MSC CRUISES ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF BOOKINGS
17/02/2014
The company achieves “best booking month” in its history
Geneva, 17 February 2014 – MSC Cruises is pleased to announce that in the last 30 days the number of people who booked an MSC cruise, choosing to experience the joys of the Mediterranean way of life on board, reached a record high, totalling 208,262 travellers.
Among some of the favourites of MSC’s future on board guests are MSC Divina’s glamorous exploration of the Caribbean during the summer, MSC Lirica’s sophisticated sailing through the hidden jewels of the Mediterranean and Northern Europe sailings, offering a unique perspective on some of the world’s most stunning natural wonders or a visit to the beautiful capital cities of the Baltic.
This announcement coincides with the recent launch of the #MEDWAYOFLIFE campaign that provides a glimpse into the essence of an MSC travel: that special connection to the sea, that magic instant when land emerges from the horizon, the joyful meeting of tastes, the enjoyment of letting time casually drift by, the slow harmony that everyday life may have lost, the idea that if the world is a magical theatre, we should have a front-row seat.
#MEDWAYOFLIFE VIDEO SERIES
31/01/2014
A GLIMPSE INTO THE ESSENCE OF AN MSC TRAVEL
Geneva, 31 January – A new MSC Cruises’ video series based on the company’s clear dedication to the “Mediterranean Way of Life” makes its debut today on MSC Cruises’ digital universe, from the company’s YouTube channel, to the websites and Facebook pages, from the Twitter accounts, to the Instagram page, Google+ or Pinterest boards. The series will also be displayed on board the MSC fleet and will be released over the course of the next five weeks. Dedicated hashtags will accompany the launch of each video in order to foster online interest and engagement.
Inspired by MSC’s unique Mediterranean spirit and roots as well as by the company’s profound belief that life shouldn’t be measured by the minutes we experience, but by the moments we enjoy, the campaign takes the form of six one-minute videos each depicting a distinctive value of the MSC Cruise experience.
The #MEDWAYOFLIFE campaign aims at reminding and encouraging viewers to celebrate the memory-making and timeless experience that awaits MSC travellers: the freedom to be oneself and do what pleases; the Mediterranean touch of the many aspects of life on-board; the real-life social network that a cruise is; the discovery aspect of cruising, where every day is a new journey bringing to many places, people and cultures in one voyage; the value of taking the time to enjoy the present, letting the instant command one’s next moves; and finally, the unique and thrilling privilege of viewing the world from the sea.
Firmly grounded in what MSC Cruises does and why, the video series provides a glimpse into the essence of an MSC travel: that special connection to the sea, that magic instant when land emerges from the horizon, the joyful meeting of tastes, the enjoyment of letting time casually drift by, the slow harmony that everyday life may have lost, the idea that if the world is a magical theatre, we should have a front-row seat.
The series of short films was shot on board MSC Preziosa. It was directed by Gianluca Bomben and produced by Carlo Concina. The production was realised by Milan-based production company ON AIR and Emilio Giliberti was the Photography Director of the series.
MSC CRUISES REACHES 2 MILLION FANS ON FACEBOOK
27/01/2014
The Mediterranean way of life appeals to a growing number of people
Geneva, 27 January 2014 – As part of the company’s fast-growing online and social media presence, MSC Cruises announced that it has just reached more than two million fans on Facebook around the world.
MSC Cruises Corporate Social Media Manager David Arcifa pointed out: “This number represents a hundred per cent increase in fans over a one year period, and the engagement rate with the audience is also excellent. The growth in popularity of our company is such that we are now in the TOP10 Worldwide Travel Facebook Pages in terms of number of fans. These numbers mean that we’re good at engaging diverse online communities about the unique travel experience that cruising provides.”
Jan Rezab, CEO and co- founder of Socialbakers, the world’s leading social media analytics company, said: “It’s becoming increasingly more important for travel brands to focus on social media as consumers turn to Twitter and Facebook for information, recommendations and help whilst travelling. With a simple and efficient analytical approach, MSC has done an outstanding job of understanding what kind of content resonates with their core audience to increase engagement whilst also leading the way in social customer care.”
One year ago MSC Cruises also launched a global YouTube channel to inspire people who may never have considered cruising before with creative video content, sharing MSC’s uniquely Mediterranean way of life with a broader audience. Today, MSC Cruises ranks among the top three cruise companies with its YouTube channel in terms of views, with more than 4.5 million views for the various videos in several languages that are available.
“Recent research from Google” added Arcifa “shows that 89% of leisure travellers and 93% of business travellers watch online videos, with the number using these videos in their travel planning increasing from 14% in 2009 to 21% in 2012 for leisure travellers, and 17% in 2009 to 26% in 2012 for business travellers, so it is incredibly important for cruise lines to produce and effectively share online video content”
MSC Cruises is also proactive on other social media channels. For instance, the rate of followers on Twitter is also growing steadily, and MSC Cruises now has more than 98,000 followers on the social medium on a global scale. More than 5,000 followers were reached on Instagram, a year after the creation of the company’s profile.
