Fast-growing MSC Cruises is expected to base a cruise ship year-round in North America for the first time within the next five years, according to Rick Sasso, CEO.
"It took five years to get a ship based in New York," Sasso said. "It won’t take that long to get one in North America year-round."
The cruise line launched its first season of cruises from New York last September with the launch of the 2,550-passengers Poesia.
Sasso said whatever ship ends up in North America year-round would winter in the Caribbean, and summer either in New York, running cruises to Bermuda or the Caribbean, or in Alaska.
"It depends on what the market looks like two to three years from now," Sasso said.
The US is not the only market MSC has its sights set on.
Sasso said that because MSC is the fastest growing cruise line in the world, it is likely that the line will eventually base a ship in far-flung ports like Dubai, Australia and Asia as well.
"More MSC ships will be built and we will penetrate all those markets too," Sasso said.
“MSC Cruises was conceived on the premise of offering Europeans affordable cruise vacations — a concept that was fairly revolutionary in 1990. Today, it competes primarily against Genoa-based Costa Cruises (as well as smaller, more regional lines like Spain’s Pullmantur),” says Cruise Critic.
The Italian-based MSC Cruises was created when Gianlucci Aponte, owner of Mediterranean Shipping Company, acquired Starlauro — a one-ship cruise line, whose fleet consisted of the Achille Lauro (which had been hijacked by Palestinian terrorists in 1986). Today, the line has 11 ships it calls the “most modern in the world.”
By David Wilkening
