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MSC CRUISES EXPANDS ITS PRESENCE IN NORTH AMERICA WITH OPENING OF NEW OFFICE IN CANADA

05/02/2019

• MSC Cruises becomes the first and only cruise line with a fully-staffed office in Canada, representative of its commitment to the region  
• New bookings to be made in Canadian Dollars and be supported with new Canadian web sites

MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line, today opened its new office in Mississauga, Ontario, becoming the only cruise line to have a fully-staffed office in Canada. The new office is not only a testament to MSC Cruises commitment to expanding in North America, but also to the company’s rapid growth plan.

“We are committed to maintaining a foothold as the world’s fastest growing cruise line, and as we expand globally, we see great opportunity in Canada to support our plans for an increased presence in North America,” said Achille Staiano MSC Cruises’ Vice President Global Sales. “It is an incredible feat that we have a direct presence in 29 countries and have grown our distribution network to reach 68 countries globally since our inception. And we are matching this success with unprecedented growth of an additional 13 new vessels in the coming years, expanding our fleet to 29 cruise ships by 2027.”

MSC Cruises Canada will employ 15 full-time employees across multiple departments, including Finance, Sales, Marketing, Contact Centre and Groups. The office will be led by Ian Patterson, newly-appointed Country Manager, who previously served as Director of Business Development for MSC Cruises in Canada.

“With Canadian travellers continually showing an increased interest in cruise vacations, we are eager to establish a stronger presence as part of our growth plan in North America,” said Ian Patterson, Country Manager, MSC Cruises Canada. “With our new, permanent office in the region, we are thrilled to be able to better serve Canadian travellers and travel advisors, with dedicated materials, tools and resources.”

In conjunction with the office opening, MSC Cruises has launched Canadian web sites for consumers (www.MSCCruises.ca) and for travel agents (www.mscbook.com/ca), allowing guests and travel advisors to operate in Canadian dollars and access resources, information and tools. The websites will initially debut in English, with further enhancements including the roll out of French versions before the end of this year.

To better accommodate both English and French speaking travelers, MSC Cruises Canada includes a bilingual call centre, groups and sales support for guests and travel agents as well as offers an expanded array of bilingual marketing materials such as brochures and flyers.

MSC Cruises’ Canadian office opening represents a key step in an overall €13.6 billion (≈$20.4 billion CAD) investment plan, expanding MSC Cruises’ fleet with 17 new ships to launch between 2017 and 2027. MSC Cruises has already made significant headway, launching four of these 17 ships since 2017 — MSC Meraviglia (launched June 2017), MSC Seaside (launched December 2017), MSC Seaview (launched June 2018), and MSC Bellissima (launched March 2019). Additionally, before the end of 2019, MSC Cruises will launch its second cruise ship this year, MSC Grandiosa, the first of the Meraviglia- Plus generation, as well as its brand new private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.

To learn more about MSC Cruises in Canada call your preferred travel adviser or visit www.MSCCruises.ca.

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