Instagram is the perfect medium to engage many more travellers and share the MSC experience and values, interacting with followers through user-generated content, dedicated hashtags and various photo competitions.
MSC CRUISES RENEWS THE ‘GET ON BOARD FOR CHILDREN’ INITIATIVE WITH UNICEF
20/01/2014
Started in 2009, MSC’s collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has contributed in building hope for children in need around the world. In the past four years, as part of the MSC Cruises’ “Get on Board for Children” initiative, and thanks to the generosity of MSC Cruises’ guests, more than €2.8m were donated to UNICEF in Brazil to combat poverty and inequality by helping ensure children in 126 vulnerable communities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo achieve access to a quality education.
1 January 2014 saw the start of a new life-saving partnership between MSC Cruises and UNICEF aiming at providing assistance to malnourished children by delivering Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)– like Plumpy’Nut®– to treat severe malnutrition in developing countries and in countries affected by crisis situations.
Malnutrition and famine claim the lives of over a million children every year and stunt the physical and mental development of many more. Severe acute malnutrition has traditionally required hospitalisation, however RUTFs can be eaten straight from the sachet: they can be given to children without being mixed in water, so they can work in any situation, at home and without medical supervision.
“Around three sachets a day for four to six weeks can put a child out of harm’s way and with the generosity of our on board guests we will do our best to save and improve as many lives as possible“ declared Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. “MSC Cruises believes that global leadership brings increased responsibility towards the physical and human environments in which it operates, and as such we are proud to have strengthened our partnership with UNICEF. Together, we can make a difference”.
”We are delighted with our long-standing partnership with MSC Cruises. It makes a significant contribution to improving living conditions for thousands of children”, said Elsbeth Müller, Executive Director of UNICEF Switzerland. “We are impressed that passengers donate one Euro to UNICEF at check-out. Their donation helps ensure that children grow up healthily and have a promising future. Thank you very much for this great commitment”.
By donating just € 1 (or US$ 1,50) to “Get on Board for Children” MSC guests can help buying three meals of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food. A full treatment to save a child’s life in four to six weeks costs approximately €42.
In addition to donations received from guests, MSC Cruises will also organise edutainment activities for children on board, raising awareness about UNICEF’s work and children’s needs around the world.
MSC CRUISES RESPECTS THE WORLD’S OCEANS
14/01/2014
A television station in Brazil released a story about a MSC Cruises’ crew member throwing waste bags into the sea off the coast of Brazil. The story is based on a passenger’s account. A video captured the waste bags dumped at sea.
MSC Cruises takes this claim very seriously and is conducting a full investigation into the issue. Should any responsibility be confirmed, the company will take all necessary action to avoid similar incidents in the future.
MSC Cruises has great respect for the world’s oceans and has always worked hard to minimise its ecological footprint, finding innovative ways of lowering the environmental impact of its cruises through the use of modern technologies, environmentally friendly materials and strict procedures.
The MSC Cruises fleet is equipped with waste incinerators, pulpers, grinders and compactors for the processing of waste. Use of such equipment makes it possible to reduce shipboard space for storing rubbish, making it easier to offload waste to shore facilities and recycle recyclable items into special collectors for enhanced biodegradability.
On board MSC Cruises’ ships the vast majority of waste suitable for recycling, such as plastics, glass, aluminium and exhaust oil produced in the kitchen is processed so that it takes up as little space as possible. Up to 95% of the waste produced is carefully separated and available for recycling.
Hazardous waste, such as batteries and light bulbs, are stored in sealed anti-contamination containers before being sent to recycling facilities. Incinerated material is disposed of in advanced filtered incinerators at sea.
Other types of rubbish are delivered in plastic bags to port facilities authorized for waste disposal.
All waste processes are recorded in a Waste Record Book and its offloading is certified by a MARPOL receipt.
Each ship in the MSC fleet has an environmental officer responsible for all environmental issues on board. This includes the monitoring of up-to-date recycling and waste disposal procedures to ensure the implementation of the highest possible technological standards for sewage treatment and disposal. The environmental officer also ensures the careful, frugal use of resources, such as water and energy and is responsible for the training of crew members dealing with recycling procedures as well as the handling, collection, sorting and disposal of waste.
The company’s commitment to safeguarding the marine ecosystem has earned numerous awards and certifications. In 2013, the international certification body Bureau Veritas granted MSC Cruises the honour of being the first company to receive ‘7 Golden Pearls’ for environmental care for its Fantasia class ships. This unique award comprises “Cleanship 2” class notation for advanced air, water and waste treatment systems, as well as new ISO 50001 certification for the highest standards of Energy Performance, ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, ISO 22000 for food safety and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety.
