Who Owns MSC Cruises? : The World’s Third Largest Cruise Brand

By Cruise Booking Team

Updated on: February 21, 2024

Being a guest on an MSC Cruise means more than visiting incredible destinations, creating unforgettable memories, and enjoying the highest quality of hospitality. It means you get a chance of building once-in-a-lifetime experiences. With MSC Cruises you get to participate in the journey of securing the sea’s tomorrow.

If you want to know more about this cruise line you can start with the question: who owns MSC Cruises? MSC Cruises is owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company a.k.a. MSC. which is a private family-owned company. Read on to learn more about this exclusive cruise line.

Who Owns MSC Cruises: A Brief Historical Account

Presently, MSC is the world’s largest and fastest growing cruise brand with a strong presence in the North America, Caribbean, and the Far East Markets.

MSC Cruises is a part of MSC Group and is currently headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. They employ over 30,000 staff globally and offer cruise holidays in various countries across the globe.

With over 300 years of maritime heritage, this family of ship owners and captains are now the largest privately owned cruise company in the world

Let’s take a brief look at the family, the founder, and the milestones of MSC:

1. The Aponte Family: A Family of Seafarers

There are old records of the Aponte family dating back to the seventeenth century which entails an unbroken history reflecting ancient seafaring tradition. You will find information about their long and consistent maritime transport services from Naples and Sorrento which is their city and town of origin.

2. The Founder of MSC Cruises

Gianluigi Aponte (MSC Cruises Founder), born in Sorrento, Italy, in 1940, started his career as a captain in the family shipping company that operated a fleet of sailing boats on the Mediterranean. The company name was Navigazione Libera del Golfo, a.k.a. NLG and it is still operational today.

In 1970, he established the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in Brussels. He moved the company to Geneva in 1978. In 1988, with the acquisition of the Italian cruise ship company Starlauro, MSC entered the cruise market and it marked the birth of MSC Cruises.

3. MSC Milestones - Their Incessant Evolution

The table below represents the journey of the MSC cruise line from its inception in 1988 till 2023:

1988	Gianluigi Aponte took over the 2 Lauro Cruises ships and retained the company name (MSC-Starlauro) in honor of his mentor. He decided to continue operating the Achille Lauro.
2003	MSC appointed Mr Vago as the CEO. He guided MSC Cruises’ extraordinary and peerless expansion plan (12 ships in 10 years).
2009	In its fleet MSC Cruises welcomed aboard more than 1 million guests a year.
2013	They launched MSC Preziosa after completing the 12 ships of their ambitious expansion plan.
2013	MSC appointed Mr Vago as the Executive Chairman & Mr Onorato as the CEO.
2014	MSC launched the Renaissance Programme. It was a groundbreaking advancement in shipbuilding. They announced another expansion plan.
2017	MSC Meraviglia was launched as the first ship of their new plan (13 ships in 10 years)
2018	They established the MSC Foundation. It was an independent not-for-profit organization aiming to lead, concentrate and advance the MSC Group's conservation and humanitarian commitments.
2019	They announced the order of an additional 4 Explora Journeys Luxury ships. Those will be delivered between 2023 and 2026.
2020	MSC Marine Reserve Ocean Key, Bahamas, was opened.
2022	The latest flagship in the MSC Cruises fleet in Doha, Qatar, was named MSC World Europa.
2023	MSC launched its first of 4 Explora Journeys ships and entered the luxury market.

What Makes MSC Cruise Line Stand Out?

The MSC Cruises is committed to serving the passion of cruisers for sea voyages through its exceptional amenities. Guests can feel their eagerness to pass this passion to their future generations in their dedication to make their voyage filled with unforgettable emotions and numerous adventures:

They offer a safe and immersive cruise experience where you can look forward to award-winning family programs, international dining, world-class entertainment, and top-notch user-friendly technology.
MSC Cruises welcomes you to choose among the best cruise destinations that promise to reveal the sounds, flavors, and sights from the world’s most fascinating cultures with a wide variety of itineraries.
MSC awaits you on a journey to discover the world in absolute style and comfort. They are constantly renovating and expanding their fleet to offer you a greater choice of destinations and the extraordinary cruising experience MSC is known for wherever you choose to go.
Apart from the obvious luxuries of an MSC cruising experience, you can also avail of amazing Cruise Deals and offers and personalize your cruise and MSC pre-boarding discounts.
MSC ships sail in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean all year round. Their seasonal itineraries include North America, South America, Northern Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Red Sea, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Asia, and southern Africa.
MSC shows off their modern fleet of vessels with their sizable future global investment portfolio of new ships.
A new addition to MSC Cruises’ offerings is a technology that they have named ‘MSC for Me’. Through this, they interconnect guests, crew, and the ship so that you have total control of your time on board. The ‘MSC for Me’ program is available on selected cruise ships but they are steadily expanding.

What are the Durations of MSC Voyages?

Before booking a planning your cruise holiday you should take a look at the various durations of the MSC voyages:

2 to 5 days
6 to 9 days
Over 10 days

Whether you book a 2 to 5 days or a 10+ days cruise tour through CruiseBooking.com you can expect that to be one of the most memorable voyages of your life on the MSC cruise line.

WHAT ARE THE MSC CRUISE DESTINATIONS FOR 2024?

With MSC Cruises you can expect a one-of-a-kind holiday experience in different places across the world. Here are some of the most popular MSC Cruise destinations for 2024:

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MSC CRUISES?

Now, let's look at some of the things that MSC Cruises the fastest-growing cruising brand in the world is known for - its worldwide ranking, and astonishing new additions to the fleet.

1. MSC Cruise Line Rankings

On the basis of the user testimonials and reviews of the travelers this is the current ranking of MSC cruise line is as follows:

2. MSC’s Latest Addition to the Fleet

To support their leadership position industry MSC cruises continue their pursuit of more magnificent ships. Here is the latest addition to their fleet:

Among the 4 world class ships MSC World Europa is the first and the rest will be built from 2024 to 2027.
It is the largest ship in the fleet and 6th largest ship in the world with 22 decks and a capacity of carrying 6,744 passengers and 2,138 crew members.
Its ultra-modern 295 foot long promenade is one of its most unique designs with LED sky screen and ocean views.
The silver colored structured a.k.a. ‘the spiral’ hosts the Venom Drop. It is the longest dry slide at sea that spans 11 decks.
The new ship has a spacious MSC Yacht Club area that has premium suites offering restaurant, butler, pool areas, and lounge with unforeseen suite options.
It flaunts a 10,000 square foot MSC Aurea Spa that is Balinese in style. It includes beauty salon, gym, barbershop, and a wide range of health and beauty care services.
It presents its guests with the largest waterpark on MSC cruises along with futuristic fun for the whole family with VR technology and sundeck.
On top of that it has distinct neighborhoods for families, adults, entertainment, and spaces that have a more general appeal.

Conclusion

Now that you know who owns MSC Cruises, and why they are the fastest-growing cruise brand you can look forward to booking a trip with them. If you plan to make a memorable trip to your favorite location with MSC Cruises you can book a cruise ship now with CruiseBooking.com. This will help you access exclusive deals on your bookings so you can make the most out of your cruising expeditions.