Ships
Fantasia-class ships: MSC?Fantasia (2008), MSC Splendida (2009)
Armonia-class ships: MSC Armonia (2001), MSC Lirica (2003), MSC Magnifica (2010), MSC Musica (2006), MSC Opera (2004), MSC Orchestra (2007), MSC Poesia (2008)
Other ships: MSC Melody (1982)
About the company
The headquarters of Europe’s largest privately-owned cruise line are in Geneva, Switzerland, home of parent company Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s second largest container shipping company. Operations are based in Naples, Italy. It started in the passenger shipping business by acquiring the Italian company Star Lauro in 1995, together with two older ships, Monterey and Rhapsody. It expanded with the purchase of Melody, followed by almost new ships bought from the bankrupt Festival Cruises.
MSC Cruises has grown extremely fast in a few years, and has a number of large resort ships on order. It will have the world’s youngest fleet by 2010. And it is owned by a shipping-based family, and not just a faceless corporation.
? Frequent passengers’ club: MSC Club
So what’s it really like?
MSC Cruises’ ships are really suited to adult couples and singles, and families with children. They are good for those who enjoy big city life, outdoor cafés, constant activity accompanied by plenty of music, late nights, and food ranging from adequate to very good.
The company has evolved quickly as the “new kid on the block.” Of all the major cruise lines, it’s also the cleanest. It changes bed linen and towels the most; typically, bed linen is changed every second day, towels daily, and bathrobes in suites daily.
The ships typically operate in five languages, with embarkation-day announcements in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Mercifully, during the cruise, there are almost no announcements. Given this multilingual emphasis, production shows and other major entertainment displays are more visual than verbal. For the same reason, the ships do not generally carry lecturers. By culling news from 600 major newspapers around the world, in up to 36 languages, Newspapers Direct can supply you with a daily newspaper on board to your liking.
The roving band of photographers, taking your picture at every opportunity, can irritate. Particularly intrusive are the tacky photographs taken during dinner, when “pirates” and other costumed staff appear behind the smartly dressed diners.
Decor
Except for the oldest ship, MSC Melody, the decor is decidedly European, with much understated elegance and high-quality soft furnishings and other materials – although the latest ships have become much brighter.
Gratuities
These are charged to your onboard cabin at e6 per person, per day. Drinks prices, however, already include a service charge and are very reasonable. Onboard currency: euro.
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010
