MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises S.A. (, , ) is global cruise line founded in 1988 in Naples as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and based in Geneva (Switzerland); it has operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. In addition to being the world's largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries , MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation and the Royal Caribbean Group, with a 10% share of all passengers carried in 2025.

History

StarLauro Cruises

In 1988, Gianluigi Aponte, founder of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, decided to enter the cruise industry and purchased the Achille Lauro from Flotta Lauro Line. He retained "Lauro" in the company name in honour of his mentor, naming the new cruise line StarLauro Cruises. The original Lauro Lines () was originally founded in Naples, Italy by Achille Lauro in the 1940s.

In 1990, Mediterranean Shipping Co. purchased the Monterey to sail for their StarLauro Cruises brand. The ship retained the original name she had used while sailing with Matson Lines. Both the Monterey and Achille Lauro would sail under the StarLauro Cruises banner into the early 1990s. In November 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire off the coast of Somalia while en route to South Africa, with 979 passengers and crew aboard, two of whom died during the evacuation.

StarLauro line went on to acquire the Enrico C from Costa Cruises, renaming the ship Symphony, and the former Cunard Princess, renaming the ship Rhapsody to the fleet.

MSC Cruises In 1995, StarLauro Cruises was rebranded as MSC Cruises, with the livery changed from the blue funnel star logo to a white funnel with the MSC logo.

In 1997, MSC purchased the Atlantic from Premier Cruise Lines, and renamed the ship Melody.

In the early 2000s, MSC initiated a rapid expansion program, and placed its first new build orders with Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, for 65,000-ton ships. Based on a similar design to the French yard's platform for Festival Cruises, the two-ship order started the aggressive expansion of the cruise line. The line's first new build, the MSC Lirica, debuted in 2003. The Lirica also became the first MSC ship to be christened by Sophia Loren, a tradition that has continued for all but one of the company's new builds. The Lirica was followed by sister ship MSC Opera in 2004.

In 2004, MSC Cruises acquired the fairly newly built European Vision and European Stars from the bankrupt Festival Cruises, renaming the ships and .

In 2006, the first of the four Musica Class debuted, also built at STX France. The MSC Musica was followed by the , , and the final, slightly modified, in 2010.

In 2015, MSC Cruises announced that the four Mistral class ships had undergone renovation under the Renaissance Programme.

In July 2018, the company announced that it would build a second cruise terminal at PortMiami for its World-class cruise ships as an expansion of its North American program. It was scheduled to be completed in October 2022.

In October 2018, MSC announced an order for four luxury ships of 64,000 gross tons each. These ultra-luxury vessels were to be based on the cruise line's luxury concept, the MSC Yacht Club.

In January 2019, MSC Cruises unveiled the world's first virtual personal cruise assistant — ZOE, an artificial intelligence device designed by Harman International. It is currently featured on MSC Bellissima and MSC Grandiosa, and will be featured on future new builds upon their delivery.

In mid-2020, MSC Cruises suspended most (or all) of their operations for over six months during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 7 January 2021, MSC announced it would restart cruises with the MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica in the Mediterranean. Passengers were initially limited to residents of the Schengen Area.

In June 2021, MSC announced a new luxury subsidiary brand named Explora Journeys, with four vessels planned, beginning with the Explora I.

In March 2022, MSC Cruises signed a multi-year deal with Formula One to become their official cruise partner. They were the title sponsor of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.

In January 2023, MSC Cruises announced a new multi-year partnership agreement with the New York Knicks. The deal gets MSC promotion during Knicks home games, including LED signage, virtual-on-court signage, and the opportunity to serve as the presenting partner during in-game t-shirt tosses.

In August 2024, Shipping Italy reported rumors that MSC was in talks with Meyer Turku to build a class of four ships with a gross tonnage of 270,000, which would make it bigger than any other cruise ship at the time.

In April 2025, MSC Cruise Division inaugurated the new MSC Barcelona Cruse Terminal, the first fully owned MSC Cruse terminal

will serve MSC Cruises and MSC's Explora Journeys.

In May 2025, MSC Cruise Division inaugurated the new MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, the world's largest cruise terminal.

On November 7, 2025, MSC Cruise Division inaugurated the new Galveston Cruise Terminal 16, Galveston's fourth cruise terminal.

On December 15, 2025, MSC Cruise Division announced an order of a new class of four ships. With a maximum passenger capacity of 5,400 and approximately 180,000 gross tons gross tons each, the “New Frontier” ships will be delivered annually starting in 2030.

