"Cruising remains one of the best value holiday options for South Africans, with the record passenger numbers for the current season speaking for themselves," said Allan Foggitt, head of marketing and sales of MSC Cruises South Africa. "The new itineraries for the 2013/14 season will include all the old favourites, plus some new and longer cruises offering a greater variety and choice."
Some of the highlighted itinerary changes include a 12-night New Year cruise on board MSC Sinfonia, which will visit Mauritius, the French island La Reunion and Ile St Marie in Madagascar. The ship will spend three days in Mauritius with arrival scheduled for after the New Year's holiday, ensuring all travellers can shop to their hearts content and make the most of the time on the popular ocean island.
MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera will also operate a series of new seven-night itineraries visiting Portuguese Island, the beautiful fishing village of Anakao and Fort Dauphin in Madagascar. With three island stops in seven nights, this itinerary is expected to be a hit with cruising fans.
A 14-night Island Discovery Cruise has also been introduced, which will have MSC Sinfonia visiting Mauritius, Reunion as well as Ile St Marie and the picturesque beaches of Fort Dauphin in Madagascar.
The popular Cape Cruises will once again be on offer, but will commence later in the season to make the most of calmer weather patterns.
The meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector will be appropriately catered for with additional two-night to "nowhere" cruises being added to the itinerary. The short two- and three-night weekend cruises have proved very popular with the corporate market and offer the perfect venue for launches, teambuilding and awards events on board.
To launch the new season, a 40% discount reward is being offered as an incentive for those who wish to book early and secure their future holiday at the best price.
Accommodation, meals, and entertainment are all included in the cruise fare, with children under 18 cruising free.
MSC Opera has 856 cabins of which 172 are balcony cabins and 28 are balcony suites. The ship has four restaurants, 11 bars, two pools, and two whirlpools. The liner boasts the MSC Aurea Spa and Solarium, a disco, video games room, Internet café, casino, team-building facilities and a medical centre. The ship has an array of duty-free shopping and caters for kids with the Buffalo Bill children's play area, mini and junior clubs, and teen clubs. Additional facilities include the Cotton Club bar and a stage on deck for outdoor entertainment.
MSC Sinfonia has 777 cabins, of which 132 are balcony suites. The ship also boasts four restaurants, 10 bars, two swimming pools and the luxurious MSC Aurea Spa. Guests can enjoy world-class performances in the San Carlo Theatre and take advantage of the state-of-the-art fitness centre, golf simulator, casino, mini and junior clubs, teens' clubs, disco, Internet cafe and luxury shopping. Additional facilities include a business and conference centre and medical centre.
