MSC CRUISES’ FIRST 119 DAY WORLD CRUISE DEPARTS AND COMMENCES THE FIRST ROUND-THE-WORLD RELAY RACE AT SEA

08/01/2019

Geneva, Switzerland, 7 January 2019 - MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise company has waved ‘bon voyage’ to MSC Magnifica as the final guests embarked today in Barcelona for the Company’s first world cruise. For many, the idea of seeing the world is just a dream, but a world cruise is an easy way to make this dream come true and the only way to circumnavigate the globe without having to unpack a suitcase more than once! MSC Cruises guests will visit 49 different destinations creating unforgettable memories, as they check destinations off their bucket lists. From the Mediterranean, to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and over the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, through the Gulf and back to Europe – it is truly the trip of a lifetime.

To capture this incredible journey and to inspire others to consider embarking on an exceptional experience, MSC Cruises has enlisted a team of content creators to take part in the first round-the-world relay race at sea on board MSC Magnifica as she journeys for 119 days across six continents, travelling 32,260 nautical miles and crossing 24 time zones.

The nine social influencers from different parts of the world will each sail a different segment of the cruise and capture their experiences so that their fans can follow this incredible voyage of discovery. They will curate stories inspired by the ‘made by humans’ concept, meeting and interacting with local people ashore in the 32 different countries that the ship will visit, creating a celebration of global culture. They will also step into the shoes of the incredible crew members on board the ship and share this unique experience through their eyes.

The MSC Cruises relay team consists of Benn TK (Australia), Kara and Nate (USA), Izhan (Spain), Life to Go (Germany), Anil B (Switzerland), Human Safari (Italy), Nick Miller (South Africa), Ayumu Yamashita (Japan) and Vitor Liberato (Brazil).

One glance at the inspiring list of destinations explains why this itinerary sold out in such a short time. The many destinations that the ship visits are an opportunity for guests to discover the world, but in as personalised a manner as they wish. With destinations like the tropical paradises of Costa Rica, Honolulu and Bora Bora, cultural hotspots like Barcelona and Rome, and fascinating desert landscapes of the Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt, there is truly something to entrance every kind of traveller. Guests will really be able to make the most of their time ashore with an average stay of 13 hours in port and a choice of more than 250 shore excursions.

MSC Magnifica will also take guests on a journey of the flavours of the world, thanks to an all-star cast of international chefs, who will bring their savoir faire to the onboard dining experience, creating dishes reflective of the part of the world the ship is sailing through. This includes current as well as former three-, two- and one-star Michelin chefs, chefs of the year, award-winning cookbook authors as well as recipients of other international culinary recognitions. During these uniquely exclusive meals, the chefs will then be on hand to greet and interact with guests in person while they enjoy their delicious dishes. The chefs include:

- Michelin-starred Spanish Chef Ramón Freixa

- Decorated Indian-American Chef Vikas Khanna

- Award-winning Italian Chef Carlo Cracco

- Two-time World Champion in pastry, French Chef Jean-Philippe Maury

- Restauranteur, cookbook author and Chef Roy Yamaguchi

- Expert in all four schools of Chinese cooking, Chef Jereme Leung

- Veteran chef and restauranteur, Brazilian Chef Allan Vila Espejo

- MasterChef Colombia jury member Chef Jorge Rausch

- Sydney Morning Herald’s “Chef of the Year”, French-Canadian Chef Serge Dansereau

Between each of these gastronomic marvels, MSC Cruises’ own chefs will delight guests with an unprecedented 237 different menus for the main restaurants, including thematic dishes that are linked to the itinerary of the ship and will also be served at the Sahara Buffet.

MSC Magnifica will enable guests to travel in true comfort and style featuring an elegant design and relaxed refinement, with all the features that distinguish MSC Cruises ships, including high quality service, a varied choice of dining options including four restaurants and 11 bars, modern and comfortable cabins, as well as a wide range of entertainment and leisure activities. There is never a dull moment as the wide variety of entertainment offerings include a full-size casino, panoramic discotheque, cigar lounge, 4D cinema and much more. And if that is not enough, there will be a cultural enrichment programme including language classes, arts & crafts, dancing plus live music and of course Broadway-style theatre shows and other activities.

