About MSC Cruises
At MSC Cruises, the sea isn’t just where we sail—it’s where we belong. With 300 years of maritime heritage, the ocean inspires awe, adventure, and endless possibilities. It’s also a place we’re committed to protecting. When you holiday with us, you create lasting memories while helping safeguard the seas. Together, we’re making meaningful strides today for a brighter tomorrow.
Our company
We are the world’s third-largest cruise brand as well as the leader in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and Southern Africa, with more market share in addition to deployed capacity than any other player. We are also the fastest-growing global cruise brand with a strong presence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East markets.
A global cruise brand with 24 modern ships offering cruises across five continents, guests can visit more than 100 countries worldwide with more than 300 destinations, making unforgettable memories and enjoying the finest hospitality.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, we are part of MSC Group, the leading privately held Swiss-based shipping and logistics conglomerate with over 300 years of maritime heritage.
We employ over 30,000 staff globally and sell cruise holidays in many countries around the world.
Each of our highly qualified masters draws on the company’s experience to navigate our fleet of ships.
Our company
Our Cruises
At MSC Cruises, our love for the sea goes back many generations. And we are eager to pass this passion on to future generations. That’s why we are dedicated to making each of our cruises a voyage of discovery and unforgettable emotions for every guest. We offer an enriching, immersive and safe cruise experience, where you can enjoy international dining, world-class entertainment, and award-winning family programs.
With our cruises you can decide where to go and for how long. Choose among the best cruise destinations, with a wide variety of itineraries mapped to reveal the sights, sounds and flavors of the world's most intriguing cultures. Our ships sail year-round in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean (visiting also Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, our private island in the Bahamas). Our seasonal itineraries include Canary Islands and Madeira, Northern Europe, South America, Emirates, North America, Alaska, Panama Canal, Southern Africa, and Asia.
Our Cruises
Our Ships
We want you to discover the world in absolute style, comfort and safety. That’s why we are constantly expanding and improving our fleet, not only to give you a greater choice of destinations, but also to offer you an amazing state-of-art cruising experience wherever you go.
We have a modern fleet of vessels combined with a sizable future global investment portfolio of new ships.
MSC World Europa, the first MSC World Class ship introduces a completely new, ground-breaking platform that brings together innovative technologies and industry-first design features including its unique Y-shape. MSC World Europa, delivered in November 2022, is the first LNG-powered vessel in MSC Cruises’ fleet.
MSC World America is the second in the cruise line’s innovative World Class, offering contemporary cruising in the Caribbean from Miami with new, immersive, and unique experiences at sea.
MSC Cruises’ newest World Class ship, MSC World Asia, is offering guests an opportunity to experience the art of cruising in the Mediterranean from December 2026, with new concepts, venues and services to deliver the ultimate cruise experience for guests. She is the latest innovative ship in the cruise line’s LNG-powered World Class.
MSC Virtuosa, is one of our latest ship of our fleet, delivered in February 2021. With a total guest capacity of 6,334 passengers she is a modern ship from MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia-plus class, offering a dynamic and enriching guest experience. Her sister ship MSC Grandiosa (from the Meraviglia Plus Class), came into service in November 2019.
The smaller sister ships MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima were the first two Meraviglia Class ships that came into service in 2017 and 2019. In 2023 another ship, MSC Euribia, powered by LNG joined the Meraviglia Plus Class fleet.
MSC Seaside (2017) and MSC Seaview (2018) rewrite the rule book of cruise ship design, blending indoor and outdoor areas to connect guests with the sea like never before. With a guest capacity over 5000 passengers, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview add a game-changing element to MSC our fleet. Two additional larger Seaside EVO ships, representing a further enhancement of the prototype, will have a capacity of 5,632 guests. The first one, MSC Seashore, was delivered in 2021. Her sister ship, MSC Seascape joined in December 2022.
The four Fantasia Class ships – MSC Preziosa (2013), MSC Divina (2012), MSC Splendida (2009) and MSC Fantasia (2008) – are large-size and modern ships. MSC Preziosa and MSC Divina can accommodate 4,345 guests, while MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia carry 4,363 guests.
The Musica Class ships MSC Magnifica (2010), MSC Poesia (2008), MSC Orchestra (2007) and MSC Musica (2006) carry around 3,000 guests each.
