MSC Cruises' next-gen MSC Meraviglia opens for sale

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 22 June 2015 22 June 2015

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned global cruise line, announced that sales for the inaugural summer 2017 cruises of MSC Meraviglia, its first next generation cruise ship, are now open.

Sales of sought-out cruises on this ground-breaking 1033 foot-long ship will first open exclusively to MSC Club members, rewarding loyal guests across MSC Cruises’ growing fleet. Then, on July 5, sales will open to the rest of the public.

Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises, said: “The opening of sales marks yet another decisive milestone in MSC Cruises’ expansion plan, especially as MSC Meraviglia’s inaugural cruise will take place two years from now. MSC Meraviglia is a true maritime marvel and will be one of the greenest and safest ships in the industry, as well as one of the most technologically advanced. We are thrilled to offer our loyal MSC Club members the opportunity to be the very first to book their distinctive vacation experience so far in advance, demonstrating one more way in which we provide best-in-class service. The ship is perfect for cruising year-round in almost any destination around the world, in outstanding comfort and style. The demand we are seeing for our product demonstrates the eagerness with which MSC Meraviglia is awaited.”

MSC Meraviglia will be the largest and most innovative cruise ship ever built by a global European-based cruise line. The cutting-edge, 4,500-guest (based on double occupancy), 167,600-ton ship — due to be delivered in May 2017—will spend her first summer sailing the western Mediterranean, and will be the first to have three major ports of embarkation: Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona.

MSC Meraviglia will be able to call at any cruise port in the world, providing North Americans the opportunity to sail to some of the best and most exciting destinations in the world.

MSC Meraviglia will be a ship full of cutting-edge technology and will feature a range of services ranging from ‘Near Field Communication’ technology to mobile applications and the use of smart devices throughout the ship, thus enabling guests to interact with the ship and the onboard community or select and plan their activities. This technology will also allow guests to make payments, access their staterooms or geo-locate children, friends and onboard locations using their cruise card or smartphone.

Another jaw-dropping feature, and an industry first, will be a 5,167-square-foot LED screen, which forms the entire ceiling of the ship’s interior promenade. Like a digital sky, this LED image vault will beam out compelling images and vistas throughout the day – including highly impactful visual events – creating a variety of powerful atmospheres at all times.

Adding to the unique and innovative features of the ship, MSC Meraviglia will also have new categories of staterooms, with specially crafted Family and Super Family staterooms, duplex staterooms and an extended MSC Yacht Club, the wholly self-contained luxury area on the prestigious foredecks, which includes a vast solarium, private lounge and restaurant. MSC Meraviglia will be packed with extraordinary features that make it ideal for cruising year-round in any destination, including wide dining options and entertainment choices, stunning panoramic spaces, a large theatre and a spectacular amusement park linked to an outdoor aqua park, as well as a three-deck interior promenade.

Entertainment options will also be widely available throughout the day for all ages, including standout activities for families – with partnerships with global brands such as LEGO and Chicco that further exemplify the company’s commitment to creating unforgettable vacations for parents and their children. The line also offers a rich program of varied and spectacular shows, impressive Broadway and Las Vegas-style theatrical performances, live music and dance-'til-dawn nightlife.

MSC Meraviglia is the first of two identical ships on order from STX France, the second of which will be entered in to service in 2019. In addition, MSC Cruises has options for two further Vista project ships to be delivered by 2022.

MSC Cruises charts course back to US

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 22 June 2015 22 June 2015

MSC Cruises, the world's fourth largest cruise shipping company, will return to the United States when MSC Divina returns to Miami in November, is aiming to carve out a niche in the market rather than become a major player, according to its CEO, CruiseCritic reports on its website.

Speaking exclusively to Cruise Critic, CEO Gianni Onorato said the line was looking to carry "a couple of hundred thousand" passengers across two Miami-based ships -- MSC Divina and new ship MSC Seaside -- by 2017/2018.

He acknowledged that the company needed to change its philosophy to succeed with Americans on its second push into the country. "We need to get there with a different proposal," Onorato said. "And we will be doing that by improving the brand, investing in the organisation and investing in the product."

When asked, Onorato said MSC was considering basing a ship out of New York "before 2022" -- when the last of the line's newbuilds are complete.

Here are some of the specific steps MSC will be taking to appeal to Americans:

Improve the brand: A TV campaign has just been launched in the U.S. which will explain what MSC stands for both literally and figuratively, i.e. 'a Mediterranean experience'.

