MSC CRUISES Through the Years

[CoachTerry14]

MSC CRUISES

Through the Years

 

1970

• Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is founded.

 

1989

• MSC enters the cruise market when it acquires a 50 percent share of Lauro Cruise Lines, renaming it Starlauro Cruises.

• Starlauro Cruises acquires the Monterey from Matson Line.

 

1995

• The fleet is renamed Mediterranean Shipping Cruises.

 

1996

• The line acquires Premier Cruise Lines’ Melody (originally Home Lines’ Atlantic).

 

January 1998

• MSC Cruises (then called Mediterranean Shipping Cruises) calls at Port Everglades, Fla., for the first time with the M/V Melody, offering Caribbean-West Indies itineraries.

 

1999

• MSC Cruises begins promoting its U.S. and Mediterranean cruises in the North American market, marking its second year serving the North American market.

• MSC adds Panama Canal partial transit cruise itinerary in addition to Caribbean and West Indies.

 

January 2001

• MSC orders its first new cruise ship – a 1,600-passenger vessel to be built by the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique at St. Nazaire at a cost of $250 million, with its sights set on expanding its presence in the U.S.-North American market.

 

October 2001

• Mediterranean Shipping Cruises changes its name to “MSC Italian Cruises.”

 

December 2001

• MSC Italian Cruises offers free cruises to U.S. firefighters, police officers and EMT personnel in the aftermath of 9-11.

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MSC Cruises Through the Years – 2

 

June 2002

• MSC Italian Cruises announces its newest flagship, MSC Lirica, will be launched in the spring of 2003, joined by its sister-ship, MSC Opera, in the spring of 2004.

 

June 2003

• MSC Italian Cruises moves its U.S. headquarters from New York City to Moonachie, N.J.

• The line introduces its first “Music of Your Life” at Sea cruise aboard MSC Lirica, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

 

July 2003

• The line introduces its first “Fun Fitness Cruise-ersize” cruise for seniors on MSC Lirica.

 

March 2004

• MSC Italian Cruises changes its name to “MSC Cruises” and introduces a new logo.

• MSC orders two more new cruise ships to be built by Alstom Marine.

 

April 2004

• Richard E. Sasso is named president and CEO of MSC Cruises (USA); a U.S. management team is named.

 

May 2004

• The line adds MSC Armonia (formerly European Vision) to its fleet.

 

June 26, 2004

• Godmother Sophia Loren christens the line’s new flagship, MSC Opera, in Genoa, Italy.

• MSC Cruises (USA) launches a travel agent website.

 

July 2004

• MSC Cruises (USA) opens headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

• MSC Cruises purchases MSC Sinfonia (formerly the European Stars), bringing the number of ships in the fleet to seven. The line undertakes a multi-million-dollar renovation of the two-year-old ship to bring it to MSC Cruises’ standards.

• MSC Cruises launches its TruePartnership™ travel agent program.

 

August 2004

• MSC Cruises opens a reservation center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with expanded hours of operation.

• MSC Cruises adds a “Baseball Greats” program to its lineup of theme cruises for the Caribbean season, joining a variety of music theme cruises.

 

November 2004

• MSC Cruises announces a special guest lecturer series for the 2004-2005 Caribbean season, featuring former U.S. Ambassadors on select sailings of MSC Opera.

 

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MSC Cruises Through the Years – 3

December 2004

• MSC Opera arrives in Fort Lauderdale Dec. 2 for her inaugural Caribbean season. She is welcomed by gala festivities, 2,000 VIPs (including godmother Sophia Loren) and media coverage (including Larry King Live, the Today Show and local news coverage).

• The ship berths next to the MSC Ulsan, a 5,000-ton container ship owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company. The arrival of the MSC Ulsan signifies the move of Mediterranean Shipping Company’s cargo operation from Miami to Port Everglades.

• MSC Opera earns 98 out of 100 on her inaugural USPH inspection.

• MSC Cruises enhances its travel agent website with additional online booking tools.

 

January 2005

• MSC Cruises (USA) moves to expanded offices in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

• MSC Lirica arrives in Fort Lauderdale to join her sister ship, MSC Opera, in sailing Caribbean waters.

• The addition of the new MSC Opera in North American waters this year increased the line’s capacity in the market by 150 percent, but the number of guests increased by nearly 350 percent. By the end of the 2005 Caribbean season, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica carried 35,000 guests; last year, MSC Lirica alone carried 10,000 guests in the Caribbean.

• Three of the line’s ships (MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Armonia) earned four-star ratings in the latest edition of the prestigious Berlitz Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships 2005 (Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships).

 

February 2005

• MSC reveals plans for MSC Musica, slated to debut in spring of 2006. A sister ship (MSC Orchestra) is also under construction and scheduled to join the fleet in 2007.

• Porthole magazine awards MSC Cruises the Editor-in-Chief Award as “Most Flourishing Cruise Line.”

 

March 2005

• MSC Sinfonia officially joins the fleet, sailing 7-night Mediterranean itineraries.

 

April 2005

• MSC Lirica earns a perfect 100 score on the latest USPH evaluation.

• MSC Cruises announces new port calls for the 2005-2006 Caribbean season. The line adds La Romano and Cayo Levantado in the Dominican Republic to its itineraries.

 

November 2005

• MSC Cruises signs a contract with Chantiers de l’Atlantique to build two133,500-ton post-Panamax ships – MSC Fantasia and MSC Serenata.

• MSC Cruises USA launches major marketing initiative featuring Sophia Loren as spokesperson.

 

March 2006

• MSC Cruises announces a contract with Chantiers de l’Atlantique to build another MSC Musica-class ship (MSC Poesia) for delivery in 2008 and an option for another.

 

June 2006

• MSC Musica enters the fleet, with a gala inaugural celebration in Venice, Italy.

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[bugman of bonita]

Terry, Thank you for the info.

[love*2*cruise]

By any chance would you have access to the detailed ports for the following Msc cruise:

1.) msc musica New Years cruise 2006/2007, I think departing 28.12.2006

 

I'm having difficulties finding old routes, any advice of how to find this & a few others I would be very grateful for.