery of New Zealand and Australia starting with the Northern Islands of New Zealand. This sportive area is a popular destination for big-game fishing and to learn about the indigenous inhabitants of the country – the Maori. In eight days, guests visit the cities of Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Christchurch and Dunedin, followed by an exceptional cruising of the Milford Sound fjord in southern New Zealand.   Marking the second month of sailing, MSC Magnifica will call in Sydney, Australia and commence one of the highlight legs of the cruise - 19 days sailing around the rugged and beautiful Southern and Western coasts of the country calling at stunning beauty spots, national parks and trendy beach towns.   Guests can visit the natural paradise of Eden, famous for its oysters, food and incredible beaches. Dive into the hip city of Melbourne, enjoy outdoors adventure in Adelaide, Penneshaw, get immersed in the historic city of Albany, explore the vibrant beach town of Busselton and the famous Margaret River wine growing region. Then soak up the laid-back vibes of Perth and marvel at the beautiful town of Broome where outback meets the sea.   Arriving in the lush tropical climate of Asia, the ship will first call port in Benoa on Bali, Indonesia. After an overnight stay, allowing guests plenty of time to explore the islands natural beauty, the backdrop will change entirely as MSC Magnifica sails to the jewel of South-East Asia, Singapore. Here, guests can marvel at futuristic architecture decorated by a mosaic of vertical gardens. To complete the Asian itinerary, guests will visit Port Klang and Penang in Malaysia, followed by the idyllic island of Phuket in Thailand.   During the journey across the Indian Ocean, guests can enjoy a visit to the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. Following this, the port of Aqaba in Jordan awaits where guests can visit the world-famous archaeological site of Petra. Next up, travellers can enjoy the beautiful Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheik, the ancient sites in Luxor (from the port of Safaga) the transit through the Suez Canal and then on to Alexandria, from where it is possible to visit Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza.   To round up this once-in-a-lifetime itinerary, MSC Magnifica will sail back to Europe, visiting four iconic cities in Italy, ending a trip full of discovery in Genoa.   2025 MSC World Cruise highlights include:  

• Casablanca, Morocco: This is a vibrant and historic city renowned for its stunning architecture and beautiful beaches. Visitors to Casablanca can explore its many historical landmarks, such as the largest mosque in the world, the Hassan II Mosque, or indulge in the city's famous cuisine which blends traditional Moroccan flavours with French and Spanish influences.
• Rio de Janeiro: Renowned for its stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and lively atmosphere, Rio is a city not to be missed on any trip around the world. Guests are granted an overnight stay to allow time for a night filled with fun and dancing to the beat of samba music. During the day, visitors can explore the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, relax on the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, or take a cable car ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain for panoramic views of “The Marvelous City”.
• Ushuaia, Argentina: The most adventurous destinations of all is Ushuaia, a place known as the southernmost city in the world which is surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Guests can explore the stunning glaciers and fjords of the Beagle Channel, spot whales, and experience the rugged beauty of Patagonia.
• Hanga Roa, Chile: Located on the mystical Easter Island, this is a must-visit destination for those looking to experience a unique blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty. A main attraction on the island is the famous Moai sculptures which has become an icon of the island’s rich heritage. The mysterious statues which can weigh up to 75 tons have been carved by Rapa Nui people thousands of years ago, captivating visitors from all over the world.
• Christchurch, New Zealand: This city is renowned for its beautiful botanic gardens, rich history and its combination of urban regeneration with its ancient heritage. The city is filled with cutting-edge architecture built alongside authentic buildings. Guests can visit the International Antarctic Centre, where they can learn about the region's Antarctic heritage and experience a simulated blizzard.
• Milford Sound, New Zealand: With a strengthened focus on New Zealand, the cruise offers eight days to explore seven iconic cities on the island. Milford Sound is perhaps the most unique destination as it takes guests along a breathtaking fjord located on the southwestern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is renowned for its towering cliffs, pristine waters, and diverse wildlife, including seals, penguins, and dolphins.
• Penneshaw, Australia: Out of the nine cities visited in Australia, Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island is the premier nature destination. This charming town with a coastal vibe offers a unique opportunity to discover Australia’s famous wildlife, including sightings of kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, sea lions and over 270 species of birds.
• Benoa, Indonesia: This bustling port town is located on the southern coast of Bali. Stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters and exciting water-based activities await the guests as they enjoy the island for two days. Those interested in cultural sights can achieve their hearts desire at the traditional Balinese fishing village of Tanjung Benoa while enjoying a refreshing drink.

  Benefits when booking:  

• A dine and drink package is included for all World Cruises passengers.
• 15 shore excursions are included in the booking price.
• 30% discount on laundry.
• Classic level MSC Voyager Club members and above will benefit from a 5% discount on their booking price. The points gained from the World Cruise will be tripled and added to their account before the start of the voyage, instantly granting them valuable privileges and extras.

  To find out more about the MSC World Cruise 2025 and to book, please click here.