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

In December 2015, MSC Cruises signed a 100-year lease for the private island of Ocean Cay in the Bahamas to develop the land for an exclusive island experience. The site had previously been used to mine white Aragonite sand for decades. After the original owners abandoned the island, the land had to be restored to remove all of the old mining equipment, with MSC Cruises committing $200 million for the project, involving restoration and conversion of the island into a private resort.

The restoration required the work of many scientists to bring the area back into a functioning marine habitat. Once the Bahamian government granted the site marine reserve status, the project was officially named the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and was set to open in mid-November 2019. However, weather delays pushed the date to 5 December 2019.

Fleet Current fleet Ship Built Builder Joined MSC Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image Mistral-class 2001 Chantiers de l'Atlantique May 2004 65,542Built as the MS European Vision for Festival Cruises 2002 March 2005 65,542 Built as the MS European Stars for Festival Cruises 2003 March 2003 65,591 First purpose-built new build for MSC Cruises 2004 March 2004 65,591 Musica class 2006 Aker Yards (Saint-Nazaire) July 2006 92,409 2007 May 2007 92,409 2008 Aker Yards/STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) Oct 2008 92,627 2010 STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) March 2010 95,128 Modified Musica class Fantasia class 2008 Aker Yards/STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) Dec 2008 137,936 2009 July 2009 137,936 2012 STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) June 2012 139,400 Modified Fantasia class 2013 March 2013 139,400 Modified Fantasia class Seaside class 2017 Fincantieri Nov 2017 153,516 2018 June 2018 153,516 Seaside EVO-class 2021 Fincantieri August 2021 170,412 2022 November 2022 170,400 Meraviglia class 2017 STX Europe (Saint-Nazaire) May 2017 171,598 2019 Chantiers de l'Atlantique March 2019 171,598 Meraviglia Plus-class 2019 Chantiers de l'Atlantique November 2019 181,541 MSC Virtuosa 2021 May 2021 181,541 MSC Euribia 2023 May 2023 184,011 Second ship powered by liquid natural gas (LNG) to join the fleet.World Class 2022 Chantiers de l'Atlantique December 2022 215,863 Originally named MSC Europa. Largest ship built for MSC Cruises and first in the fleet powered by LNG with solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and having "G"-shape bow design.MSC World America 2025 March 2025 216,638 LNG-fueled cruise ship.Construction started on 22 October 2022.Sea Trials completed and delivered in March 2025

Future ships Ship Due to enter service Builder Gross tonnage Notes ImageWorld classMSC World Asia 2026 Chantiers de l'Atlantique 216,638 LNG-fueled cruise ship MSC World Atlantic 2027 216,638 LNG-fueled cruise ship MSC World Oceania2028216,638LNG-fueled cruise shipWorld Class 62029216,638LNG-fueled cruise shipWorld Class 72030216,638LNG-fueled cruise shipWorld Class 82031216,638LNG-fueled cruise shipNew Frontier classNew Frontier Class 1 2030 Meyer Werft 180,000 LNG-fueled cruise shipNew Frontier Class 2 2031 180,000 LNG-fueled cruise shipNew Frontier Class 3 2032 180,000 LNG-fueled cruise shipNew Frontier Class 4 2033 180,000 LNG-fueled cruise ship

Former fleet Ship Built Builder In service for MSC Gross tonnage Notes Image 1947 Scheepsbouw-Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen, Netherlands 1988–1994 23,629 Built for Royal Rotterdam Lloyd as the MS Willem Ruys. Sank after catching fire in 1994. Monterey 1952 Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Maryland, United States 1990–2006 20,000 Originally known as SS Free State Mariner. Previously Monterey for Matson Lines and Monterey for Aloha Pacific Cruises. Scrapped in 2007. 1951 Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, England 1994–2000 16,000 Previously Provence for SGTM Line and Enrico C for Costa Cruises. Scrapped in 2001. Rhapsody 1977 Burmeister & Wain, Denmark 1995–2009 17,095 Previously Cunard Conquest and Cunard Princess for Cunard Line. Scrapped in 2022. 1982 CNIM (La Seyne-sur-Mer), France 1997–2013 35,143 Previously Atlantic for Home Lines and StarShip Atlantic for Premier Cruise Line. Scrapped in 2018.

MSC Cruises

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