MSC CRUISES’ ENTIRE FLEET BACK IN OPERATION

• MSC Musica sets sail from Italy as 19 ship to return to sea
• Line to welcome two new ships at the end of 2022 – MSC Seascape and MSC World Europa

Geneva, Switzerland – June 6, 2022 – MSC Cruises’ entire fleet of 19 ships is now back at sea following MSC Musica’s return to service Sunday. The ship set sail for the start of the summer 2022 season on the first of her 23 planned seven-night voyages to Katakolon in Greece, the traditional birthplace of the Olympic Games, along with the Greek islands Crete and Santorini, and Bari in Italy.

Rubén A. Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA said: “Putting the last of our ships back into service is a milestone for all of our hard-working crew members onboard, and it’s a milestone for our guests looking for new ways to discover fantastic destinations around the world. We were the first major line to return to international cruising in the summer of 2020. Our industry-leading health and safety protocols laid the groundwork for us to return to full strength and give our travel agent partners and their customers what they want—relaxing, enjoyable and, most importantly, safe cruise vacations.”

After the global cruise industry’s voluntary shutdown in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic ashore, MSC Grandiosa became the first ship from any major cruise line to return to sea in August 2020 under MSC Cruises’ pioneering health and safety protocol designed for the wellbeing of the line’s guests and crew.

MSC Cruises remained committed to its ambitious expansion program throughout the pandemic. The cruise line introduced two new vessels to its fleet in 2021—MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore. 

The brand will welcome two more ships at the end of 2022—MSC Seascape and MSC World Europa, the latter of which will be its first liquefied natural gas-powered vessel. Sales for both ships are already open.

MSC Cruises’ full fleet deployment for summer 2022 offers a wide variety of destinations across the globe:

North America: MSC Divina - homeport Port Canaveral; MSC Seashore - homeport Miami.

Western Mediterranean:  MSC Meraviglia - homeport Barcelona; MSC Opera - homeport Genoa; MSC Orchestra - homeport Genoa; MSC Seaside - homeport Genoa; MSC Seaview - homeport Genoa; MSC Splendida - homeport Genoa.

Eastern Mediterranean:  MSC Armonia - homeport Venice/Marghera; MSC Fantasia - homeport Trieste;  MSC Lirica - homeport Piraeus; MSC Musica - homeport Monfalcone/Venice; MSC Sinfonia – Venice/Marghera.

Northern Europe: MSC Grandiosa - homeport Kiel; MSC Magnifica - homeport Hamburg; MSC Poesia - homeport Warnemünde; MSC Preziosa - homeport Kiel; MSC Virtuosa - homeport Southampton.

Middle East: MSC Bellissima - homeport Dubai.

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About MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise brand as well as the leader in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and Southern Africa, with more market share in addition to deployed capacity than any other player. It is also the fastest growing global cruise brand with a strong presence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East markets.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is one of the two brands that sit within the Cruises Division of MSC Group, the leading privately held Swiss-based shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage. MSC Cruises – the contemporary brand - has a modern fleet of 19 vessels combined with a sizeable future global investment portfolio of new vessels. The fleet is projected to grow to 23 cruise ships by 2025, with options for six more vessel orders in place through 2030.

MSC Cruises offers its guests an enriching, immersive and safe cruise experience inspired by the Company’s European heritage, where they can enjoy international dining, world-class entertainment, award-winning family programs, and the very latest user-friendly technology on board. To learn more about MSC Cruises’ itineraries and experience on board its ships, click here.

The Company’s number one priority has always been the health and safety of its guests and crew, as well as the communities at the destinations its ships serve.  In August 2020, MSC Cruises implemented a new comprehensive and robust health and safety protocol to become the first major line to return to sea. To learn more about MSC Cruises’ health & safety protocol, click here.

MSC Cruises has long been committed to environmental stewardship, with a long-term goal to achieve net zero emissions for its operations by 2050. The Company is also a significant investor in next-generation environmental marine technologies, with the objective to support their accelerated development and availability industry-wide. To learn more about the Company’s environmental commitment, click here. 

Finally, to learn more about the MSC Foundation, MSC Group’s own vehicle to lead, focus and advance its conservation, humanitarian and cultural commitments, click here.