A new record in 2019 for MSC Cruises, which will end the year surpassing 4 million guests (including boarding, unloading and transit) thanks to 877 stopovers in 13 Italian ports. Forecasts for 2020 bring new records, with expected further growth of 7.5%, which will lead to 4.3 million cruise passengers.
«It is a real record of traffic in Italy, no other company has ever had this numbers – said the country manager of MSC Cruises Leonardo Massa – is the result of an investment plan of 13.5 billion euros that add new ships in fleet every year. By 2027 we will reach 29 ships, which will further strengthen our presence in all the seas of the world and also in Italy where we expect to reach 4.3 million passengers next year».
The company has implemented a growth plan that is focused on sustainability and environmental attention that has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 30% in the last 10 years and the investments in environmental technologies will continue in the coming years, with the goal of becoming zero impact.
As evidence of this, the new flagship MSC Grandiosa will be one of the most environmentally friendly ships in service: it will enhance the standards of the environmental performance of cruise ships, thanks to the latest systems aimed at reducing the environmental impact and safeguarding the ecosystem.
In addition, MSC has planned the construction of five new LNG powered ships, which will be added to the fleet from 2022 and represent another step forward on environmental sustainability.
Italian ports and their traffic
Leads the ranking of MSC Cruises Italian ports the city of Genoa, which is the port with the highest MSC handling: more than 1 million cruise passengers and 203 stops (+ 15% compared to 2018). The port of Naples is also in a good position, thanks to a second ship for the entire summer season that will move 370 thousand cruise passengers, 120% more than in 2018.
In 2020 the company expects to grow further in Italy thanks to the arrival of the new Grandiosa and Virtuosa flagships: twin ships that will be the largest and most technologically advanced in the fleet.
For cruises in the Mediterranean, to the 13 ports already reached, will be added Trieste and Syracuse as ports of embarkation.