MSC Cruises Announces World Voyage

Posted on 24 October, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

The MSC Magnifica in the Port of Hamburg in Germany

PHOTO: The MSC Magnifica will be embarking on an epic journey in 2020. (photo via Flickr/Sera Tu)
MSC Cruises announced the opening of sales for the cruise line’s second world voyage.

The world cruise will set sail in 2020 on the MSC Magnifica. MSC Voyagers Club members are eligible to start booking immediately, with all other customers able to book their spot on the voyage November 23.

For the 2020 MSC World Cruise, the new itinerary will include more than 40 ports of call in 23 countries. With four different embarkation ports and dates to kick off the three-month voyage, travelers can select their ideal starting point for a customized vacation experience.

Guests who embark on the world cruise from Rome, Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona on January 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2020, respectively, will cross five continents and visit 43 popular destinations, including Argentina, Easter Island, Australia, India, Oman and more. Eight destinations will include an overnight stay in port.

“Following the highly successful launch of our first MSC World Cruise last year, due to set to sail in January 2019, we are now delighted to open sales for a new world cruise for 2020 developed to offer guests experiences and destinations that they will never forget,” MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato said in a statement.

“In addition, the experience onboard MSC Magnifica – one of the jewels of our fleet – has been designed to reflect the cultures and cuisines of the countries that the ship visits, giving guests the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a true around the world voyage of discovery both on board and on shore.”

MSC Cruises is also providing experiences through its wide range of 15 shore excursions included in the cost of the booking, plus the cruise line will offer additional excursions available to book in advance or during the voyage.

Some of the experiences offered during the world cruise include visiting Turtle Bay in New Caledonia, exploring the ancient city of Petra, climbing to the top of the Kuala Lumpur Tower and more.

On board the ship, passengers will be able to enjoy a complimentary Mealtime Restaurant Drinks Package, a 30 percent reduction on all laundry services, more than 90 shows performed in the ship’s Royal Theater and an activity schedule with theme evenings, language classes, cultural guest speakers and more.

MSC Cruises launches new man-overboard detection technology

Posted on 12 October, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises launches new man-overboard detection technology

Over time, similar integrated systems will be deployed across MSC Cruises’ fleet (MSC Cruises)

MSC Cruises has worked with Bosch and Hewlett Packard Enterprises to launch a new video surveillance system that provides greater security onboard its cruise ships.

The new system consists of a series of optical and thermal video cameras which provide constant surveillance to the relevant areas of the ship. All video images are streamed in real-time to a central security room where it is monitored with the other inputs onboard the ship.

When the alarm is triggered, an acoustic signal and light will alert the ship’s security officer in the central security room who can immediately connect to the system and acquire all images and data. The security officer has direct access to the ship command at the bridge to allow for immediate action.

“The security and safety of our guests and crew onboard has always been our highest priority,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ executive chairman. “Therefore – as innovation has been from day one central to the way in which we operate and develop new features for our ships – we have developed a highly innovative solution that, through the use of military-grade technology, will allow ship command to take immediate action if needed. While a ship at sea is a challenging environment for accurate video security monitoring and operating high-tech equipment, our teams have managed to successfully develop a system that is at the same time accurate, stable and reliable.”

MSC Cruises’ security department and experts from Bosch and Hewlett Packard Enterprise have worked to ensure the system is highly resilient to weather conditions at sea, and programmed to provide reliable and accurate data. The system has been confirmed as 97% accurate following 25,000 hours of video analysis, extensive software testing and continuous algorithm updates.

The system is already operational on MSC Meraviglia and over time, similar integrated systems will be developed and deployed across MSC Cruises’ fleet.

ITT 2017: MSC Cruises chief raises fears over Brexit and shipping regulation

Posted on 14 June, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

ITT 2017: MSC Cruises chief raises fears over Brexit and shipping regulation

MSC Cruises boss Pierfrancesco Vago says the operator is working closely with the UK government on Brexit amid fears over implications for global maritime regulation.

Speaking in the line’s spiritual home of Sorrento in Italy at this week’s annual ITT conference, the operator’s executive chairman said the entire sector is regulated according to British maritime law.

Vago questioned whether there would be time for bilateral deals to be done with every other country in the world and said Brexit could make the current British-based regulatory system invalid.

MSC and other cruise lines are working through the UK Chamber of Shipping with the UK government on what Brexit means for shipping.

“We are all very much engaged, we are very much part of the process,” he said.

“It’s very complex. Sometimes there are questions that can’t be answered so it’s very important we are part of the process.

“The common denominator for shipping in general is the British law, that’s what regulates shipping. Britain from the legal side may have to enter bilateral agreements with everyone else, that makes the shipping law system invalid.

“If we have all the lawyers in the world working to make bilateral agreements to make British law available to the world, two years will not be enough.”

Vago said Brexit could also be a challenge to travel in general due to visa restrictions and border control. “The freedom of movement is everything,” he said. “It’s how everything should work.”

Vago said he was very proud that the growth seen in the cruise sector in recent years has created so many jobs for people from around the world. Globally the sectors sustains nearly one million employees including 360,000 in Europe and 73,000 in the UK. MSC has switched its technical base to the UK to take advantage of British expertise where today it directly employs 250 people.

“This is an industry that creates jobs. That makes me very proud. That’s what Europe needs, that’s what the world needs,” Vago said.

He added the ultimate aim for the next generation of cruise ships was to for them to have zero impact on the environment. The lines recently announced next class of ship, which will be the world’s largest, will be powered by LNG.