Investment: The line is investing in its sales forces on both coasts as well as training for cruise specialist agents. It will also re-launch its website to consumers, adapting it to the U.S. market and making it easier to book.

Product: The line will be christening a brand new ship, purpose built for the U.S./Caribbean market in Miami in November 2017. The 154,000-ton, 4,140-passenger ship MSC Seaside, is designed for warm weather, with a huge amount of outdoor public space as well as terraces for all restaurants and bars. It is designed to look like a Miami condo, and appeal to a young, hip contemporary market, the report said.

FleetPro statement on cruise ship Saint Laurent incident

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 19 June 2015 19 June 2015

FleetPro Passenger Ship Management, managers of the 4,954 gross ton cruise vessel Saint Laurent, report that the ship made contact with a concrete approach wall bumper of the Westbound door of the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway system, at 2115 hrs on June 18. The Bahamas Flag vessel, which was on passage from Montreal to Toronto, was carrying a total of 192 passengers and 81 crew members. The passengers are mainly of French and Swiss nationality.

As a result of the incident, 19 guests and 3 crew members suffered minor injuries and were transferred to Massena Memorial Hospital for  treatment. The shipboard doctor was available at all times.

The vessel remains in safe condition in the lock which is partially drained of water. All shipboard services are fully functional for guests on-board. A ship inspection team has been appointed by owners and managers and will attend the vessel to assess the damage, which is limited to the bow area, before any attempt is made to move the Saint Laurent out of the lock and onto a berth.

At all times, the safety of passengers and crew is the absolute priority and owners and managers wish to thank the US Coast Guard and all the local agencies and emergency services who responded in such a timely and professional manner to this unfortunate incident. The Company will carry out a full investigation onto the events leading up to the collision and cooperate fully with any official investigation.

Princess Cruises joins IMO to celebrate Day of the Seafarer on June 25

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 19 June 2015 19 June 2015

Princess Cruises is joining the International Maritime Organization in celebrating the 5th annual Day of the Seafarer on June 25, which is also a United Nations international observance day. Day of the Seafarer brings awareness to and recognizes the world’s 1.5 million seafarers to thank them for their service and contribution during their career at sea.

Around the world, there are organizations that support the well-being of seafaring crew by providing important humanitarian services that directly benefit the shipboard crew at Princess, as well as all international maritime workers. Princess Cruises actively supports these organizations located in ports of call the cruise line visits often including Seafarers’ House (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida); Seafarers UK (Southampton, England); Mission to Seafarers, (Seattle, Washington); and International Seafarer’s Center (Long Beach/Los Angeles, Calif.).
 
On every cruise, Princess raises money for charity by conducting an auction of the nautical charts, a one-of-a-kind collector’s item signed by the Captain that details the routes of the voyage. To celebrate the 2015 Day of the Seafarer, Princess guests will have the opportunity to show their support for their favorite crew members and seafarers and take home this unique keepsake from their cruise vacation. Fleetwide, through the month of July, the proceeds from each commemorative nautical chart auction will be collected on behalf of seafarers. Princess Cruises Community Foundation will match the auction proceeds up to $10,000. Both the auction proceeds and the matched funds will be donated to seafarer organizations that promote the well-being of seafarers and their families.
 
The 2015 Day of the Seafarer campaign aims to inspire young people to consider a career at sea. In support, Princess Cruises will turn to social media to celebrate its shipboard team, using the hashtag #CareerAtSea to highlight that a career at sea is a rewarding opportunity that will take you to exciting and often exotic destinations around the world.
 
Princess Cruises is showing appreciation and gratitude to seafarers everywhere and this day offers the opportunity to acknowledge the company’s nearly 18,000 shipboard crew who work aboard Princess cruise ships and come from more than 70 countries. Princess is also taking this opportunity to salute three long-serving employees who have dedicated themselves to a lifelong career at sea:
 
– Tom Beck (Coventry, United Kingdom), Newbuild Guarantee Engineer, 51 years at sea
– Alastair Calder (Genoa, Italy), Fleet Marine Inspector, 48 years at sea
– Nigel Stewart (Fortrose, Scotland), Hotel General Manager, 47 years at sea
 
“We are grateful for the commitment and dedication of our seafaring staff - they are truly what makes Princess Cruises special for our guests,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “Because of their choosing to have a career at sea, our guests enjoy a safe, meaningful and memorable cruise vacation.”
 
In an additional show of support, the company will also donate a cruise to the Seattle branch of Mission to Seafarers and will be hosting their annual luncheon aboard Crown Princess on August 22 in the Port of Seattle.