MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is a Swiss-based, global cruise company with headquarters in Geneva and Naples. It is the world's largest privately owned cruise company, employs 15,500 people worldwide and has offices in 45 countries. MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere S.p.A.) is part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC), the world's second biggest container shipping operator.

Originally founded as Lauro Lines by Achille Lauro, the company entered the cruise business in the 1960s, operating two ships, the Angelina Lauro and MS Achille Lauro, both of which met fiery ends. After the Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St. Thomas in 1979, Lauro Lines, also known as Flotta Lauro, met with bad times, now operating just one ship, the Achille Lauro. In 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front, and the much-publicised event further dropped passenger numbers. In 1989, Mediterranean Shipping Company bought Flotta Lauro and renamed it StarLauro Cruises.^[1] In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank. In 1995, the company name was changed to MSC Cruises.^[1]

MSC Cruises is the fourth largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Lines with a 5.2% share of all passengers carried in 2015.^[2]

In 2014 MSC Cruises announced that the four Lirica class ships will undergo renovation under the "Renaissance Programme".^[3]

In 2015, MSC Cruises had four new ships on order from STX France and Fincantieri, with options for three more. The first two ships are due to be delivered in May 2017 (MSC Meraviglia) and November 2017 (MSC Seaside).

Ships

Lirica class

Ship	Built	Builder	Entered service for MSC	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes	Image
MSC Armonia	2001	Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire)	May 2004	65,542 tons	Panama	Previously European Vision for the failed Festival Cruises.
MSC Sinfonia	2002	Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire)	March 2005	65,542 tons	Panama	Previously European Stars for the failed Festival Cruises.
MSC Lirica	2003	Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire)	March 2003	59,058 tons	Panama	Modified ex Festival's European-class.
MSC Opera	2004	Chantiers de l'Atlantique(St. Nazaire)	March 2004	65,591 tons	Panama	Modified ex Festival's European-class.

Musica class

Ship	Built	Builder	Entered service for MSC	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes	Image
MSC Musica	2006	Aker Yards(St. Nazaire)	July 2006	92,409 tons	Panama
MSC Orchestra	2007	Aker Yards(St. Nazaire)	May 2007	92,409 tons	Panama
MSC Poesia	2008	Aker Yards(St. Nazaire)	Oct. 2008	92,627 tons	Panama
MSC Magnifica	2010	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	March 2010	95,128 tons	Panama	Modified Musica-class.

Fantasia class

Ship	Built	Builder	Entered service for MSC	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes	Image
MSC Fantasia	2008	Aker Yards(St. Nazaire)	Dec. 2008	137,936 tons	Panama
MSC Splendida	2009	Aker Yards(St. Nazaire)	July 2009	137,936 tons	Panama	Ordered as MSC Serenata and renamed MSC Splendida in 2008.
MSC Divina	2012	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	June 2012	139,400 tons	Panama	Modified Fantasia-class. Ordered as MSC Meraviglia and renamed MSC Divina in 2010.
MSC Preziosa	2013	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	March 2013	139,400 tons	Panama	Modified Fantasia-class.Originally ordered for Libyan-based General National Maritime Transport.[4]

Future Ships

Ship	Will enter service for MSC	Builder	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes	Image
MSC Meraviglia	May 2017	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	167,600 tons	Panama	Largest ship to be built for MSC Cruises.[5]
Project Vista II	2019	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	167,600 tons	Panama	[5]
Project Meraviglia Plus I	November 2019	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	177,100 tons	Panama	Slightly larger than the Vista Class.[6][7]
Project Meraviglia Plus II	April 2020	STX Europe(St. Nazaire)	177,100 tons	Panama	Slightly larger than the Vista Class.[8][9]
MSC Seaside	Nov 2017	Fincantieri	154,000 tons	Panama	[5]
Project Seaside II	May 2018	Fincantieri	154,000 tons	Panama	[5]
Project Seaside III	2021	Fincantieri	154,000 tons	Panama	[10]

Former ships

Ship	Built	Builder	Entered service for MSC	Gross Tonnage	Year Retired	Image
Symphony	1951	Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson	1994	16,000 tons	2000
Monterey	1952	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp.	1994	20,000 tons	2006
Rhapsody	1977	Burmeister & Wain	1995	17,095 tons	2009
MSC Melody	1982	CNIM (La Seyne-sur-Mer)	1997	35,143 tons	2013
Angelina Lauro	1938	Koninklijke Maatschappi	N/A	24,377 tons	1979
Achille Lauro	1947	Koninklijke Maatschappi	N/A	23,629 tons	1994

Main working area

• Western Mediterranean: MSC Preziosa, MSC Fantasia, MSC Armonia, MSC Meraviglia
• Eastern Mediterranean: MSC Magnifica, MSC Poesia, MSC Musica, MSC Lirica, MSC Opera
• Northern Europe: MSC Splendida, MSC Orchestra, MSC Sinfonia
• Caribbean: MSC Divina, MSC Seaside, MSC Opera (winter season)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MSC Cruises.

• MSC Cruises Corporate Global website
• Lauro Lines, StarLauro and MSC Cruises Information and Postcards at Simplon Postcards