RICK SASSO IS BACK WITH MSC

[CGTNORMANDIE]

RICK SASSO...The brassy former President of Celebrity Cruises is now taking over MSC Cruise Lines.

 

This could be very interesting as Rick was one of the people who was responsible for Celebrity becoming a great product in the cruise market. He is already putting his key people into position and he intends to make MSC a quality competitor to Celebrity. Rick was a stickler for quality service and food. Now he has an Italian product and he is very set on making it a top quality operation. Rick also liked Apollo Catering...MSC could become the next quality product in cruising. I am hoping for something like the old Regency Cruise Line (before it was taken over by the accountants from Greece) in the Italian style.

 

THIS COULD BE EXCITING!!!

 

ROSS

 

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 1965/TS BREMEN 1971/RMS AMERIKANIS 1972/SS FRANCE 1973/SS FRANCE 1973/QE II 1975/QE II 1975/TS LEONARDO DaVINCI 1976/QE II 1978/TS GALLILAO 1984/ MV REGENT SEA 1988/MV ZENITH 1992/SS NORWAY 1993/MV HORIZON 1998/GTS NORWEGIAN SUN 2001/GTS CENTURY 2002/GTS SUMMIT 2003/GTS JEWEL OF THE SEAS 2004

[tuggers]

They sure are coming up with some great trips at some great prices. I've been looking but had not heard a lot good about them. Just maybe...

 

Until the Zenith! Second X Cruise In Two Months!

 

 

 

[dougnewmanatsea]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CGTNORMANDIE:

RICK SASSO...The brassy former President of Celebrity Cruises is now taking over MSC Cruise Lines.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd just like to point out that Rick Sasso is not "taking over" MSC per se. He will be President and CEO of their North American operation, and will report to Managing Director Pierfrancisco Vago at their Naples headquarters, who in turn reports to Gianluigi Aponte, the head of their parent company, Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, which is based in Geneva.

 

On the other hand this is very exciting news as it signals that MSC is serious about becoming a major player in the North American market.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I am hoping for something like the old Regency Cruise Line (before it was taken over by the accountants from Greece) in the Italian style.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would not expect MSC to become anything like Regency. For one thing Regency was made up entirely of older second-hand vessels. MSC does have a few of those, but I expect they will be gone quite soon as the company is going through a massive fleet renewal. Their recent newbuild MSC LIRICA is being followed by sisters MSC OPERA and MSC ARMONIA, the latter having previously been Festival Cruises' almost-new EUROPEAN VISION. I expect that they will at least attempt to buy MSC ARMONIA's sister EUROPEAN STARS as well. They have also ordered two new 85,000 GT ships from Chantiers de l'Atlantique and have signed a letter of intent for two new larger ships from Fincantieri. With all this new tonnage coming online I expect that the older ships will be gone soon.

 

What MSC is more likely aming for, in the US market, is Home Lines or Sitmar, though those lines concentrated almost exclusively on the US market, whereas MSC is and even with the expanded US market presence will no doubt continue to be a very international operation.

 

Doug Newman

Cruise Critic Message Boards Host

e-mail: shiploverny AT yahoo DOT com

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI DOUG!!

 

Thanks for the clarification on the corporate order of MSC.

 

I should clarify my Regency statement too. I was talking about the food and service end. The ships were old timers but I have to say that the old Gripsholm, which lived through many incarnations and finally became the Regent Sea, was one of the most comfortable ships I was ever on.

 

A Sitmar revival would be very exciting as would an Italian Line revival. I still say that the original Regency, as it was conceived, was also outstanding.

 

ROSS

 

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 1965/TS BREMEN 1971/RMS AMERIKANIS 1972/SS FRANCE 1973/SS FRANCE 1973/QE II 1975/QE II 1975/TS LEONARDO DaVINCI 1976/QE II 1978/TS GALLILAO 1984/ MV REGENT SEA 1988/MV ZENITH 1992/SS NORWAY 1993/MV HORIZON 1998/GTS NORWEGIAN SUN 2001/GTS CENTURY 2002/GTS SUMMIT 2003/GTS JEWEL OF THE SEAS 2004

[marco]

We'll see what happens now that someone who has been more connected with the Ameerican Market is running American operations. We have been on MSC. They have several ships but only send one or two, and only in the winter months to operate out of Fla. As Costa is the major Euopean operator ,especially out of Italian ports, I'm wondering if they are not going to be thier main target. i.e: wooing US passengers to MSC for Med/Euorpean cruises rather than Costa and all of the other lines that send a ship or two over there May-Oct. It will be interesting to see what MSC ships are in the Caribbean, Jan-APR, 2005. One could only hope the intention is to replicate Home Lines or Sitmar!!!

[dougnewmanatsea]

From what I have heard MSC is planning on basing a ship in the US year-round... So I think their intention is to do more than simply compete with Costa.

 

Doug Newman

Cruise Critic Message Boards Host

e-mail: shiploverny AT yahoo DOT com

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI GANG!!!

 

Any way you cut the cake; this is going to be a very interesting venture. Rick Sasso is no one to be taken lightly in the cruise industry. He is a real live mountain mover and he knows how to build a super quality product. This will be fascinating to watch!!

 

ROSS

 

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 1965/TS BREMEN 1971/RMS AMERIKANIS 1972/SS FRANCE 1973/SS FRANCE 1973/QE II 1975/QE II 1975/TS LEONARDO DaVINCI 1976/QE II 1978/TS GALLILAO 1984/ MV REGENT SEA 1988/MV ZENITH 1992/SS NORWAY 1993/MV HORIZON 1998/GTS NORWEGIAN SUN 2001/GTS CENTURY 2002/GTS SUMMIT 2003/GTS JEWEL OF THE SEAS 2004

[ljones]

I LOVE Celebrity & (sadly) hated MSC. I was on the Melody & for me, anything would be an improvement esp if they move in the direction of Celebrity. I only tried MSC the once so I don't want to bash the whole line but I will be interested to see what the reviews are in the future.