Tag Archives: MSC Fantasia

MSC Cruises to open private island in Persian Gulf

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MSC plans to open Sir Bani Yas Island Beach Oasis in December.

Rick Sasso, president of MSC Cruises USA, said a new private island that MSC plans to open in December off the coast of Abu Dhabi is a sign of the company’s global reach.

The island, called Sir Bani Yas Island Beach Oasis, includes about 1.5 miles of beachfront on a barrier island. It will offer horseback riding, water sports, and a dhow tour around the island, among other attractions. “It’s not just a beach with cabanas,” Sasso said.

A bridge from the beach oasis to the main island of Sir Bani Yas will provide access to a nature reserve with dozens of indigenous species. “It will be a huge attraction because it’s unique to the region,” Sasso said.

“We’re thinking very globally now,” said Sasso, noting that MSC has a “pause” between ship deliveries that has allowed it to focus on some off-ship projects.

A bridge from the beach oasis to the main island of Sir Bani Yas will provide access to a nature reserve with dozens of indigenous species.

A bridge from the beach oasis to the main island of Sir Bani Yas will provide access to a nature reserve with dozens of indigenous species.

MSC has 11 ships on order. The next to be delivered is MSC Maraviglia, due a year from now.

“We’ve got to start putting in some stronger anchors beyond the Mediterranean,” Sasso said. “South America was one of those, for the past 10 years. China has opened up as of two months ago. And North America is now getting a swarm of attention with the Divina here year-round and the Seaside coming.”

Sir Bani Yas is the second private island announced by MSC in recent months. It previously disclosed plans for a large private island with extensive facilities in Bimini for use by its ships deployed in the Caribbean.

The island off the southwest coast of Abu Dhabi will initially host passengers from the MSC Fantasia. MSC has been working with the Abu Dhabi Port Authority for about two years to bring the project to fruition.

MSC sets out plans to triple UK passengers

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MSC Cruises has set out ambitious plans to grow the number of UK passengers it serves.

According to chief executive Giles Hawke, the company reckons it can attract 200,000 Britons per year by 2017 – up from 60,000 today and an almost threefold increase.

Mr Hawke made these comments in an interview with Travel Weekly, mentioning a raft of new marketing initiatives intended to support the campaign.

MSC, which mostly serves the Mediterranean cruise market and recently announced it will add a further four ships to its fleet, also plans to charter three flights per week from Heathrow to ferry Britons into Italian ports.

Two of the planes will fly to Genoa, with the other landing in Venice.

In time, though, MSC wants to reintroduce Mediterranean cruises that actually depart from the UK itself, potentially by launching a Fantasia-class ship in 2016.

MSC maintains market presence and touts return to ex-UK

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By Phil Davies

MSC maintains market presence and touts return to ex-UK MSC Cruises is maintaining capacity in the UK market despite withdrawing departures from Southampton after this year.

The Italian line is concentrating on fly-Med sailings in 2015 with dedicated charter flights to serve five ships from Venice and its two biggest vessels MSC Fantasia and Preziosa sailing year-round from Barcelona and Genoa.

Regional connecting flights will be commissionable at 5%.

But UK, Ireland and Australia executive director Giles Hawke (pictured) does not rule out a return to ex-UK cruises in the future.

Hawke, speaking ahead of the 2015/16 programme going on sale on Wednesday – the earliest date ever – revealed that the company aims to more than triple UK passenger numbers from 60,000 this year to 200,000 by 2017.

He would not be drawn on when or if MSC would return to ex-UK departures, but said there would be eight calls in either Southampton or Dover next year which will allow agents to make ship visits.

“We will more than replace our ex-UK capacity with our fly-Med programme,” he said, indicating that MSC would be the biggest player in the sector in 2015 with departures covering both the western and eastern Mediterranean.

The company has taken 500 pre-registrations from consumers ahead of the on-sale date and expects strong trade support, with early booking offers such as discounts of up to £200 off the brochure price and free cabin upgrades for bookings made between April and June.

Prices lead in at £499 per person based on a seven-night fly-cruise from Barcelona on newest ship MSC Preziosa on December 6, 2015.

Other options include the first ship with upgraded MSC Yacht Club facilities – MSC Splendida – sailing in northern Europe.

Hawke said: “I believe we will return to ex-UK cruising but first we want to build the brand and consumer demand to justify us having one of our biggest ships operating out of Southampton.

“We want to build a brand that the consumer understands and one that commands the kind of prices it deserves.”

MSC Opera is being withdrawn to be stretched in size alongside three other Lirica-class ships following this year’s season of departures from Southampton.