More News

MSC Cruises publish Winter 2022/23 programme of 21 ship fleet

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 February 2022 03 February 2022

MSC Cruises have published the details of the Winter 2022/2023 programme with a choice of 21 ships sailing to more than 190 destinations in 85 different countries. “With cruises ranging from mini-cruises through to the 118 night world cruise, ships will explore the Middle East, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America and South Africa - there really is a ship and itinerary for everyone looking for the perfect winter cruise holiday,” the company said in a statement.

MSC Cruises will launch two new ships for the upcoming winter season, with the first being MSC World Europa, the indoor promenade of which is shown in CGI above. It will be based in Doha for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and then following this the new ship will offer cruises calling Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas (United Arab Emirates) Doha (Qatar) and Dammam (Saudi Arabia) starting with a mini-cruise on 20 December before resuming a regular schedule of 7-night cruises.

MSC Seascape will become the second new ship to launch next winter and the line’s second innovative Seaside EVO class ship will offer two different 7-night itineraries from PortMiami (U.S) starting from 11 December. This will further enrich MSC Cruises’ already strong offering in the Caribbean.

The cruise line, which was the first to restart operations sailing from Southampton in the wake of the pandemic last May confirms that MSC Preziosa will sail from the UK from October 2022. This news follows the announcement earlier this week that MSC Virtuosa will extend her EX-UK season which means MSC will have two ships sailing from the port throughout October 2022.

MSC Preziosa will arrive in Southampton on the 3^rd October performing Northern European cruises visiting destinations including Amsterdam, Bruges and Le Havre for Paris and will sail from the port until April 2023. MSC Virtuosa will arrive in the port from 29^th April beginning the summer season with a mini-cruise to Guernsey with the last sailing to the Mediterranean departing 4^th November.

Middle East highlights for winter 2022-2023

MSC Cruises continues to strengthen and enrich the offering in the Middle East with three ships offering the chance to discover the rich culture and tradition of this region along with making the most of the beautiful beaches and waters.

MSC World Europa will offer 7-night sailings from Dubai including Abu Dhabi and the beautiful island Sir Bani Yas (United Arab Emirates), Dammam/Al Ahsa Oasis (Saudi Arabia), Doha (Qatar).
MSC Opera will also sail from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas as well as Muscat and Khasab (Oman).
MSC Splendida will homeport in Jeddah Saudi Arabia calling at Yanbu and Al Wajh also in the Kingdom and then Aqaba in Jordan for Petra and Safaga in Egypt for Luxor. Sales for MSC Splendida will open in the coming days.

Caribbean and Antilles highlights for winter 2022-2023

MSC Seascape will commence her inaugural season from December 11, 2022 out of PortMiami (U.S) on Sundays. She will offer 7-night itineraries calling at the eastern Caribbean calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Nassau in The Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and the Western Caribbean also calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands and Ocho Rios in Jamaica
MSC Meraviglia: sailing from the newly established MSC Cruises homeport Port Canaveral/Orlando (U.S), will offer cruises between three and seven nights to the Caribbean with destinations including Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (Bahamas), Costa Maya and Cozumel (Mexico) and Belize City (Belize).
MSC Divina: based out of PortMiami (U.S), each cruise will call at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and the ship will offer a range of 3 to 10-night exciting itineraries, with visits to Belize City (Belize), Isla de Roatan (Honduras), Costa Maya (Mexico), Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama), Puerto Limon (Costa Rica).
MSC Seaside: h 7-night cruises from Fort de France (Martinique), Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and Philipsburg (St Maarten) with two different itineraries that include calls to destinations such asCastries (Saint Lucia), Bridgetown (Barbados), Saint George (Grenada), or St John’s (Antigua and Barbuda), Basseterre (St Kitts and Nevis) and Roseau (Dominica)

Mediterranean highlights for winter 2022-2023

This winter, MSC Cruises will offer a rich and diverse choice in the Mediterranean Sea, with three ships sailing in this iconic cruise region, including two of the Company’s most innovative ships – MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa giving guests not only the chance to discover everything that the Mediterranean has to offer but also a memorable experience on board.

MSC Grandiosa will offer 7-night cruises from Genoa, Civitavecchia and Palermo (Italy), Valetta (Malta), Barcelona (Spain) and Marseille (France).
MSC Virtuosa will sail from Genoa, La Spezia/Florence and Naples (Italy), Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona (Spain) and Marseille (France). Sales for MSC Virtuosa will open in the coming days.
MSC Lirica will offer longer cruises for voyages of discovery of 11 nights from Genoa, Civitavecchia, Messina (Italy), Lindos/Rhodes (Greece), Limassol (Cyprus), Haifa (Israel), Heraklion/Crete (Greece), all from Genoa (Italy) or 10-nights from Genoa that calls Marseille (France), Barcelona (Spain), Tangier and Casablanca/Marrakech (Morocco), Ceuta, Malaga and Alicante/Costa Blanca (Spain)

Northern Europe highlights for winter 2022-2023

MSC Preziosa will offer the new 7-night winter itinerary introduced this season visiting five of Europe’s most popular cities - Hamburg (Germany), Zeebrugge for Bruges and Brussels (Belgium), Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Le Havre for Paris (France) Southampton for London (UK). Sales for MSC Preziosa will open in the coming days.

