MSC Cruises believes that global leadership brings increased responsibility towards the physical and human environments in which a company operates. Its commitment to safeguarding the marine ecosystem, as well as protecting the health and safety of its staff and the travellers on board its fleet, has earned numerous awards and certifications. 

In 2016, leading international classification society Bureau Veritas recognised MSC Cruises with the Special Safety Best Practices Award for the high level of enhanced safety procedures across its entire fleet. This important award follows similar accolades in past years. In 2013, Bureau Veritas granted MSC Cruises the honour of being the first company to receive ‘8 Golden Pearls’ for environmental care for MSC’s Fantasia class ships. This unique award comprises Cleanship 2 Class notation for advanced air, water and waste treatment systems, as well as new ISO 50001 certification for the highest standards of Energy Performance, ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, ISO 22000 for food safety and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety. With MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, and MSC Splendida, the company has also successfully met the strict standards required by Bureau Veritas’ voluntary Energy Efficient Design scheme. The quality and safety of all aspects of the company’s catering practices, both ashore and on board, were formally officially recognized through ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 certifications. 

Reflecting its commitment to protect the seas, MSC Cruises was one of the first cruise lines to voluntarily reduce emissions in ports to levels far below the legally required minimum. 

Embracing the philosophy of corporate social responsibility still further, MSC Cruises launched an important partnership with UNICEF in 2009. The Get On Board For Children project benefited disadvantaged children and adolescents in 126 vulnerable urban communities in Brazil by helping to ensure they receive a proper education. MSC Cruises also supports UNICEF’s efforts to tackle child famine and malnutrition in developing countries and in emergency situations. The partnership helped raise more than EUR 10 million to date.

In order to support biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and the enhancement and promotion of marine protected areas, MSC Cruises and Marevivo joined forces in 2015 to inspire young people with a passion for the sea.

MSC Cruises’ 17 ships feature a host of cutting-edge innovations and the latest technologies, and its global fleet is one of the youngest at sea. The fleet was born of a €6bn investment programme launched in 2003 and after successful completion of the first investment phase, the Company launched a €11.6 billion plan that will the fleet expand to 25 ships by 2027. Additionally, MSC Group’s Cruises Division is investing an additional €2 billion in a new luxury cruise brand comprising four super-yacht ships, launching one per year between 2023 and 2026.  MSC Cruises is the first global cruise line brand to develop an investment plan of such length and magnitude.

The 17 current ships across our four classes of ship include:

MSC Grandiosa, the Company’s most environmentally-advanced ship to date and the first of two Meraviglia-Plus ships, came into service in November 2019. With a total guest capacity of 6,334 passengers she is the largest ship in the MSC Cruises global fleet. Her sister ship MSC Virtuosa will be completed in 2021, and will be joined in 2023 by an LNG-powered Meraviglia Class vessel. The smaller sister ships MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima were the first two Meraviglia Class ships that entered in service in 2017 and 2019 respectively. 

MSC Seaside (2017) and MSC Seaview (2018) rewrite the rule book of cruise ship design, blending indoor and outdoor areas to connect guests with the sea like never before. With a guest capacity of 5,119, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview add a game-changing element to MSC Cruises' fleet. Two additional larger Seaside EVO ships, representing a further enhancement of the prototype, will have a capacity of 5,646 guests. The first one will be named MSC Seashore and will be delivered in 2021. Her sister ship will join in 2023, and will complete MSC Cruises' Seaside Class.

The four Fantasia Class ships – MSC Preziosa (2013), MSC Divina (2012), MSC Splendida (2009) and MSC Fantasia (2008) – are large-size and modern ships, at approximately 140,000 GRT, 333m in length and 38m in beam. MSC Preziosa – ranked among the five best cruise ships in the world – and MSC Divina can accommodate 4,345 guests, while MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia each carry 4,363 guests. 

The Musica Class ships MSC Magnifica (2010), MSC Poesia (2008), MSC Orchestra (2007) and MSC Musica (2006) carry around 3,200 guests each. 

The fleet is completed by the Lirica Class ships – MSC Sinfonia (2005), MSC Armonia (2004), MSC Opera (2004) and MSC Lirica (2003) – each with 65,000 GRTs and carrying around 2,000 guests. 

By 2027, MSC Cruises will welcome 5.5 million passengers annually, tripling its global capacity. An additional eight cruise ships in the contemporary segment and a further four in the luxury segment are due to join its’ fleet by 2027. In addition to the upcoming two Meraviglia-Plus Class and two Seaside EVO Class ships, four LNG-powered World Class vessels will join the fleet. World Class is the sixth new prototype developed by MSC Cruises. The ships, with a capacity of 6,761 passengers, will be characterised by their revolutionary architecture, environmental performance and energy-efficient design.