MSC cruises: rapidly rising European line makes waves in North American waters

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2005 by Charles Doherty

Onboard dining is another international affair, albeit with a strong Italian influence. I sampled the open-seating dining rooms for breakfast and lunch, but more often chose the lido buffet, supplemented by a grill that also produced tasty, Neapolitan-style pizza. Dinner is in two, fixed seatings, and it's somehow quaint (and retro) to be welcomed by name by your regular servers who know your preferences. "Still water for signora, gassy for signor?" asks Emiliano, knowing full well the answer.

Menus have also been revamped to better appeal to American palates, but with a "True Italian Signature." Prior to the Caribbean season, MSC took over the catering operation, bringing it in-house. To ensure freshness and add variety, a Florida warehouse was set up and local suppliers contracted. "While we still have many products imported from Italy, this assures the finest quality of fresh products for both sides of the Atlantic," says Robert Keesler, vice president, hotel & marine operations for MSC Cruises USA.

"We pride ourselves on our authentic Italian cuisine," adds president Sasso. "Guests can sample traditional family recipes from La Cucina Italiana or savor delights from around the world" off the new menu of international dishes, all-American favorites, and regional Italian specialties. Freshly made pasta and risotto items are served for both lunch and dinner--the latter includes a "bread of the day" on the seven-course menu that always features an Italian dish such as lamb and mushroom quiche Aretina from the Toscana region or veal scaloppini Sorrento-style from the Campania region. Traditional fare--like broiled chicken breast, grilled sirloin steak, pan-roasted salmon fillet, and Caesar salad--is always available in addition to the listed menu items, which include "Healthy Choice" and vegetarian selections.

A wide choice of MSC ships is also offered to Mediterranean cruisers. Some of the line's recent growth came from an unexpected source, as two new ships became available when Festival Cruises (marketed in the U.S. as First European Cruises) went out of business. MSC purchased the defunct line's two, new 1,566-passenger ships (virtually sisters to the MSC Lirica), refit/refurbished them to MSC standards and style, and introduced the MSC Armonia in July 2004 and the MSC Sinfonia in March 2005. (The names "sounded" odd to me when I first read them, until I heard them pronounced with a lyrical Italian-accented emphasis: Sin-foh-NEE-ah, Ar-moh-NEE-ah.) This summer the MSC Armonia joins the MSC Opera for Adriatic/Greece/Turkey weekly roundtrips from Venice, on slightly different itineraries; while the MSC Sinfonia joins the MSC Lirica on slightly different Western Mediterranean weeklong cruises to ports in Italy, Sicily, Tunisia, Spain, and France--the former roundtrip from Genoa, the latter roundtrip from Rome.

Then there are the three vintage MSC vessels, classics familiar to veteran American cruisers. Ship buffs love the 576-passenger MSC Monterey--the oldest U.S.-built cruise liner still in service, dating back to the 1950s and Matson Line. Her trans-oceanic profile is old fashioned, but she has been lovingly maintained/updated by MSC. She sails four intriguing Med itineraries, 11-night roundtrips from Genoa that stretch from Egypt to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.