Tag Archives: MSC

Conservation, night stays set MSC’s private island apart

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A view of the MSC Divina from atop the 115-foot lighthouse on Ocean Cay.
A view of the MSC Divina from atop the 115-foot lighthouse on Ocean Cay.

OCEAN CAY MSC MARINE RESERVE  —  As guests return to MSC Cruises ships from the line’s recently opened private island here in the Bahamas, they’re likely to retain images of white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, moonlight paddleboarding and sunset cocktails.

But what they did not see is perhaps what makes Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve most special: a four-year effort to transform this former sand-excavation site into a tropical paradise and a continuing commitment to making the island a hub for coral restoration and marine conservation.

Ocean Cay opened Dec. 5, adding MSC to the ranks of cruise lines with private destinations in the Bahamas.

A beach cabana on Ocean Cay.
A beach cabana on Ocean Cay. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill

While other private islands have made headlines recently with bells and whistles usually found on the ships themselves, MSC designed Ocean Cay to offer a “natural Bahamian island” experience.

The herculean effort to create what is essentially a model of marine restoration out of a treeless island with 1,500 tons of industrial waste on and around it guided that approach.

“We spent four years cleaning it up,” MSC COO Ken Muskat said. “They’d killed the marine life. We spent four years regenerating marine life and bringing it back. We have watersports and volleyball and so much to do. But we want to keep the natural beauty of the island as the focus. That’s the point.”

To underscore that point, MSC is working to designate 64 square miles of the sea around the island a marine reserve and is investing in a major coral restoration project. It is also building a lab on the island for marine biologists and students to lead restoration efforts. Guests will be able to participate in projects such as planting coral back in the ocean.

“We’re not trying to build an amusement park on the water,” Muskat said.

A shop on Ocean Ca, that sells only products made in the Bahamas.

A shop on Ocean Ca, that sells only products made in the Bahamas. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill

The 95-acre island, still a work in progress  —  MSC planted 77,000 trees and shrubs here, and it will soon be much lusher than it is now  —  has eight beaches: some wavy, ocean-facing ones, others surrounding a calm lagoon. Guests can kayak, stand-up paddleboard, snorkel, play in beach volleyball tournaments, walk 165 steps to the top of the lighthouse or get a massage in a beach cabana.

There are plenty of bars (I counted 10) and several shops serving coffee, ice cream and goods, including one featuring only products made in the Bahamas.

There is one main buffet area serving Caribbean-style salads in addition to standard cruise ship fare, and complimentary food trucks have been spread out on the island serving a very limited burger and hot dog-focused menu.

MSC plans to put more specialized menus on the trucks once a second buffet area opens later this year. As the waters around the island regenerate and start growing local catch like conch again, look for a Bahamian seafood truck serving conch fritters, lobster rolls and fish tacos using locally caught seafood.

Just as on the ships, MSC Yacht Club guests have their own part of the island with a private beach and restaurant.

Ocean Cay also stands out for being the only private island currently offering nighttime activities on every call, possibly because the island is only 65 miles from Miami, so ships can still arrive there the next morning.

I enjoyed sunset cocktails at the Lighthouse Bar while others had their feet in the sand along Sunset Beach. A Bahamian Junkanoo “street parade” wound along the island’s paths to Lighthouse Bay, where the beach was set up with chairs around fire pits. Twice a night, the 115-foot lighthouse puts on a light show. A DJ kicked off a dance party on the beach, while guests still on the ship watched from their balconies and the open decks.

Staying late also means unique excursions such as stargazing on the beach and nighttime stand-up paddleboarding on boards fitted with LEDs.

Muskat said the Ocean Cay experience fills what was a gap in the line’s offerings.

“This has helped fill that hole,” Muskat said. “Our aim is … for people debating MSC or another vacation, they use Ocean Cay as a reason to book MSC Cruises.”

Ocean Cay has proven so popular, he said, that future cruise itineraries could visit twice.

“There’s a lot of demand from guests,” he said. “They say they just can’t do everything in one day.”

And with so many beaches and private cabanas throughout, unlike on the pool deck of most cruise ships on a sunny day, there was plenty of space.

“One of the greatest comments we get is nobody feels crowded because there are so many places to spread out,” Muskat said. “The other is they wish we were here longer because there’s so much they didn’t get to see.”

