Tag Archives: MSC Orchestra

MSC Launches Large Air Program for Passenger Sailings

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MSC Cruises has announced that it has chartered “the industry’s largest air charter program” for summer 2021 to make more ports of embarkation easily and safely accessible from a range of European countries.

Guests will have access to a seamless journey from their homes to the ship for their holidays at sea, all under the protection of the company’s industry-leading health and safety program now extended to also cover air travel.

This opens up a wide choice of ports, ships and itineraries this summer for MSC Cruises’ guests from Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland for sailings in the West Mediterranean, East Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

“As more of our fleet continues to return to service this summer, and our returning and new guests look to plan their holidays on one of our ships across Europe, we felt we had to respond to the impact that the pandemic has had on many airlines. As many are still not yet operating with a normal flight timetable, we wanted to give our guests from across Europe the peace of mind that they can reach their embarkation port in a seamless and safe way,” said Gianni Onorato, the CEO of MSC Cruises.

MSC Cruises’ industry-leading health and safety protocol will be extended to apply to the chartered flights, which will be operated together with some of Europe’s leading airlines.

“We have utilized the experience gained since we returned to operations last August and will work with our aviation partners to apply our industry-leading health and safety protocol to the charter flights so that we extend also to that portion of the guest journey the social bubble of the ship. This is yet another example of how we are pushing boundaries and delivering another industry-first to provide our guests with the confidence and the peace of mind that they need to be able to fully enjoy their holiday with us,” Onorato added.

MSC Cruises has committed to charter flights between July and October – more than 26,000 seats – from airlines, including Iberia, Alitalia, Air France, Eurowings and Neos, to fly from convenient and accessible airports across Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland so that guests can arrive at convenient times at an airport close to their embarkation port ahead of the start of their cruise holiday.

With many airlines having to alter their flight schedules at relatively short notice as a result of changing travel restrictions MSC Cruises decided to take charge of the situation and charter aircraft to assure its guests that their air transport connections will take off as planned and their holiday plans won’t be affected. MSC Cruises this summer will operate eight ships in Europe, six of which benefit from this full and rich fly and cruise program.

MSC Virtuosa just entering the River Mersey, Liverpool taken by Dave Jones

These are:

Western Mediterranean – MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside

Eastern Mediterranean – MSC Splendida, MSC Orchestra and MSC Magnifica

Northern Europe – MSC Seaview

Once guests land at airports they will then travel to the port ready for embarkation using private MSC Cruises transfers that are protected with the same high standards of MSC Cruises’ industry-leading health and safety protocol onboard its fleet of ships and now onboard its chartered planes.

In a further commitment to offer stress-free holidays and ensure the well-being of its guests for summer sailings, MSC Cruises has also worked with Europe’s largest insurance provider Europe Assistance to have a COVID-19 protection plan in place, priced at Euros €25 per person to cover guests before, during and after a cruise

Two MSC Cruise Ships Collide

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The MSC Orchestra (left) crashed into the stationary MSC Poesia(Image: Hernan Nunez/YouTube)
 

Click on the image above to witness the collision.

The MSC Orchestra and MSC Poesia smashed into each other outside the port in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dramatic footage captured the moment two massive cruise ships smash into each other outside a busy port.

The MSC Orchestra, a 92,000-tonne ship, collided with MSC Poesia as it tried to leave Buenos Aires, Argentina.

One onlooker can be heard shouting “No, no, no” in the shocking footage which captured the prang on Wednesday afternoon.

The vessel crunched into sister ship MSC Poesia but somehow no one suffered serious injuries.

But debris can be seen crashing into the water at Buenos Aires in the video.

Both MSC Orchestra and MSC Poesia are popular with Brits and have been deployed this summer take tourists on cruises around Northern Europe.

It’s unclear though if any Brits were on board either vessel at the time of the crash.

  • Each ship has a capacity of 2,500 passengers.
  • The Orchestra suffered minor damage in the shunt.
  • Following an investigation, the ship was cleared to sail.

But it was delayed as it set off on an eight-night South America cruise with stops in Brazil and Uruguay.

The investigation continues.

MSC Cruises, founded in Naples, Italy, but now based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the fourth largest cruise company in the world.

MSC Cruises’ private island to have pier, amphitheater and restaurants

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MSC emphasized that Ocean Cay represents a “permanent presence” in the Bahamas, and said it will be used by four ships.

MSC Cruises confirmed it will acquire use of Ocean Cay, an island about 20 miles south of Bimini, for a private cruise ship destination and that it has budgeted $200 million for the project.

MSC said that it will be called Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie and MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago signed a 100-year lease agreement in a ceremony on Dec. 16, MSC said.

Among other things, Ocean Cay will have a pier so that guests do not have to tender ashore, which cruise lines must do at some private islands in the Bahamas. MSC plans to open the destination by December 2017, in time for use by the MSC Seaside, a ship entering service in December 2017 that will be based year-round in Miami.

MSC emphasized that Ocean Cay represents a “permanent presence” in the Bahamas, and said it will be used by the MSC Divina, which sails out of Miami, and the Opera and Armonia, which will sail out of Cuba. It expects to hire 240 Bahamians to work there and will open a crew training school in Nassau to provide “local manpower” for MSC ships sailing in the Caribbean.

Plans suggest that the 95-acre island will be the most extensive cruise port in the Caribbean. MSC will build a 2,000-seat amphitheater and many bars and restaurants. The ship and all onboard services, including the casino, will stay open while berthed at Ocean Cay, MSC said.

The island has 11,400 feet of beach front, MSC said, and will accommodate six separate beach districts.

A former sand-extraction station, the island will be planted with more than 80 indigenous Caribbean trees, grasses, flowers and shrubs, such as Jamaica dogwood; red, black and white mangroves; and beach morning glory.

For MSC Yacht Club guests, an exclusive spa and wellness sanctuary with private bungalows and massage huts will be built on the northwest corner of the island.

Various areas of the island will be connected by a network of walking and running paths, and bicycle rentals and other “stress-free” transportation options will be available.

Plans also call for a Bahamian shopping village, a family beach with a kids’ restaurant and play area, a zipline attraction, a lagoon water feature, and a pavilion for weddings and celebrations.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for March, MSC said.