MSC CRUISES TAKES FIRST STEP TOWARDS DOUBLING FLEET CAPACITY AS RENEWED MSC ARMONIA IS RELAUNCHED IN GENOA

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY JOIN FESTIVITIES TO MARK THE START OF HER INAUGURAL CRUISE TO THE CANARY ISLANDS 

Geneva, 18 November 2014 – MSC Armonia, the first of four MSC cruise ships to be enlarged and enhanced under the Renaissance Programme, was relaunched amid much fanfare in Genoa today for a 10-day inaugural cruise to the Canary Islands.

Hundreds of journalists and travel industry representatives boarded MSC Armonia, which was moored at the historic Italian port of Genoa, as MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato unveiled her range of sensational new options and features.  

Mr Onorato told a press conference in the ship’s Business Centre: “I’m very proud of what we and our partners at Fincantieri have achieved with MSC Armonia. Not only is she smarter and more spacious, but we have given her a new lease of life that will appeal to experienced cruise travellers and first-timers in equal measure. This is why we call her ‘the ship that suits you’.”  

The €200m Renaissance Programme is the first step in a €5bn fleet enlargement plan, which includes four brand new ships, comprising two different, state-of-the-art prototypes, to be delivered by STX France and Fincantieri, in Italy, between 2017 and 2019, with options for three more by 2022.   

In 2004, MSC Cruises carried 80,000 guests a year; today the company has grown by 800% and the number of guests carried reaches 40,000 a day. The fleet’s capacity is on course to be doubled by 2022, meaning 3.4 million people holidaying with MSC Cruises every year.    

Among the novelties presented, MSC Armonia has more balcony cabins, more spacious common areas, flexible new dining options and new dedicated clubs for younger guests of all ages. She also has a stunning new outdoor Spray Park – a fun-filled wet zone with interactive jets, slides and ingenious water features.

MSC Armonia is also the first cruise ship in the world to feature tailor-made areas for children that have been officially designed, equipped and endorsed by Chicco® and LEGO®.  

All these enhancements add a dazzling complement to MSC Armonia’s existing amenities, such as two open-air swimming pools, distinctive restaurants and bars and the beautiful Fenice Theatre.   

Key new features:   

•    94 beautifully appointed balcony cabins

•    Redesigned restaurants and bars; buffet open 20 hours a day

•    20 hours of spectacular entertainment daily

•    Separate Baby (0-3); Mini (3-6); Juniors (7-11); Young (12-14); and Teens (15-17) clubs.

•    Baby Club designed and equipped by market-leading childcare company, Chicco®

•    Playroom designed and equipped by the world’s favourite toy producer, LEGO®

Inaugural cruise

MSC Armonia sets sail from Genoa, Italy tomorrow (19 November) for a 10-day itinerary ending at Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands. She will call at Marseille, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Funchal, Santa Cruz de La Palma and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Guests have all opted for one of the three MSC Cruises’ experiences available, according to their level of need: “Bella”, covering the fundamentals; “Fantastica” offering added luxury, and the high-end “Aurea” experience, combining wellness treatments and all-inclusive beverages.

Exceptionally, MSC Cruises has crafted a one-off programme of in-port entertainments, with dancers and musicians, gifts for guests and firework displays in Marseille and Tenerife. Celebrations on board include a special gala dinner and spectacular theatre performances.

Guests can also watch a fascinating documentary explaining the remarkable engineering feat behind MSC Armonia’s Renaissance Programme transformation, which will also be undertaken by her sister ships MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica. The Renaissance Programme is due to be completed in November 2015.   

After her inaugural cruise, the renewed MSC Armonia will be deployed for a winter season of seven-night cruises to must-see destinations en route to the Canary Islands and Morocco.  

MSC Cruises has compiled an exhaustive range of shore excursions that really take MSC travellers to the heart of the places visited. Among them are many city tours, including in Aix-en-Provence, Cartagena and Cadiz; a guided tour of Seville’s gothic cathedral – the world’s third largest church – or a visit to the wine cellars of Jerez de la Frontera to learn about the famous Jerez sherry. Full details of shore excursions can be found here.  

www.msccruises.com