The fleet is completed by the Lirica Class ships – MSC Sinfonia (2005), MSC Armonia (2004), MSC Opera (2004) and MSC Lirica (2003) – each carrying around 2,000 guests.
The fleet is projected to grow to 24 cruise ships with two new ships to come into service between 2025 and 2026.
Our Ships
Sustainability
Charting a sustainable future
We have long been committed to environmental stewardship with a long-term goal to achieve zero emissions for our fleet operations by 2050. We are also a significant investor in next-generation environmental marine technologies, with the objective to support their accelerated development and availability industry-wide.
Our commitment to sustainability goes above and beyond our efforts to reduce our environmental impact. It is also reflected in the way we support our employees and those who choose to travel with us, as well as how we interact with our partners and the communities and places we visit.
Sustainability
Awards
Renowned worldwide for our cutting-edge ships, MSC Cruises has been honored with accolades throughout the years. These achievements reflect MSC's dedication to delivering unforgettable journeys, prioritizing guest satisfaction, exceptional design, and making a positive impact across all facets of the cruise experience.
Awards
History
A centuries-old relationship with the sea-
First record of the Aponte family’s involvement in maritime transport to and from Naples.
The Aponte family records date back to the 17th century and testify to its long and unbroken activity in an area with ancient seafaring traditions - the Sorrento Peninsula. The first mention of them is from 1675 and concerns the felucca Giovannina, which for many years plied the routes between Naples and Castellamare on the one hand, and Calabria and Sicily on the other to and from Naples. -
Gianluigi Aponte founds the Mediterranean Shipping Company with the purchase of single ship. MSC has since grown to become a world leader in global container shipping operating over 560 vessels.
MSC was founded by Gianluigi Aponte, a young Italian seaman and former bank teller who had the courage and foresight to purchase his first ship, Patricia, in 1970. He acquired an even bigger vessel in 1971, which he named after his wife, Rafaela, followed by the carrier, Ilse, in 1973. These three cargo ships represented the pioneering beginnings of MSC, which has since grown to become a world leader in global container shipping operating over 560 vessels. -
MSC announces its entry into the cruise business, purchasing the iconic liner Monterey.
Following the purchase of the Monterey, MSC took over the Lauro cruise line structures in honour of Gianluigi Aponte’s mentor, the Italian shipping magnate Achille Lauro. When two more ships, Rhapsody and Melody, were added to the fleet, MSC Cruises was formally established as a subsidiary of the larger MSC Group. -
We invest in research and development to grow our fleet with dynamic ships. In just over a decade, we built four beautiful ‘Lirica' class liners, followed by four majestic ‘Musica' class vessels and the four stunning flagships of the ‘Fantasia’ class. All of them feature MSC Cruises’ trademark blend of classic design, providing an elegant backdrop to the much-loved traditional service. -
MSC Cruises is the first cruise company in the world to be awarded the coveted ‘6 Golden Pearls’ for its outstanding standards in environmental protection, health and safety.
This unprecedented award was given by the international classification agency Bureau Veritas in recognition of the company’s compliance with the three highest international standards in the areas of environmental protection, health & safety and food safety. The company remains committed to safeguarding the marine environment and ensuring outstanding quality for its guests. -
MSC Cruises launched an ambitious €5.1 billion investment plan that comprises the order of up to seven new ships and the Renaissance Programme to enlarge four existing ships of the MSC Cruises fleet.
We launched a new €5bn investment plan to build four revolutionary new ships, plus options for three more, with STX France and Fincantieri. In addition, the Lirica class ships were enlarged and renewed by Fincantieri under the €200m ”Renaissance Programme”, which was completed by late 2015. These ships have now a GT of 65,000 tonnes and carry over 2,000 passengers.
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This second phase investment plan is increased from $5.1 billion to $9 billion with the signing of a letter of intent to build a further four World class ships.
This second phase investment plan rose to $9 billion with the signing of a letter of intent to build a further four World class ships, each fueled by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).
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We consolidate our second fleet expansion plan with orders for two additional Seaside ships and a fifth Meraviglia vessel, bringing the total investment for the 2014-2026 period to €11.6 billion.
MSC Cruises consolidates its second fleet expansion plan with orders for two additional Seaside ships and a fifth Meraviglia vessel, bringing the total investment for the 2014-2026 period to €11.6 billion. Due to be delivered in 2021 and 2023, the two Seaside EVO ships will present an evolution of the successful Seaside platform and have a capacity of 5,646 guests. The fifth Meraviglia ship, which was delivered in 2023, has a capacity for 6,334 guests. Like the World class ships, she is fueled by LNG.
