MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is the cruise brand within the passenger division of the MSC Group. The group keeps this passenger business separate from its cargo division, which includes MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. The cruise line was founded in Naples and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The history of its cruise division began in 1988, when MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte bought the passenger ship Achille Lauro and entered the cruise market under the name StarLauro Cruises. The Monterey was not added until 1990. Entering the business and acquiring this later ship were two separate steps.

From entering the cruise market to building its own fleet

In 1995, StarLauro Cruises was renamed MSC Cruises. Another milestone followed in 1997 with the purchase of the Atlantic, later renamed Melody. In the early 2000s, the company began commissioning newbuilds. According to the documented fleet history, the MSC Lirica entered service in 2003 as the first ship built specifically for MSC Cruises; her sister ship, MSC Opera, followed in 2004. That same year, MSC also acquired the ships European Vision and European Stars from Festival Cruises and subsequently operated them as MSC Armonia and MSC Sinfonia.

The fleet expansion continued with the Musica class, launched in 2006: MSC Musica was followed by Orchestra and Poesia; MSC Magnifica joined in 2010 as a slightly modified version. Later generations again featured different sizes and designs. Fincantieri built MSC Seaside, which joined the fleet in 2017, and MSC Seaview the following year. The MSC World Europa marked the start of the World Class generation in 2022. The historical overview describes its profile as featuring a vertical bow and a Y-shaped stern. The company website also places the MSC World America in this ship class.

A ship within a ship

One specific onboard concept on MSC World Europa is the MSC Yacht Club. It brings together a restricted-access area within the ship, featuring suites, private spaces and a sundeck. Butler and concierge services round out the offering. The concept therefore describes not the entire cruise brand, but a distinct area on board.