MSC Cruises recorded its best month for new bookings in the line’s entire history in October after taking nearly 400,000 bookings for winter 2022/23 and summer 2023 itineraries across its global fleet.
The line said average occupancy for its vessels during both winters 2022/23 and summer 2023 would be higher than historical levels, with robust interest and demand for its new flagship MSC World Europa, as well as soon-to-be-delivered MSC Seascape and MSC Euribia, which is due to enter service next summer.
MSC also claimed a recording-breaking October for its UK operation, which the UK and Ireland managing director Antonio Paradiso said was characterised by “strong booking trends” for ex-UK sailings and 2023 cruises. The line was unable to provide specific UK booking data for October.
Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises chief executive, said: “October has been the strongest month for bookings in the entire history of our brand. We see strong demand with an extended horizon in the medium to longer term to such extent that guests and agent partners are starting to close bookings now to avoid the frustration of not being able to find the perfect holiday option for themselves or their clients.”
Onorato added the trend reflected MSC’s investment in its fleet, its “truly global” array of itineraries and the line’s commitment to operating sustainably, as well as the value an all-inclusive cruise fare represents during the current economic downturn.
MSC Cruises’ latest ship, MSC World Europa, demonstrates the company’s strategy to decarbonise by cutting greenhouse gas emissions
This ship was delivered from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s shipyard in Saint-Nazaire on 24 October, with the latest power and propulsion technology on board.
MSC Cruise Management (UK) head of electrical engineering Steven Frey said this ship is powered by LNG and has a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to run as a pilot project.
“We are working to get to zero emissions from multiple fronts, including digitalisation, workshops and partnerships, hybrid propulsion solutions, shore charging and new technologies, such as SOFC,” said Mr Frey. “We are starting a demonstration of a 500-kW SOFC on a ship, and we want to scale this technology up to 20 MW.”
Using power from shore during port stays is an important method for MSC to reduce ship emissions.
“All of our newbuilds are ready for shore power and we are retrofitting the existing fleet,” said Mr Frey. “Around 50% of our ships will be ready by 2023 and 65% by the end of next year. We have also signed a memorandum of understanding with Cruise Baltic to use shore power in 32 ports from 2024 when it is available.”
He said smaller cruise vessels need around 4.5 MW of power and MSC’s largest ships to need more than 10 MW from shore power to shut down engines.
Mr Frey said a combination of shore power and technology to reduce energy consumption and fuel usage is needed to cut cruise ship emissions.
“We are looking at ways to decarbonise by reducing energy consumption on the ships, by adding LED lighting and heat recovery, reducing hotel loads and using alternative fuels,” he said.
“We have a dedicated department dealing with energy efficiency and developing solutions for tracking data from our vessels, so we have a clear view of consumption,” Mr Frey added.
On the subject of fuels, MSC has already turned to LNG to cut pollutants and will consider other sources of energy.
“We are considering hydrogen as a fuel of the future and are using LNG now. MSC World Europa uses LNG fuel and has the SOFC pilot project. Other ships could run a fuel cell and LNG,” said Mr Frey.
When the MSC Musica started sailing in early June, the entire MSC Cruises fleet was back in service. For the summer that means 11 ships in the Mediterranean, five ships in Northern Europe, two ships in the Caribbean and one ship in the Middle East, according to Gianni Onorato, president of MSC Cruises.
“We have all 19 ships operating and are looking forward to two more new ships coming in October and November, the Seascape and the World Europa,” he said.
The 205,700-ton, 5,400-passenger MSC World Europa will be the largest and also the greenest and most efficient ship in the fleet, with a dual-fuel powerplant able to operate on LNG, while also testing a fuel cell onboard for auxiliary power. The intention is to explore a potential hybrid propulsion solution for future implementation. The new ship will also be able to plug into shore power wherever that is available.
“The market is driven by capacity and demand,” Onorato continued. “But obviously the last two years have been different and difficult as we were not able to operate as we normally do. And then as we started to ramp up, there was omicron, then the war, and then the high inflation rate. But over the last couple of months, we have seen demand picking up as people have a strong need to go on cruises again. People want to go on holidays, and we are seeing strong booking trends.”
In terms of the other challenges the industry is facing, Onorato said: “As we started sailing again before anyone else, and because we spent less time in the layup, we were able to ensure continuity of employment, and we maintained our recruitment and training centres. The turnover rate may be a little higher than normal, but manageable.
“As for the supply chain, we share some of the same issues as others in the cruise industry but have an advantage as we are also in the logistics business.
“We have also maintained our organizations in China and Japan, and we are ready to resume service, which most likely will happen next year,” he added.
Operating in many markets, Onorato said that among the selling points differentiating MSC Cruises are its beautiful ships, which, he added, reflect the soul of the family-owned company and its commitment to quality and innovations, and most of all, its maritime heritage.
“The passion we put into building our ships is also a way of expressing how much we care about the sea. We are more and more a company that is focused on sustainability and a sustainable future,” he explained.
“Another feature that sets us apart, is that as a family-owned company we offer a different atmosphere onboard, a different ambience for our customers and crew alike.
“We are also the only true international company. As our Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago likes to say, we are local and global, or glocal.
“Wherever our ships are sailing, we also adapt our product to local tastes and preferences,” Onorato added. “I think we are the only company operating ships in Brazil for Brazilians, in Argentina for Argentinians and in South Africa for South Africans.
“Our ships in the Middle East also have a high ratio of local customers onboard, and in Northern Europe, most of our customers are from countries in that region. And in the Mediterranean, our main markets are Italy, France and Spain.
“Our cruises are always open to anyone. In the United States, for example, a large share of passengers is from outside the U.S. So, we offer a different experience; more sophisticated, more discovery, all in all a different experience than the other brands in that market.”
In the United States, MSC sails from Miami and Port Canaveral and will also have the Meraviglia year-round out of New York in April.
Meanwhile, the city will serve as the backdrop for the naming of the MSC Seascape in December. (She then sails to Miami where she will be deployed for a winter season in the Caribbean.)
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