South America highlights for winter 2022-2023

Guests can choose from five ships sailing in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, all hand-picked and vibrant destinations right in the heart of the South American region.

MSC Seashore: will offer her brand-new 7-night itinerary from Santos visiting Maceio, Salvador and Buzios (Brazil) with local guests having the possibility to embark in Salvador (Brazil).
MSC Seaview will homeport for the first time in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) from December to March. She will offer 3 to 8-night cruises with different itineraries ranging from breath taking views and islands, such as Buzios, Ilhabela, Ilha Grande/Angra dos Reis, Ilheus, Salvador (all in Brazil) to Uruguay and Argentina.
MSC Fantasia: homeporting from Santos (Brazil), will offer a range 3 to 7-night cruises with calls including Ilha Grande, Buzios and Ilha Grande/Angra dos Reis (Brazil), Montevideo (Uruguay), as well as, Punta Del Este (Uruguay) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).
MSC Armonia: will focus on Southern Brazil homeporting from Itajai/Santa Caterina and will bring guests on a 7-night journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Ilhabela (Brazil).
MSC Musica: will homeport from Buenos Aires (Argentina) and offer a range of memorable destinations in Brazil with Ilhabela, Rio de Janeiro / Copacabana, Buzios, Ilha Grande/Angra dos Reis.

South Africa highlights for winter 2022-2023

Two ships will operate in South Africa offering a complete getaway to enjoy brilliant beaches and striking landscapes.

MSC Sinfonia: starting December 2022, will homeport in Cape Town (South Africa) sailing the west coast to Mossel Bay (South Africa), Walvis Bay and Luderitz (Namibia).
MSC Orchestra: will based in Durban (South Africa) and will then perform calls including Pomene and Portuguese Island/Inhaca Archipelago (Mozambique), Walvis Bay (Namibia) and Cape Town (South Africa).

MSC World Cruise for winter 2022-2023

MSC Magnifica and MSC Poesia will both perform the MSC World Cruise 2023. The two ships in an industry first will host over 5,000 guests for a round journey around the world and they will both depart from Civitavecchia and Genoa (Italy), respectively on 4 and 5 January, Marseille (France) one day later and Barcelona (Spain) on 7 January.

The Yacht Portfolio to acquire Sea Cloud Cruises

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 February 2022 01 February 2022

The Yacht Portfolio, a strategic maritime investment company, announced today that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire Sea Cloud Cruises of Hamburg, Germany. The company operates a fleet of three masted, full-rigged luxury tall ships; the Sea Cloud (109.5 meters; 64 passengers), the Sea Cloud II (117 meters; 94 passengers) and the recent newbuild Sea Cloud Spirit (138 meters; 136 passengers).

"Sea Cloud offers such a unique, environmentally-friendly experience in the cruise space, which aligns well with our continued focus on building a strong portfolio of niche luxury brands," said Douglas Prothero, CEO of The Yacht Portfolio. "We look forward to completing a transaction with the Sea Cloud team and supporting the brand's next phase of growth in the luxury cruise space."

The acquisition not only expands The Yacht Portfolio's presence in the luxury cruise sector, but also creates an opportunity to expand its relationship with Marriott International beyond The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and gives Marriott International the opportunity to enter the cruise industry through its other luxury brands.

"We are excited about the transaction between The Yacht Portfolio and Sea Cloud and look forward to the opportunity to collaborate further with The Yacht Portfolio to bring our luxury accommodations to sea," said Timothy Grisius, Global M&A and Real Estate Officer at Marriott International.

For over 40 years, Sea Cloud Cruises has pursued the principle of sustainable tourism, using wind power to provide unique, luxury sailing experiences around the world. The majority of each trip is conducted under the sails, engines off, offering the cleanest way to travel at sea. The tall ships of Sea Cloud offer a relaxed atmosphere, attentive service and loyal customer following.

"We are pleased that The Yacht Portfolio will strengthen Sea Cloud's market position," said Hermann Ebel, Managing Director of Sea Cloud Cruises. "The course is set for many more years of successful international marketing and the foundation is laid for further company and fleet growth."

