MSC Cruises, the world’s fourth largest cruise shipping company, says it will operate 270 sailings and 22 itineraries on 12 ships in the summer of 2016 and return to Southampton after a break of one year.

 “These will be made up of nine ‘core’ Med itineraries of seven nights; seven ‘longer’ Med itineraries of between nine and 12 nights; new Baltic and Norwegian fjords options; plus the chance to sail on one of MSC Cruises’ largest Fantasia-class ships (MSC Splendida) from the UK for the first time,” the company said in a statement.

The 137,000 gross ton MSC Splendida will offer six ex-UK sailings – the first time UK guests have been able to experience a Fantasia-class vessel in home waters. “The Southampton departures will include two 11-night round-Britain sailings in April and May  with calls including Le Havre, France; Hamburg, Germany; Invergordon; Kirkwall; Greenock; Dublin and Cork. From £899pp. Additionally there will be four seven-night continental coastal cruises, featuring calls in Le Havre; Zeebrugge, Belgium; Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Hamburg,” the company said.

MSC Cruises executive director UK and Ireland Giles Hawke said: “We have made no secret as a business that we are intent on continuing our phenomenal growth. This 2016/17 brochure will be the last before the arrival of two spectacular new-builds in 2017, so it is vital we maximise the impact we make – and that means showcasing our inventory to UK guests.”

“MSC Cruises is already the number-one cruise operator in the Med with eight ships in the region for 2016/17, and fly-cruise continues to be our bread and butter. We know how much Brits love to get their holidays started and there’s no better way to do this than fly straight to the sun.

“We have also responded to feedback by making cruise-only an attractive option for those who wish to make their own arrangements or for agents who want to create their own packages.”

Guests booking before August 31 2015 will be able to take advantage of price reductions of up to £300 per person. For simplicity, cruise-only prices in Europe are set £150 lower than fly-cruise packages where available and £400 lower in the Caribbean and Emirates. On ‘Fantastica’ Experiences, upgrades from outside to balcony cabins are available for just £50pp.

The programme features a greater focus on cruises of eight nights or more. Introduced for summer 2015, longer sailings will operate in the shoulder seasons from Venice and Genoa on four ships [MSC Fantasia, MSC Lirica, MSC Opera and MSC Splendida].

Meanwhile, MSC Cruises will continue to offer its comprehensive selection of winter sailings in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Caribbean and Middle East across seven ships. For the first time, the popular Dubai winter season will be operated by one of MSC Cruises’ largest, Fantasia-class, ships [MSC Fantasia], with a tweak to the itinerary to include the debut of Bahrain.

For 2016/17 MSC Cruises has opted for a more contemporary look for its brochure, with the majority of itineraries presented over two pages. Colour-coded grids detailing prices for each cabin and Experience type have been introduced, with each giving the cost depending on seasonality.

As an added bonus, the brochure features four teaser pages with information about facilities planned for MSC Cruises’ exciting new-builds. The company has four ships on order - the innovative all-season STX Vista project vessels [4,500 passengers double occupancy] will launch in spring 2017 and 2019, while Fincantieri’s Seaside project ships [4,140 passengers double occupancy], are set to join the fleet in November 2017 and 2018.

Details revealed include the news that both classes of ship with have larger MSC Yacht Club areas, including luxurious duplex suites and suites with private whirlpool bath. Both will also feature ‘cluster cabins’, where three adjacent cabins can be linked together for families.

As announced earlier in March at Cruise Shipping Miami, the first ‘Seaside class’ vessel will be named MSC Seaside, and based year-round in Miami. The ship will feature an innovative and high-tech aqua park with four thrilling slide rides.