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Completion of MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore
Despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic two new cruise ships joined our fleet in 2021 – MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore. We also advanced with our ambitions to grow our portfolio of cruise terminals, which allow us to anchor our presence in marquee homeports and offer the best service to guests while enabling us to foster a front-to-end integrated experience. In November, we opened the doors of the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal in Durban, South Africa. We also obtained final clearance to start building our exclusive cruise terminals in Barcelona and Miami as key embarkation ports in the western Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
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Delivery of MSC World Europa, the first LNG-powered ship of our fleet and introduced technologies to reduce our impact on the environment.
In 2022 we were delighted that we finally saw the restart of the entire fleet and progressively and safely ease Covid restrictions. We also continued to make significant progress along our sustainability journey. Over the year, we launched two new ships. In October, we took delivery of the MSC World Europa, the first to be LNG-powered. It features a pilot solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and incorporates a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system – which reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90% by converting the gas into nitrogen and water – and shore-to-ship power connectivity, which allows MSC World Europa to minimise engine use at ports wherever the portside infrastructure is available. In November, we took delivery of the MSC Seascape MSC Protectours, our dedicated excursions that are specifically designed to educate our guests and promote responsible tourism and responsible travel become more widely available.
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We conducted the world's first ever net zero Greenhouse Gas emissions voyage, inaugurated our new terminal facilities in Durban (South Africa) and launched Explora I, the first of six ships from our new luxury brand Explora Journeys.
In 2023, MSC Euribia, completed her maiden journey from Saint Nazaire to Copenhagen using over 400 tonnes of bio-LNG supplied by Gasum, delivered via mass-balance in full compliance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive and independently certified by ISCC.
The first steel was cut for the second of our World Class ships, MSC World America. Sales opened for her itineraries, where she will homeport in our new state-of-the-art terminal at Port Miami, from 2025. A further two World Class ships were confirmed with shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with an option for a fifth.
MSC Meraviglia became MSC Cruises’ first ship to homeport in New York, conducting year-round sailings. This marked a third homeport in the USA, in addition to Miami and Port Canaveral. This was followed by sales opening at our fourth homeport of Galveston, Texas.
MSC Cruises conducted an industry first, as two ships departed at the same time for separate 117 and 119-day world cruises - MSC Magnifica and MSC Poesia.
And in South Africa, we celebrated the inauguration of our new terminal facilities in Durban.
In the autumn, a new era for the Cruise Division of MSC Group began, with the launch of Explora I, the first of six ships from our new luxury brand, Explora Journeys, expanding the options for ocean travel to a new audience of luxury traveler.
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Providing even more destination options for guests to choose from, MSC Cruises expanded its offerings with a brand-new itinerary to some of the most sought-after destinations in the Canary Islands.
This year also marked the five-year anniversary since the opening of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas, which has since welcomed guests from around the globe to enjoy a one-of-a-kind holiday experience.
To enhance the guest experience, MSC Cruises equipped its fleet with SpaceX’s Starlink to boast internet connectivity for passengers onboard.
Further expanding our ashore excursion program, for the first time, the line introduced shore excursions exclusively bookable for MSC Yacht Club guests, providing an even more exclusive and intimate experience.
MSC Foundation
Values in action for a better world
As a family-owned company with a global seafaring heritage that dates back to 1675, we care passionately about the seas and have a real love of the beautiful places and inspiring cultures we take our guests to explore all over the world. This has led us to launch many life-changing initiatives over the years.
The MSC Foundation was founded in 2018 to lead and coordinate these conservation and humanitarian commitments worldwide, developing the longstanding philanthropic partnerships of all the MSC Group companies and launching many new initiatives.
Our Foundation works to restore the critical balance between people and nature, utilising our global reach and unique knowledge of the sea to take immediate action to protect and nurture the blue planet and all its peoples.
To achieve this goal, the MSC Foundation works on four focus areas: environmental conservation, particularly of the marine environment, emergency relief, support for the most vulnerable communities and education.
They do this both independently and together with trusted partners that have a strong innovative vision or track record for effective action. Our Foundation’s key partner are UNICEF, Marevivo, Mercy Ships, Mission Blue and IUCN.
Explore the MSC Foundation website
