Cruise Talk: MSC Cruises coming to Australia

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Topic: MSC Cruises coming to Australia

bmajor
First Class Passenger
Member # 1754

posted 03-22-2010 11:17 PM

As reported in this weeks Australian Cruise Weekly...
Looks like P&O is about to have some serious competition.
Lets hope it is confirmed and comes to fruition.

MSC Cruises coming to Australia

MSC Cruises is expected to
shortly announce that it will
for the first time send one of
its ships Down Under.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE HIGHLY RATED ITALIAN
line MSC Cruises is considering a series of
voyages in Australia.
Addressing the travel industry at a closed
conference, Lynne Clarke, general manager,
MSC Australia, revealed that a Lirica class
ship is likely to be deployed down under for
60 days during the 2012/13 summer.
Speaking exclusively to Cruise Weekly,
Clarke said: “MSC has three 1600-
passenger Lirica class vessels from which to
choose: Lirica, Armonia and Sinfonia.”
Clarke is currently in Europe for further
discussions with company executives and is
expected to return in two weeks with
confirmation of the decision.
MSC recently released many special
discounts for Australian travellers including
two-for-one deals, kids cruise free, and
reduced prices on the exclusive MSC Yacht
Club suites.
Clarke said this value was best reflected
when MSC Cruises Australia booked 2000
Australians – more than half the ship – on
MSC Poesia’s voyage from Kiel, Germany to
New York in September 2010.
“A Lirica class ship is likely to be
deployed down under for 60
days...”
Earlier this month, the line christened the
new MSC Magnifica, with screen legend
Sophia Loren as godmother.
The 3010-passenger ship has 17 bars, a
4D cinema, tenpin bowling, four pools and a
day spa.
In June 2012 MSC Favolosa will also be
delivered – the 12th vessel built by the
company in the last seven years.
This ship will have redesigned decks and
restaurants, and the MSC Yacht Club – the
luxurious “ship within a ship” – will also be
revamped, as well as the Aft Lounge, casino
and disco.
MSC’s nine large resort-style ships each
received a score of four out of five in the
latest editionof ‘cruise bible’, the Berlitz
Complete Guide to Cruising.
Further details about the new MSC ship
for Australia will be revealed in Cruise
Weekly when Clarke returns from Europe

Posts: 1371 | From: Orewa.New Zealand. | Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged

Galaxy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5160

posted 03-23-2010 06:47 AM

Lirica class,Lirica,Armonia and Sinfonia?

I tought MSC Lirica and Opera was one class and MSC Armonia and Sinfonia was another.....or im maybe wrong?

Posts: 591 | From: Norway | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

Kevin Griffin, London
First Class Passenger
Member # 6010

posted 03-23-2010 07:02 AM

MSC talked to Chantiers and decided to use the Festival design but streamline it to make it look less boxy and prettier (I think Opera and Lirica are the best-looking MSC ships). All four ships came form Chantiers, now STX France, and were a development of the Mistral (Seven Seas Mariner is as well believe it or not). Check out the deck plans and you will see that they are very much the same, with minor tweaks added by MSC.

[ 03-23-2010: Message edited by: Kevin Griffin, London ]

Posts: 148 | From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 03-23-2010 03:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Kevin Griffin, London:
MSC talked to Chantiers and... All four ships came form Chantiers...
[ 03-23-2010: Message edited by: Kevin Griffin, London ]

Chantiers means yards in French... When you are building a house, it's a "chantier" as well.
The name was "Chantiers de l'Atlantique", meaning simply Atlantic's yards... It would make more sense to talk about "Atlantique".

That said, I wonder why they talk about only 3 "Lirica" class (actualy Super Mistral), there's the Opera too (slightly different cabin arrangement).

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

Kevin Griffin, London
First Class Passenger
Member # 6010

posted 03-23-2010 05:30 PM

One assumes that Opera must be committed somewhere else Pascal, but I found that peculiar too.

Posts: 148 | From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 03-23-2010 09:40 PM

I think she's not mentioning OPERA because she carries considerably more passengers than the other three (1,712 vs. 1,560) and therefore is perhaps a different "class" in MSC's eyes.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

claudio
First Class Passenger
Member # 1214

posted 03-24-2010 06:29 AM

actually msc has already been in australia in early ninetie with achille lauro they were star lauro then but correct me if im wrong but they were owned by msc. i cant wait wit rccl here athena and msc now p&o might lift their game i dont like the way p&o converts all there twin cabins to 4 berhs to cram a few more people on board my friend just came back from pacific jewel and complained pool area and buffet were always overcrowded. they also advertise their lead in prices for 4 berth cabins and princess in australia has also gotten into that trick as well. rccl s rhapsody has cheaper fares than p&o mainly because thay sell twins and i hope msc does the same i wish them well

Posts: 468 | From: melbourne australia | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

r.fiebig
First Class Passenger
Member # 5240

posted 03-24-2010 08:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dougnewman:
I think she's not mentioning OPERA because she carries considerably more passengers than the other three (1,712 vs. 1,560) and therefore is perhaps a different "class" in MSC's eyes.

Or she simply isn't considered to be sent to Australia as MSC has other plans for her, already.

Best,

Raoul

Posts: 775 | From: Paderborn, Germany | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

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