MSC BELLISSIMA. THE LATEST IN A FAST GROWING NEW FLEET

Posted on 30 October, 2016 by Spacejunkie2

Image result for msc meraviglia

The latest marvel of the MSC fleet, MSC MERAVIGLIA, just floated off the coast of Saint-Nazaire as this mega ship reaches the final stages of construction before she sets sail for exotic locations.

The float out ceremony was the perfect occasion to reveal the name of the next MSC Cruises sensation, MSC BELLISSIMA.

Announcing MSC BELLISSIMA, the latest jewel in the MSC fleet, was not only cause for celebrations, it demonstrated MSC’s commitment towards its business expansion plan, which includes the building of 11 more luxury liners as well as a constant and extensive modernization of its current fleet.

On September 3rd, STX France and MSC Cruises focused their energies on the floating out of the newest ship, the MSC Meraviglia. This fantastic event was further enhanced when MSC Cruises’ CEO, Mr Onorato announced the name and launch date of the next ship, MSC Bellissima, coming into service in 2019.

The name, Bellissima, which means “beautiful” in Italian, says it all. But Gianni Onorato, , commented that the ship’s new features and amenities have all been specially designed to meet the needs of guests of all ages from toddlers through to adventurous grownups.

As well as Bellissima it is also “grandissima” (very large indeed)! An impressive 315 meters long and 43 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of about 167,600 tons. It boasts 2,250 cabins for guests, and nearly 820 crew cabins, accommodating 5,700 passengers and 1,536 crew members.

MSC Bellissima will be the fourth cruise ship to be built in the STX France shipyards since the 2014 expansion plan began with a total planned commitment of €9 billion.

For the remaining ships, delivery is planned between 2019 and 2026. This expansion, which began two years ago, will not only triple MSC Cruises’ fleet but will introduce a whole new category of next-generation ships into the world of cruising.

MSC Cruises’ dedication to providing their guests with the best possible cruising experience is reaffirmed both by the grandeur and elegance of the ships themselves as well as the attention to every last detail.

All MSC Cruises ships offer infinite possibilities of entertainment. Infinite dining options, both in terms of location and choice of cuisine, panoramic spaces, amusement parks, colossal theatres, aqua parks, arcades, enclosed promenades and all around sun decks are just come of the amazing features that make these ships a destination in their own right.

Not forgetting special family cabins and the “extended” MSC Yacht Club, the entirely self-contained ship within a ship on the prestigious foredecks that will now offer its guests a vast solarium, a private lounge and restaurant as well as duplex suites.

MSC is also breaking new ground in technological implementation to enable guests to make the most of their cruise by being constantly informed of events and special offers, all in real time. Thanks to a strategic partnership with Samsung, all ships will be equipped with new generation technology, from interactive displays to mobile solutions to augmented reality. Furthermore, near Field Communication (NFC) and iBeacon technology will allow one to one communications using cruise cards, bracelets or smartphones.

With such exciting new. modern ships, cruising will never be the same again!

Familiar themes emerge at CruiseWorld China

Posted on 23 September, 2016 by Spacejunkie2

From left: Alan Buckelew of Carnival Corp., Adam Goldstein of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Frank Del Rio of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Gianni Onorato of MSC Cruises.

BEIJING — To U.S. travel agents, the themes that emerged from this week’s CruiseWorld China might have seemed reminiscent of issues that surfaced over the past three decades of cruise industry development in the U.S.

“We need to bring across the idea that the cruise is the destination, instead of just a mode of transportation,” said Zheng Weihang, executive vice president and secretary general of the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association.

Adam Goldstein, chairman of CLIA and president and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., added: “A vast number of people have no idea what a cruise vacation is about, what happens onboard and how it offers great value.”

And Anthony Kaufman, executive vice president of International Operations for Princess Cruises, counseled that a travel agent’s responsibility includes “understanding the uniqueness of each cruise product and imparting that knowledge to the consumers.”

Although much of the conversation sounded like Cruise Sales 101, not all of the issues facing a quickly-growing, rapidly evolving industry have a North American parallel. The vast majority of cruises in China are charters, with cabins sold by a handful of mega-agencies, some of them larger than the cruise lines themselves. They, in turn, rely on a network of sub-agencies to help them fill ships.

The sustainability of the charter model was called into question by most of the cruise executives present, though none called for abandoning it outright. The general consensus was that it has helped the market get to where it is today, but more diversity in sales options will be healthier for long-term growth.

Calling charters a “force-feeding” model, Zinan Liu, Royal Caribbean International’s president of China and North Asia Pacific region and chairman of CLIA North Asia, said the charter model was successful in the past six years when consumer awareness was low and the sales force of cruise lines small. He predicted it will likely continue to coexist with other distribution models.

Kaufman noted that it continues to be the foundation for China’s cruise market and at present enables travel agencies to maintain better control of the customer experience and pricing. But, he said, whether it continues to dominate might depend on individual company strategies.

That each of the four largest cruise lines was represented by a top corporate executive suggests that China’s potential is still very much front of mind:

• Carnival Corp. COO Alan Buckelew provided an overview of the company’s 10 brands and revealed that the most luxurious Princess ship yet built will sail Chinese waters.

• Goldstein wore two hats. As chairman of CLIA, he provided an overview of industry growth, with a focus on China, and as president and COO of RCCL, he promoted Royal Caribbean International ships.

• Norwegian Cruise Line Holding Ltd. CEO Frank Del Rio provided updated details about the Norwegian Joy, a ship being built specially for the Chinese market, whose inaugural cruise is slated for June 23.

• MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato provided more details after having announced the day before that a second ship, the Splendida, would be heading to China to join the Lirica.

In addition to the international development and regional line executives quoted above, onstage were Buhdy Bok, president of Costa Group Asia; David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings China; Roger Chen, chairman of Carnival Corp. China; Harry Sommer, executive vice president for international development at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings; Helen Huang, president of Greater China, MSC Cruises; and Fan Min, chairman and CEO of SkySea Cruise Line.