To find out more about MSC Cruises 2020 World Cruise and 2021 World Cruise visit here. The journey can also be followed live on the MSC Cruises official Instagram channel.

Notes to Editors:

About the Influencers

Benn TK :

Benn Tkalcevic previously worked making cabinets and filming in clubs but spent all his free time creating videos of his own, even working on special effects. It was his brother who pushed him to travel one year ago, leading him to quit his job and set off as a full-time traveler, amassing more than 150,000 YouTube subscribers in that short time.

Benn will join MSC Magnifica as the first racer of the relay race, sailing from the Mediterranean waters of Genoa, Italy to the turquoise Caribbean, in St. Maarten, from the 5th to 17th of January.

Kara and Nate:

Kara and Nate Buchanan are a husband-and-wife duo, who became full-time YouTubers in 2016. Between their videos and blog, they share their mission to visit 100 countries before 2020. They are currently visiting country number 83.

To help them reach their goal, Kara and Nate will be on board MSC Magnifica for the second leg of the relay race, from St. Maarten to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, from the 17th to 28th of January.

Izhan:

Izhan is a 26-year-old Spanish vlogger, who began his career with a YouTube channel dedicated to video games under the name Izhan Go. He now focuses on travel and lifestyle videos, after studying film and relocating to Madrid. Today, his videos are seen by 250,000+ subscribers, hoping to learn how to capture footage like Izhan.

He joins the world cruise from Puntarenas, Costa Rica to San Francisco, California, from 28 January to 10 February.

Life to Go:

Daniel and Jessica are professional and full-time travel bloggers, filmmakers, photographers, influencers and content creators. In August 2015, they left their jobs and sold all their belonging to go see the world, becoming full-time travelers. They have built up a strong community, particularly in the German-speaking world.

They will board MSC Magnifica on the 10th of February in San Francisco and sail until tropical Bora Bora on the 27th.

Anil B:

Anil Brancaleoni is one of the most influential YouTubers from Switzerland, though he is now based out of France. He was originally better known as WaRTek, from when he began his Youtube career posting gaming videos. Since then his channel has grown and changed, focusing on travel videos and urban exploration. Recently, he traveled the globe to visit the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Anil will be joined on board by his girlfriend Ophélie Duvillard, who is also an influencer, as they travel from Bora Bora to Auckland, New Zealand, from 27 February to 13 March.

Human Safari:

Nicolò Balini is a 27-year-old Italian photographer and filmmaker, who creates travel vlogs for his Youtube channel under the name ‘Human Safari.’ Here, he shares his adventures in travel, food and photography, which has led him to become one of the most influential Italian travelers, with over 700,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Nicolò will travel from Auckland, New Zealand to Perth, Australia on board MSC Magnifica, form the 13th to 26th of March.

Nick Miller:

Nick Miller is an entrepreneur and influencer from Cape Town, South Africa. Before YouTube, he founded a tutoring company called Teach Me 2 and completed a degree in Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Cape Town. Teach Me 2 would go on to become the biggest private tutoring company in South Africa.

Nick and his wife Angela have worked with MSC Cruises before, joining them for the christening of MSC Seaview in Genoa and the preceding cruise. They were joined by their young boy, Jesse, who will join them on the world cruise as well, from Perth, Australia to Phuket, Thailand, from March 26th to the 8th of April.

Ayumu Yamashita:

Ayumu is a 26-year-old singer, songwriter and filmmaker from Japan. After studying abroad in Australia when he was 17 years old, he decided to pursue his passion for music seriously and now posts videos focusing not only on music, but on lifestyle and travel.

He will sail on MSC Magnifica from Phuket, Thailand to Muscat, Oman, from the 8th to the 19th of April.

Vitor Liberato:

Vitor Liberato is a Brazilian photographer, filmmaker and lifestyle vlogger. Today, he is at home anywhere in the world and shares his passions with his many fans on YouTube, including travelling and sports, like football, surfing and skateboarding.

He rounds off the end of this epic relay race, joining the ship on the 8th of April in Muscat, until he disembarks back in Genoa on the 3rd of May.