by Jim Byers
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Thu October 18, 2018
MSC Cruises is making major inroads into the super-luxury market with an order for four new high-end cruise ships.
The world's fastest-growing cruise line along with ship-building giant, Fincantieri, today announced a signed agreement for the construction of four ultra-luxury cruise ships. The new vessels will sport an elite 500 staterooms, with 64,000 gross tonnage.
The first of these ships is slated to launch in 2023, with the remaining three coming into service one per year over the following three years. This move into ultra-luxury is an extension of MSC Cruises' already robust expansion plan, bringing a total of 17 new ships to be built by 2027.
MSC's current ship-within-a-ship luxury offering, the MSC Yacht Club, has become wildly successful, especially in its next-generation version on board MSC Cruises' three latest ships: MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview.
The ships will feature, amongst other, the best and latest environmental technology and other cutting-edge maritime solutions at sea. They will also showcase highly-innovative design as well as introduce ground-breaking options for guest comfort and relaxation.
"It is off the back of the great success of our ship-within-a-ship luxury concept that our guests asked us to enter into the ultra-luxury segment, as a natural evolution of the MSC Yacht Club," said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises' Executive Chairma. "These ships will be able to offer unique itineraries, thanks to their size, and the guest services will be taken to another level, including our personalized MSC Yacht Club butler service, available 24/7."
"I am especially pleased to be able to further extend our partnership with Fincantieri through this new order," Vago continue. "The award-winning Seaside and Seaside-Evo class have already been recognized as ground-breaking and innovative designs. We are now introducing another new class, which will establish a new standard of ultra-luxury at sea with ships that will showcase the quality and highest standards that are associated with Made in Italy."
"Entering into the ultra-luxury segment, is yet another exciting development in our offering," said Roberto Fusaro, Country Manager of MSC Cruises USA. "In addition to our Yacht Club experience, North American guests will enjoy from 2023 onwards an even wider choice of five-star cruise experiences in the highest segment of the market.
"Our future ultra-luxury ships will come as close as it comes to a private yacht experience," Fusaro said.
MSC Cruises is the world's largest privately-owned cruise company and leading cruise brand in Europe, South America, South Africa and the Gulf. This order will bring to eight the number of MSC Cruises ships to be built in Italy with Fincantieri, one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups and number one for diversification and innovation.
With the addition of these new ships, MSC Cruises' already industry-unprecedented investment plan will now account for a total 17 new ships to be built by 2027, for an overall investment of $20.4 billion CAD. Of these, three have already come into service since June 2017: MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview. Two more - MSC Bellissima and MSC Grandiosa - will be delivered in February and October 2019, respectively. All five ships will feature MSC Cruises' existing ship-within-a-ship luxury concept, the award-winning next-generation MSC Yacht Club.
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