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MSC Cruises introduces new ship to SA shores, grows local industry

23 Nov 2017

As a result of its positive growth and continued momentum in South Africa, MSC Cruises has announced that it's bringing a bigger and more sophisticated ship, the MSC Musica, to South African shores in 2018. The ship holds a passenger capacity of 3,223 with 16 decks, and an additional number of swimming pools, restaurants, pubs, lounges, and designer venues, conference rooms and cabins.

Image Source: MSC Cruises

"Today we’re moving over 100,000 passengers per six-month season locally. MSC Cruises has always believed in the enormous business potential in South Africa, and when you offer an unparalleled experience for everyone in the family, when you have an amazing product, when you back it up with service excellence, it will always show in the numbers," says Ross Volk, managing director of MSC Cruises South Africa.

Growing industry reach

MSC Cruises’ growth is reflected across all market sectors, across all age groups, as well as in the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) tourism segment. With the upcoming introduction of MSC Musica to South African shores, the company continues to believe in the local cruise industry’s potential.

MSC Cruises has also expanded its local destinations. In addition to Portuguese Island, Maputo, Port Louis, La Possession, Cape Town and Walvis Bay, MSC Cruises has recently added a new unparalleled beach destination to its local itinerary, Pomene Bay. It offers a unique marine safari experience, complete with its own beach club, exclusively for MSC Cruises guests sailing from Durban, South Africa.

Among other local commitments, MSC Cruises’ joint venture with Africa Armada Consortium, KwaZulu Cruise Terminal, has been announced as the preferred bidder for the Durban Cruise Terminal worth R100m. The terminal will be structured to accommodate two vessels and will create significant employment both within the construction and operation phase of the terminal.

Driving local employment opportunities

MSC Cruises has long been committed to playing a more active role in job creation and creating a positive impact in the South African cruise sector through hiring South Africans for both land-based and onboard positions – in local waters as well as worldwide. Since the launch of its first concerted local recruitment drive in 2013, the company has steadily increased the number of its positions for South Africans from the housekeeping staff, waiters, shore excursion hosts, shop assistants, casino dealers and cruise directors.

MSC Musica is set to afford crew opportunities of just over a 1,000.