Plea for Help: MSC Splendida Save Your Chinese Crew

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With the outbreak of the Corona Virus in China the cruise ship MSC Splendida had to cancel the voyage for guests leaving the crew on board without work at this time. The ship has docked in Nagasaki for 3 days and with the quandary as related to no work for crew members at this time the company appears to have made some drastic decision as related to releasing their Chinese crew members who contracts appear to have been originally set until the end of February as the ship was set to sail to Europe in March of this year. With this, the same said crew members previously made arrangements for their return appropriately without considering the possibility of a nationwide outbreak of the Corona Virus. However, it appears that the ship authorities have informed the same crew members in a last-minute notice that they will be sent back to China with sign off dates earlier than expected and told that they need leave the ship in the following days.

The Chinese crew members and several of their concerned fellow colleagues sent messages to Crew Center with outcry and outrage as related to the disconcern, inappropriate arrangements and lack of empathy for the welfare and wellbeing of the Chinese crew members. Based on the messages received, concerns are related to the ability to utilize international airports, but the inability to assure travel arrangements to the more local destinations of the home hubs of the Chinese crew members. In other words, while the international airports are still functional with precaution measures, it is informed that the more local and national airports are not completely accessible leaving the Chinese crew members potentially stranded without resources and means to assure their return to their final destinations. Furthermore, as many of the Chinese crew members informed they have pleaded and requested to finish their contracts even if not receiving their normal pay in order to assure their health-related welfare and wellbeing as many of their family members and friends have informed of the outbreak affecting the more localized areas.

“Chinese crew feel very sad, feel like they are abandoned by the company now, all we need is just to have a safe place to stay we don’t want to go to dangerous places, even if it’s our country, our home. My father today just told me to try to request and stay on board, because here at home is dangerous. We still can work, even no salary, just keep us safe, enough I just heard from other departments, all the Chinese crew will be sent home.” says one Chinese crew member.

This brings us to the general question as to what is the responsibility of the cruise lines towards their crew members as related to the MSC Splendida in the event of any disaster whether natural, medical or otherwise.

Does the responsibility lie in assuring the wellbeing and safety of the crew members? Absolutely! The responsibility of an employer is to safeguard and protect the employees. As the MSC Splendida is preparing to disembark the Chinese crew members fearing for save passage and travel, as well as their general health and medical wellbeing, the remaining nationalities aboard the ship will not be experiencing the same fear as they will be accompanying the ship back to Europe.

MSC cruise ship at sea

Other cruise lines are following in the lines of safeguarding and protecting their crew members regardless of the cost to the cruise company with a loss of revenue due to no paying guests. For instance, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas which is also based in Asia for the duration of the outbreak has issued the following notice to its crew members:

“Royal Caribbean Chinese crew members currently onboard due to disembark over the next few days will be offered to stay on board (extend their contracts).” 

With the outreach from crew members, from other cruise companies such as the previously mentioned RCCL ship, who empathize with the Chinese crew members aboard the MSC Splendida report that their experience has been nothing but supportive and positive as the company has taken steps to assure their medical and health wellbeing regardless of the revenue cost and report it as

“Royal Caribbean is looking after its staff on Spectrum of the Seas and try to make the best of the current situation.”

Unfortunately, this is not the experience of the Chinese crew members on the MSC Splendida who report that:

“There is an outbreak of Coronavirus in China and the company just throws us back to a dangerous place. Our home has been blocked we don’t know where we should go after the flight” and “our manager approached us this afternoon, he asked us if we have any airport to go to China. We all cried that we can’t go back since even we back by flight the transportation to home already stopped. Bad news all come that we had our tickets information one by one this evening. We have nowhere to go.”  says one Chinese crew member.

This also begs the question, if the MSC Splendida is ending the contracts prematurely are they also liable and responsible to assure the arrival of their Chinese crewmembers safely to their final destination, as well as what all that would entail? Without a question, the company should have this responsibility and in the event that the crew is prevented to access their final destinations, the company should have the responsibility to assure their lodging and food until able to return safely home.

