MSC ACADEMY, MSC CRUISES USA’S TRAVEL ADVISOR EDUCATION PLATFORM, SURPASSES 10,000 GRADUATES

MSC Cruises USA — the North American arm of MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and brand market leader in Europe — today announced that MSC Academy, the cruise line’s education platform, surpassed 10,000 graduates.

Hosted on the premier e-learning platform, Travel Agent University (TAU), the academy has been designed to help trade partners learn about MSC Cruises – and more importantly how to sell MSC Cruises to their clients. MSC Academy consists of multiple courses, quizzes and checkpoints detailing MSC Cruises’ history, fleet and onboard experiences, as well as providing continuous updates on the MSC Cruises product.

“We are so pleased that MSC Academy has been so successful in providing advisors not only a key tool for education on our brand, product and growth, but also an opportunity to learn how to effectively sell MSC Cruises to their clients,” said Ken Muskat, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, MSC Cruises USA. “As we continue rapid growth both globally and in North America, our partners have a unique opportunity to grow their business with us and increase their earning potential.”

To celebrate the significant milestone, MSC Cruises is rewarding graduating travel advisors, giving away five sailings on board the November 21, 2019 3-night sailing of MSC Meraviglia, arriving to North America in October 2019. The giveaway is eligible to all MSC Academy graduates in the U.S. and Canada who completed the program from March 28, 2017 to May 31, 2019, meaning there is still time to qualify for the giveaway. Winners will be selected and announced on June 7, 2019 at www.msccruisesagent.com/mscacademygraduates.

MSC Academy is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.mscacademy.com. Upon logging in, travel advisors are guided through a specially curated, comprehensive program discussing MSC Cruises’ fleet, brand history, sailing destinations, the MSC Voyagers Club, onboard experiences, and more. With the help of informative videos, voiceovers, an audio pronunciation guide and various activities, advisors learn and retain key information while staying current on any brand updates. Participants can also utilize a central dashboard to review their course activity, track the status of their progress and access rewards, including gift cards, bonus commissions, familiarization trips and monthly giveaways. A key benefit is that the program provides a platform for ongoing communication amongst travel advisor participants. Notes and resources, provided by other advisors, are available to create a shared learning space to exchange knowledge and expertise with others in the industry.

MSC CRUISES’ EXPANSION PLAN: 

MSC Cruises’ approximately $15.6 billion investment plan includes a total of 17 new next-generation smart ships coming into service between 2017 and 2027, four of which have already been launched. By the end of 2019 alone, MSC Cruises will have introduced two ships — MSC Bellissima, in March 2019, and MSC Grandiosa, coming into service this November. In addition, MSC Cruises will also introduce its Caribbean private island destination this year, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

North America in particular will continue to benefit with four ships serving the region by the end of 2019 — MSC Seaside, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Divina and MSC Armonia. MSC Meraviglia, the first of the Meraviglia class launched in June 2017, will head to North America for the first time ever in October 2019. Upon arriving in Manhattan, she will sail three sailings from New York. The first two will visit Canada and New England, and the third will journey through the Caribbean and end in Miami, where she will home port.

To learn more about and enroll in MSC Academy, visit www.MSCAcademy.com.