To powerful figures of French president Emmanuel Macron cabinet have been indicted on Monday for alleged matters of conflict of interest. One of them is the Justice minister, Eric Dupont-Monetti, while the other is Alexis Kohler, secretary general of the Elysee Palace who has been indicted in relation to ties with the Swiss-Italain shipping and cruise company MSC.
MSC cruises announced on Tuesday that it was cancelling its 2021/22 cruise season to Argentina and Uruguay. “Since the beginning of the year and continuing on the path outlined last year to achieve the safe resumption of cruise operations in Buenos Aires, MSC Cruises has been working closely with authorities from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to reestablish protocols and joint operation rules for the 2021/22 season from Buenos Aires and Montevideo under the new normality”, pointed out a release from the Swiss company.
The largest cruise ship to be built in Italy, the MSC Seashore was delivered this week to MSC Cruises. The Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard is building a sister ship MSC Seascape, which is expected to come into service in early 2022.
One of the largest and newest cruise ships in the world has crashed into the pier in Palermo, Italy causing damage. The MSC mega-ship which was only recently christened in early November 2019 has crashed into the pier in Palermo, Italy. No injuries have been reported including passengers and crew onboard the vessel.
The main cruise ship operators in French waters have agreed on measures to limit pollution caused by their vessels, including hooking up to the power grid instead of keeping their engines running during stopovers.
Two MSC cruise ships collided at the Port of Buenos Aires. One of the ships somehow lost control and hit another causing some damage. It was all caught on video.
Good news: prices for many cruises in January 2019 are significantly lower than they were a year ago. However, there are major differences by cruise line. While the analysis found that the average cruise price per day actually increased by around 3% – from US$ 397 to US$ 407 per person per night – it also showed substantial price discounts for certain cruise lines.
Carnival Corporation will retain its leading market share going forward, with more than 40% of the global cruise market by 2026, but down from 44.3% this year, according to the 2016/2017 Cruise Industry News Annual Report. Meanwhile, MSC Cruises will double its market share.
The Caribbean and cruise ship passengers alike are expected to benefit from at least four new cruise ports that are in the works to open in the region in the next few years. Cruise Fever reports that Harvest Caye in Belize will be the first up and running, with a scheduled opening date of February 16, when Norwegian Jade visits the port to take in the country’s eclectic mix of rainforests, jungle, and coral reefs.
Italian owned MSC Cruises will be the first major cruise line to homeport in Cuba, with the 2,120-passenger MSC Opera embarking on week-long cruises from Havana starting December 22, reports Travel Weekly.