Tag Archives: MSC

MSC CRUISES PARENT OPENS TALKS TO BUY ITALIAN AIRLINE

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MSC Group has told the Italian government it is interested in acquiring a majority stake in the new carrier ITA Airways.

ITA was born after the demise of Alitalia and MSC aims to create a partnership with the Italian government and Lufthansa as the project’s “industrial partner”.

MSC said: “Lufthansa has already expressed its interest in taking part in the initiative.”

Both parties now enter a 90-day period of exclusivity when the Italian government, which established ITA, will examine their proposal. Regulators will also examine the bid for any competition issues.

MSC added: “MSC Group’s interest derives from the possibility of activating positive synergies for both companies in the cargo and passenger sectors where the MSC Group is a global leader.”

MSC Cruises has opened bookings for its second Seaside Evo-class ship, MSC Seascape.

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The line's second Seaside Evo-class ship is due to launch from Miami in December 2022

The 5,877-passenger ship, a sister to MSC Seashore, is currently under construction in Italy and set to be delivered in late November. 

Seascape will begin operating its inaugural season from Miami the following month offering two choices of a seven-night itinerary to different parts of the Caribbean.

An Eastern Caribbean sailing will call at MSC’s Ocean Cay marine reserve and Nassau in the Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, Seascape’s Western Caribbean voyages will also visit Ocean Cay, as well as Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands and Ocho Rios in Jamaica.

The ship is set to feature 11 dining venues, 19 bars and lounges, and six swimming pools, and offer the largest MSC Yacht Club area in the line’s fleet.

All MSC Voyagers Club members booking Seascape before 31 January will benefit from their customary 5% discount, plus a further 5% early booking discount and enjoy double Voyagers Club points. 

Members from Silver to Diamond will also earn a shipboard credit of €50pp.

All guests booking before 31 March will have the option to reschedule their cruise free of charge up to 15 days prior to departure.

MSC has also opened sales for two other US-based ships next winter, MSC Divina homeporting in PortMiami and MSC Meraviglia sailing out of Port Canaveral.

MSC Group’s Explora Journeys Launches Online Travel Advisor Center

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Explora Journeys, the new luxury lifestyle cruise brand of the MSC Group, has launched its new online travel advisor centre in order to “further cement its links with the travel advisor community.”

“Our new Travel Advisor Centre is another important step forward in our vision and purpose, based on the extensive research we completed to create an ocean experience like no other,” said the cruise line’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Ungerer. “We have created what I believe is a seamless, best-in-class digital experience for travel advisors to underscore our mantra of just how easy it is to do business with Explora Journeys. Given our belief in this brand to create a new category in luxury, lifestyle travel, we will continue to invest in its expansion to create what we refer to as an `Ocean State of Mind` for all our guests.” 

According to a press release, the Explora Travel Advisor Centre is designed with extensive travel advisor input and includes:

  • Booking Suite – allows advisors to search and book journeys of their clients’ choice, select suites, access fares, generate options and quotations.
  • Knowledge Suite – intuitive access to a variety of chapters to equip travel advisors with the knowledge to tell the Explora Journeys’ story. Additionally, advisors can learn “valuable tips” and generate a “go-to-market action plan” with specific clients identified.
  • Marketing Suite – access to digital and print assets designed exclusively for travel advisors and their clients. Assets include digital banners, brand booklets, image library, brand logos, videos, recommended social media assets, email and print templates.
  • Performance Suite – reporting dashboard where advisors can track all their bookings, commissions paid via the industry’s first rolling commission payment program, meet the Explora Journeys team and contact details.
  • Headlines – news and updates from Explora Journeys including new journeys, travel advisor benefits and, from 2022, information about onboard and destination experiences.

“We are proud to announce this next step in the brand’s journey and this is another example of Explora Journeys putting the travel advisor community first. A year in the making, we are proud to launch our platform and we will continue to engage travel advisors for input as we add valuable resources to make doing business with Explora Journeys joyful,” the Chief Sales Officer for Explora Journeys, Chris Austin, said.

The Travel Advisor Centre follows Explora Journeys’ By Appointment service launched in September that allows travel advisors to set up an appointment with an Explora Journeys Ambassador to discuss and make a booking on one or more of the eight inaugural journeys during Explora I’s first year, including the vessel’s maiden journey in May 2023.