Expansion of international marketing and laying the foundation for further company growth: Sea Cloud Cruises confirms successful conclusion of a letter of intent (LOI) by The Yacht Portfolio

For several months Sea Cloud Cruises has been in contact with The Yacht Portfolio, a strategic maritime investment company.

The negotiations have shown that both sides are ideal partners for strengthening their respective market positions. Sea Cloud Cruises is known as an exclusive operator of environmentally friendly sailing cruises in the 5-star segment, especially in Europe and the United States, for over 40 years. Through The Yacht Portfolio, the course is set for many more years of successful international marketing for Sea Cloud Cruises and the foundation is laid for further growth.

With the planned acquisition, The Yacht Portfolio is also sending a clear signal for continuity. In addition to the continuation of the successful business model, the headquarters of Sea Cloud Cruises will remain based in Hamburg/Germany and the highly experienced and motivated team of employees will continue to be employed as part of this transaction. This ensures that the employees' personal relationships with all customers and business partners will also be maintained. The existing voyage planning and charter commitments are intended to be continued.

The successful concept of Sea Cloud Cruises was the decisive factor for The Yacht Portfolio to contact Sea Cloud Cruises in order to pursue a desired growth strategy in this exclusive market segment. Sea Cloud Cruises would be The Yacht Portfolio's second brand extension, after The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Both sides intend to implement the LOI, which has now been concluded, swiftly.

Fincantieri delivers Discovery Princess

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 February 2022 01 February 2022

Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilder, said it had delivered Discovery Princess, the sixth unit of the Royal-class for Princess Cruises, a brand within Carnival Corporation & plc group.

A further six cruise ships to be delivered from the yards of the company in the course of this year, it said in a statement.

Discovery Princess was built at Monfalcone and it is scheduled to make its first cruise on 27 March from Los Angeles.

MSC Cruises extends seasons in UK, Arabian Gulf

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 February 2022 01 February 2022

MSC Cruises has decided to extend the season of MSC Virtuosa in the UK and that of MSC Bellissima in Saudi Arabia, t are company said in a statement.

MSC Virtuosa will now operate 23 cruises from Southampton between 29 April and November 2022. Antonio Paradiso, Managing Director MSC Cruises UK & Ireland said in a statement: “Sailings from Southampton have been our best sold cruises in 2022 and we are delighted to be able to extend the season to cater to the demand.”

The announcement follows the news that MSC Bellissima will offer additional 7-night cruises calling Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar, from 2 April through to 25 June. MSC Bellissima will finish her planned Red Sea itineraries homeporting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 26 March and then move to the Arabian Gulf taking over from MSC Virtuosa from 2 April.

Carnival Cruise Line celebrates six months of Mardi Gras

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 31 January 2022 31 January 2022

Today, Jan. 31, marks the six-month anniversary of the ship all cruise fans were waiting for: Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras, which welcomed her first guests from Port Canaveral on July 31, 2021.

The first of Carnival’s all new Excel class, Mardi Gras has been wowing guests on every cruise since July, welcoming more than 110,000 guests to date. To celebrate the six-month mark, as well as looking ahead to the arrival of its two sister ships, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, Carnival released the video after talking with guests about why they love the new ship.

Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship in the Americas powered by a liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform. Carnival Corp. pioneered the introduction of LNG fuel in the passenger cruise sector as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and emissions reduction. Mardi Gras is also the first ship to feature a roller coaster at sea, BOLT, which earned an engineering award from Popular Science magazine. So far, guests have enjoyed more than 30,000 invigorating BOLT rides.

The ship’s innovations and stunning new features have helped to earn other honors as well. USA Today’s Reader’s Choice 10Best Awards selected Mardi Gras as the Best New Cruise Ship of 2021 and Cruise Hive named it the Best Cruise Ship of 2021.

Mardi Gras is decked out with something fun for everyone — and that includes delicious dining options with several new venues on board, like Emeril’s Bistro 1396, Shaq’s Big Chicken, Chibang! and Street Eats.

Since the restart of cruising, momentum continues to build across Carnival Cruise Line. Nearly one million guests have taken a cruise vacation with Carnival since the restart on more than 400 sailings.

This fall, more excitement arrives when Carnival Celebration arrives home to PortMiami. Carnival’s next Excel-class ship will share all the fun guests are enjoying on Mardi Gras, like BOLT, plus some exclusive features as well.

A third Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee, will begin operations from its homeport in Galveston in the fall of 2023 and will also feature unique aspects all her own. Carnival Jubilee opened for sale last week.

[Read more on Carnival's Mardi Gras on the next issue of CruiseBusiness.com Magazine. Photo: Mardi Gras in Roatan, Honduras. Photo credit: Teijo Niemela]