The Chinese crew aboard the MSC Splendida continue to inform that they feel abandoned by the company without any concern to their safe travel, ability to return to their final destinations and health-related wellbeing. Many reports that they will not be returning to their next contract since there is a great difference in treatment by the company in comparison to other companies. And while the MSC Splendida may be concerned about the loss of revenue due to cancelled cruises and cost that is associated with maintaining the Chinese crew members on board, the cost to the company may be greater as those trained Chinese crew members who have become proficient in working aboard ships with Asian destinations may consider their employment options to other cruise lines.

If we take into consideration past events as related to natural and medical disasters, while operation aboard cruise ships may not be guest-related often major companies such as RCCL and CCL have taken alternative approaches instead of liquidating the crew and sending them to their homes. Case in point as related to the Katrina hurricane which whipped out not only the homes of people in Louisiana and Texas leaving people homeless but also reduced the revenue of RCCL and CCL which cruise ships were porting in those states. However, they yet again made the best of a bad situation by either relocating their crew members on other ships or maintaining them aboard to support local humanitarian forces by providing shelter to locals. And while this was all done in humanitarian efforts, this nonetheless has a similar connotation as related to calling out the MSC Splendida to consider a humanitarian effort as related to the Chinese crew members at this time. We are aware that companies are about money, numbers, revenues, stocks, and so on; however, when is it time for a company to reach into the humanitarian side and consider its crew members not just as numbers, but also as human beings.

MSC’s Ocean Cay lights up when the sun goes down

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A Bahamian Junkanoo “street” parade winds its way to the beach as throngs of guests follow and dance along. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill

OCEAN CAY MARINE RESERVE — MSC Cruises’ recently opened private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, is unique in several ways, but for passengers, its nocturnal activities particularly set it apart.

Ocean Cay is the only cruise line offering nighttime activities — for now. Royal Caribbean plans to have evening activities on CocoCay and hosted a few late-night test calls in 2019, but has no more on the books. Virgin Voyages’ beach club-style destination in Bimini, opening in March, will have Fire and Sunset Soirees and dance parties with celebrity DJs.

But right now, MSC is the only line that keeps every ship visiting its island docked there until the wee hours. And as I learned on a short MSC Divina trip to Ocean Cay, it makes for a great party.

At 6 p.m., when most cruise ship passengers are waving goodbye, I was one of many MSC passengers that made their way to the island’s Lighthouse Bar for sunset. A guitar player performed while guests sipped cocktails and snapped selfies during the golden hour. The aptly named and nearby Sunset Beach was equally as popular for people to sit in the sand and watch the sun go down.

Ocean Cay provides several lunch options — food trucks, a buffet and a restaurant for MSC Yacht Club guests — but there is no dinner service on the island. A lone food truck stays open and serves a small menu of hot dogs, burgers and pasta salad. Although the Lighthouse Bar has a menu that in theory serves light bites at night, patrons were told the kitchen had closed.

MSC encourages people to take time before the real festivities begin to go back to the ship and have dinner onboard, which my press group did before returning to the island around 8:30 when the party begins. Because the ship is docked right at the island, getting on and off is relatively easy. There was one slight security backup one of the three times I went back on board, but it only added about five minutes.

When the light show ends, a DJ starts the dance party on the beach.
When the light show ends, a DJ starts the dance party on the beach. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill

A Bahamian Junkanoo “street” parade starts at Springer’s Bar and winds its way to the beach as throngs of guests follow and dance along. The high-energy parade, with horn players and dancers in costumes, ends at Lighthouse Bay at 9 p.m., where the beach bar was packed, people sat around fire pits in the sand, and the 115-foot tall lighthouse began one of two nightly light shows. Guests still onboard lined the balconies and open decks on the lit-up Divina to watch from above. When the light show ends, the DJ starts the beach dance party.

As we followed the Junkanoo parade, MSC Cruises COO Ken Muskat said “the whole vibe changes at night” on the island. He was right.

Muskat said the island’s proximity to Miami, only 61 miles away, allows the ships to stay as late as they do and still be in Miami by morning.

Also unique to Ocean Cay are several evening tours, including beachside stargazing with a state-of-the-art telescope, a sunset champagne cruise or sunset beach picnic, and nighttime stand-up paddleboarding atop a paddleboard fitted with LED lights that attract fish. I wanted to do this, but the tour was sold out.