European Style, East Coast Convenience: MSC Cruise Lines' New York Home
December 01, 2005
If you thought the Statue of Liberty was the only European lady residing in NYC, think again. The Italian MSC Cruise Lines will begin year-round service out of New York in 2007 with their ship, MSC Lirica. The move is a clear signal that the cruise line intends to become a major player in the North American cruising market. Also, it will be the first time in many years that one of the European-owned cruise lines will have a ship that calls NYC home.
MSC Cruise Lines hopes to attract passengers from the heavy concentration of Italian-Americans that reside in New York. "This is the perfect place for an Italian brand," Rick Sasso, president of MSC America, said following Tuesday's announcement at the Italian Culinary Institute in New York. "I think people in this market place appreciate the quality that Italians represent."
Of course, the cruise line is also banking on the hope that people of all ethnicities will find the NYC-based MSC cruise ship the perfect vessel for their vacations. MSC is reaching out to tens of millions of people who live within an "easy drive" of New York, Sasso said.
"This is an exciting day for New York City and our booming cruise industry," said Andrew M. Alper, president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. "MSC Cruises' decision to come to New York City is the latest evidence that the investments we are making in our cruise terminals are helping transform [New York City] into an even more attractive place for cruise lines."
In fact, this move by MSC Cruise Lines comes at a time when NYC is gearing up for more cruises to come in and out of its harbors. The new Red Hook Terminal, which is very close to being fully completed and ready for passenger ships, will not only provide facilities for more cruise ships to enter and leave from New York, but also create thousands of jobs and a ton of new waterfront attractions.
MSC Lirica will be heading to New York in April 2007; currently, it sails out of Port Everglades, Florida. From NYC, it will take passengers on cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Canada. Port Everglades, in turn, will keep the MSC Opera and get a new ship, MSC Musica, next year.
The people at Port Everglades have no problem with the re-positioning, according to James Lida, assistant director of cruise marketing at Port Everglades. "An increased market presence for MSC in North America will only benefit Port Everglades in the long run."
MSC Cruise Lines currently has seven ships in service, but will be adding four new ships in the next 3 to 4 years. MSC Musica and MSC Orchestra will be joining the fleet in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In 2008, the 133,500-ton MSC Fantasia and MSC Serenata—ships that will hold a tie for the third largest cruise ship in the world—will bring the number of ships in the line's fleet to 11.
"This is a very exciting time for MSC Cruises," says Sasso. "With grand new ships on the horizon and year-round sailings from what is unquestionably the capital of the world, MSC Cruises reaffirms its position as a global player in the cruise industry."
MSC Cruise Lines offers itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America and the Caribbean islands, as well as transatlantic sailings. You can choose from a wide range of exciting itineraries right here at Cruise Network. Of course, if you're in the vicinity of the Big Apple, book a cabin on the MSC Lirica. After all, who says you have to go all the way across the Atlantic to experience European elegance!
