Tag Archives: MSC Cruises

MSC denies accusations of ‘slave-like’ staff conditions

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MSC denies accusations of 'slave-like' staff conditionsMSC Cruises has rejected allegations by Brazilian police that staff were kept in “slave-like” conditions on its ship MSC Magnifica.

Brazilian officials said they “rescued” 11 crew members in the northeastern city of Salvador, where the ship was docked for the day on April 1.

They claimed staff were forced to work for up to 16 hours a day. Some were alleged to have been victims of sexual harassment, reported the BBC.

MSC said in a statement:  “After reviewing thousands of pages of documentation and conducting hundreds of interviews with crew members, Labour Ministry inspectors went on board MSC Magnifica on April 1 and alleged irregularities in the working conditions of 13 crew members, and invited them to disembark.

“MSC Crociere is in full compliance with national and international labour regulations and is ready to cooperate with the authorities.”

The company said it had not received “any evidence or legal notification” from the Brazilian Labour Ministry.

The operation came at the end of a month-long investigation, following a tip-off from crew members on Magnifica.

The labour ministry identified 13 staff who had allegedly been submitted to slave-like conditions.

Two of them refused to leave the vessel and decided to carry on working, while the other 11 were taken to a hotel in Salvador.

MSC Cruises ships operating in Brazilian waters employ a total of 4,181 crew members, of whom 1,243 are Brazilians.

The line said its four ships operating in Brazil during the 2013-14 season had passed “intensive and repeated” inspections by the Brazilian Labour Ministry.

MSC to place two-ship order

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By Tom Stieghorst
MSC Cruises ship renderingSTX France has signed a letter of intent to build two 167,000-gross ton ships for MSC Cruises that would be delivered in 2017 and 2019, plus options for two more.

The long-rumored order would expand MSC’s fleet from 12 to 16 if all four ships are built.

MSC Cruises USA’s president, Rick Sasso, said at the Cruise Shipping Miami conference earlier this month that MSC was ready to increase its North American presence from a single year-round ship if an order was made.

A statement from the two companies said the contract will be binding “when the financial package is secured.”

The companies did not give a value for the order, but said the two ships would provide 16 million working hours for STX France and its subcontractors. STX France genial manager Laurent Castaing said a competitiveness agreement signed with trade unions was “decisive” in reaching the letter of intent to build the ships.

Each new ship will have 2,250 passenger cabins for a double-occupancy capacity of 4,500, but MSC put the ship’s capacity at 5,700 passengers. The ships “will be able to call in most of the ports and destinations on earth, without compromise,” MSC said,

MSC President Gianni Oronato said the ships will boast “new panoramic spaces, a bigger theater and a spectacular amusement park connected to an outdoor aqua park as well as a two-deck inside promenade.”

The MSC ships will have specially designed cabins for families and an extended Yacht Club luxury area on each vessel.

Castaing said negotiations for the ships were particularly challenging “in light of today’s global competitive landscape in the shipbuilding industry.”

The main creditor for the troubled Korean company that owns STX Europe said recently it would like to divest the European asset by June.

MSC Close to Megaship Deal with STX

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Will MSC start another newbuilding project with STX France? MSC Cruises is close to a newbuilding contract with STX France for two megaships with an option for two additional vessels, according to French media.

French reports quote a total budget of 2.4 billion euro for ships well over 4,000 passengers each.

Quoted is MSC France CEO Erminio Eschena, who said he was looking at the situation with “some confidence” and was optimistic.

He continued that MSC was still in talks with yards, looking for a fair price, and a decision is expected before April to target a delivery date to get the first ship in service before the end of 2016.