MSC Cruises
|
The Mediterranean Way of life | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | Naples, Italy 1960 |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Products | Cruises |
Number of employees | 16,500 |
| Parent | Mediterranean Shipping Company |
| Website | www.msccruises.com |
MSC Cruises is a Swiss-registered, global cruise line with headquarters in Geneva. It is the world's largest privately owned cruise company, employing 16,500 people worldwide and has offices in 45 countries. MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere S.p.A.) is part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC), the world's second biggest container shipping operator.
Originally founded in Italy as Lauro Lines (also known as Flotta Lauro) by Achille Lauro, the company entered the cruise business in the 1960s, operating two ships, the Angelina Lauro and MS Achille Lauro. The Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St. Thomas in 1979 and in 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front. In 1989, Mediterranean Shipping Company bought Flotta Lauro and renamed it StarLauro Cruises.[1] In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank. In 1995, the company name was changed to MSC Cruises.[1]
MSC Cruises is the fourth largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Lines with a 5.2% share of all passengers carried in 2015.[2]
In 2014 MSC Cruises announced that the four Lirica class ships will undergo renovation under the "Renaissance Programme".[3]
In 2015, MSC Cruises had four new ships on order from STX France and Fincantieri, with options for three more. The first two ships are due to be delivered in May 2017 (MSC Meraviglia) and November 2017 (MSC Seaside). There are 4 more diesel-powered ships on order for delivery in the 2020's.
Ships
Lirica class
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Armonia | 2001 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | May 2004 | 65,542 tons |  Panama | Previously European Vision for the failed Festival Cruises. |  |
| MSC Sinfonia | 2002 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | March 2005 | 65,542 tons | Panama | Previously European Stars for the failed Festival Cruises. | _(8948861318).jpg) |
| MSC Lirica | 2003 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | March 2003 | 65,591 tons | Panama | Modified ex Festival's European-class. |  |
| MSC Opera | 2004 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire) | March 2004 | 65,591 tons | Panama | Modified ex Festival's European-class. | _001.jpg) |
Musica class
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Musica | 2006 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | July 2006 | 92,409 tons | Panama |  | |
| MSC Orchestra | 2007 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | May 2007 | 92,409 tons | Panama |  | |
| MSC Poesia | 2008 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | Oct. 2008 | 92,627 tons | Panama |  | |
| MSC Magnifica | 2010 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | March 2010 | 95,128 tons | Panama | Modified Musica-class. | _002.jpg) |
Fantasia class
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Fantasia | 2008 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | Dec. 2008 | 137,936 tons | Panama |  | |
| MSC Splendida | 2009 | Aker Yards(St. Nazaire) | July 2009 | 137,936 tons | Panama | Ordered as MSC Serenata and renamed MSC Splendida in 2008. |  |
| MSC Divina | 2012 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | June 2012 | 139,400 tons | Panama | Modified Fantasia-class. Ordered as MSC Meraviglia and renamed MSC Divina in 2010. |  |
| MSC Preziosa | 2013 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | March 2013 | 139,400 tons | Panama | Modified Fantasia-class.Originally ordered for Libyan-based General National Maritime Transport.[4] |  |
Future Ships
| Ship | Will enter service for MSC | Builder | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Meraviglia | May 2017 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | 167,600 tons | Panama | Largest ship to be built for MSC Cruises.[5] |  |
| Project Vista II | 2019 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | 167,600 tons | Panama | [5] | |
| Project Meraviglia Plus I | November 2019 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | 177,100 tons | Panama | Slightly larger than the Vista Class.[6][7] | |
| Project Meraviglia Plus II | April 2020 | STX Europe(St. Nazaire) | 177,100 tons | Panama | Slightly larger than the Vista Class.[8][9] | |
| MSC Seaside | Nov 2017 | Fincantieri | 154,000 tons | Panama | [5] |  |
| Project Seaside II | May 2018 | Fincantieri | 154,000 tons | Panama | [5] |  |
| Project Seaside III | 2021 | Fincantieri | 154,000 tons | Panama | [10] | |
| World-class | 2022 | STX France Cruise SA | 200,000 tons | |||
| World-class | 2024 | STX France Cruise SA | 200,000 tons | |||
| World-class | 2025 | STX France Cruise SA | 200,000 tons | |||
| World-class | 2026 | STX France Cruise SA | 200,000 tons | |||
Former ships
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for MSC | Gross Tonnage | Year Retired | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symphony | 1951 | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson | 1994 | 16,000 tons | 2000 | |
| Monterey | 1952 | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. | 1994 | 20,000 tons | 2006 | .jpg) |
| Rhapsody | 1977 | Burmeister & Wain | 1995 | 17,095 tons | 2009 |  |
| MSC Melody | 1982 | CNIM (La Seyne-sur-Mer) | 1997 | 35,143 tons | 2013 |  |
| Angelina Lauro | 1938 | Koninklijke Maatschappi | N/A | 24,377 tons | 1979 | .jpg){kind=small} |
| Achille Lauro | 1947 | Koninklijke Maatschappi | N/A | 23,629 tons | 1994 |  |
Main working area
- Western Mediterranean: MSC Preziosa, MSC Fantasia, MSC Armonia, MSC Meraviglia
- Eastern Mediterranean: MSC Magnifica, MSC Poesia, MSC Musica, MSC Lirica, MSC Opera
- Northern Europe: MSC Splendida, MSC Orchestra, MSC Sinfonia
- Caribbean: MSC Divina, MSC Seaside, MSC Opera (winter season)
References
- 1 2 "The history of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA". Swiss Deep-sea Shipping. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ "Curise Market Watch - Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ↑ http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/11113-msc-cruises-renaissance-program-begins-with-laying-out-of-msc-armonias-new-section.html
- ↑ "MSC Cruises-UK News: MSC Cruises Welcomes MSC Preziosa". Msccruises.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- 1 2 3 4 http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/11128-msc-confirms-fincantieri-order-for-two-seaside-class-ships.html
- ↑ http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-5/news/news.cfm?ID=6792
- ↑ https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/msc-cruises-confirms-return-to-uk--and-two-new-builds-2899
- ↑ http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-5/news/news.cfm?ID=6792
- ↑ https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/msc-cruises-confirms-return-to-uk--and-two-new-builds-2899
- ↑ http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/12272-msc-releases-video-detailing-new-ship-features.html
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to MSC Cruises. |
- MSC Cruises Corporate Global website
- Lauro Lines, StarLauro and MSC Cruises Information and Postcards at Simplon Postcards
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