MSC Cruises will roll out a marketing plan to bring brand awareness to North American travelers and travel agents, according to Rick Sasso, president of MSC Cruises USA.
This spring, the Italy-based line's North American strategy will begin to take shape "with some big announcements in about a month's time," Sasso said.
"I can't say what our plans are, but they're big, and you'll be hearing about them soon," he said, adding, "The U.S. will become another anchor for us, and the agent distribution channel is a priority. A lot of agents here know us, but they're not as familiar as they should be. We're a nice little alternative for U.S. agents."
The strategy, he added, will have "more momentum" now that another ship is being added to the fleet.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of the line, announced earlier this month at Cruise Shipping Miami that MSC agreed to purchase a half-finished cruise ship that the STX France shipyard got stuck with last June.
Libya's state-owned General National Maritime Transport Co. had ordered the 139,400-gross-ton ship but defaulted on a payment while the country was in the midst of a revolution against Moammar Gadhafi.
The vessel, to be named MSC Preziosa, will be the 13th in the fleet and fourth in the line's Fantasia class. It is slated to enter service in March 2013.
The third in the Fantasia class, the MSC Divina, is under construction at the same shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, and will enter service in May.
"The new ship represents an investment of $665 million," Vago said. "Negotiations with STX France have lasted over nine months, a significant but understandable period of time considering the importance of the investment and the unexpected nature of the takeover."
The ship's construction is 45% complete and its mechanical zones are 70% finished, said MSC.
The MSC Preziosa will have 1,751 cabins. It will offer four main restaurants, two specialty restaurants, 21 bars, a casino, a spa, the exclusive MSC Yacht Club area, four swimming pools, 12 hot tubs, a bowling alley, a sports area, a fitness center and a children's area.
"This is great news for us," Sasso said.
"It allows us to do strategic planning more precisely, and it's coming quickly," Sasso said. "The new ship will help us explore expanding markets."
The line operates in Europe, the Middle East and South America, and in recent years deployed one ship to the Caribbean each winter; this year it added a second ship in the Caribbean, catering to the French market with embarkation in Guadeloupe.
Sasso said MSC is a preferred supplier to Vacation.com and offers a Travel Agent Reward Card that pays bonus commission.
"We pay our rewards to the 'agent,' not to the 'agency,'" he said.
Retailers can learn more and sign up for the program at www.msccruisesagent.com.
Sasso noted that the Fantasia-class vessels all have MSC Yacht Club accommodations, and he suggested that agents should consider the exclusive, luxury sections of those ships "for any client who typically books a suite on any premium-brand line."
Sasso said that the line is promoting an MSC Yacht Club upgrade to clients who book a balcony suite. The Yacht Club area offers a private restaurant, lounges and pool, butler service and free wine and spirits.
Sasso predicted that 2012 would be a good year for the cruise industry. But MSC "is going to have a great year," he declared.
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