msc going for growth erm with quality

with its new ships msc has doubled its size of fleet and they want a quality service as well, judging by the repeated complaints about the food lets hope they dont spoil the all their new ships for a "hapenth of tar"

details of press release

Vago: MSC geared up for 50% capacity increase

23/7/2008

By the end of 2009 MSC Cruises will have increased its passenger carrying capacity by 50%. In the course of the next 17 months the brand will take delivery of three newbuilds, including two 3,959 (maximum) passenger capacity, and a fourth Musica-class 90,000gt ship, bringing the total fleet to 12 ships. ‘By the end of 2008 we will have the most modern fleet in the world,’ claimed MSC Cruises ceo Pierfrancesco Vago this week during a press conference to celebrate the floating out of MSC Splendida. ‘However I am not in pursuit of leadership related to the number of ships or lower berths but rather in terms of proficiency and service offered to our guests,’ he added.

‘I believe our future success lies in offering an eco-friendly product with high levels of technical efficiency plus no queues for passengers,’ outlined Vago who is paying special attention to these two areas on the new Fantasia-class newbuilds, the biggest the company has ordered so far.

Speaking about the waste management technology on board Vago quipped how amusing that a Neopolitan company is showing the world how to treat garbage.

MSC Fantasia, purpose-built for year-round Med operation, is the first of two newbuilds designed by the brand for this market. ‘We are not looking for the sun but a quality experience which will spread across the board right up to the 99 suits in the VIP MSC Yacht Club.’ With a lead-in price of £1,500 per person Vago believes this all-inclusive product ‘ship within a ship’ offers good value for money and a luxury product for a premium price. ‘It is not our intention to discount on the VIP area’ he told Seatrade Insider, ‘and the children sailing free policy, adopted elsewhere in this ship and fleet-wide will not apply here,’ he confirmed.

Having a much larger ship has also enabled MSC to implement some new ‘firsts’ including a pool with sliding roof, an Aqua Park, a Formula 1 simulator, 4D interactive cinema, squash court, dedicated teenager’s disco and an aft pool adults-only area with bar and a la carte French restaurant.

MSC Fantasia will operate from Genoa starting December 2008 and MSC Splendida, arriving next summer, will sail seven day itineraries in West Med whilst Fantasia switches to East Med in the summer. ‘Having one ship in the West Med and one in the East Med enables us to have our two newest ships on the two main high volume demand itineraries,’ remarked Vago.

He believes there is still huge potential for growth in Europe (both Med and North/Baltics). ‘We are not currently looking to develop new destinations although with 12 ships at the end of next year we will be able to put ships into emerging markets when we believe they are ready to take more capacity.’

Keeping a close eye on making sure queuing does not become an issue on the larger capacity ships both for onboard services and during embarkation/disembarktion, on the latter issue, Vago says he is happy with the way Mediterranean ports are moving both on port side and land side operations, ‘which will be vital with up to 4,000 passengers coming ashore on each visit,’ he added.

Just hope MSC keeps its medium sized ships as well, to continue attracting the market, which prefers smaller ships.

My wife and I are dying to try MSC. Their ships by the videos and images on the internet are beautiful.

their ships are much more beautiful than costas ;).

anyway for smallships lover they have booked 2 others 90.000grt ships for 2011 and 2012

I was also looking the photos and reading some critical comments before our cruise with MSC. I must warn you, MSC musica did not look good in reality and service was not good! We could not enjoy any of the offered foods!

I looked the list of your past cruisies and it look very similar to ours!

With Kind Regards: SweCruiser

My wife and I are dying to try MSC. Their ships by the videos and images on the internet are beautiful.

I was also looking the photos and reading some critical comments before our cruise with MSC. I must warn you, MSC musica did not look good in reality and service was not good! We could not enjoy any of the offered foods!

 

I looked the list of your past cruisies and it look very similar to ours!

 

With Kind Regards: SweCruiser

Maybe Swedes don't really get turned on by Italian food?

When we did the first transatlantic on Lirica, admittedly a few years ago, the food was excellent, though not always what you had actually ordered.

I am sure MSC will have learnt from that first try in the US market, 2000 or so passengers and 4 water jugs wasn't the right ratio.

And there wasn't enough cutlery to go around but the ship was lovely.

Only reason we haven't tried MSC again is that the prices went up and the multi language announcements which got a bit much after the first 2 weeks.

But if they bring the cost down and theres a bargain to be had we'll go again.

Just back from Musica: 2 cruise this time, the first with RCL Navigator from Civitavecchia, then Musica from Bari.

The strange thing is that I paid the same money for both but my experience is that MSC vs. RCL is as compare a 3 stars hotell vs. a 5 luxury star hotel.

I'm Italian and the only similar thing among the 2 ship is the cleariness. All the other thing were disappointing.

Food: if you don.t like past you could have troubles in eating; in the evening only the main restaurant available (free, if you pay more opportunities) with a limited menu' and a poor, very poor quality. At lunch at the buffet always the same few things (only pasta changed every day).

Excursion: a very bad organization; complaint from many many people for delays, poor guide quality and so on.

On board activities: poor, poor....

i'm very sorry to say it but skip Musica if you can...I hope it's only a bad luck...