MSC Cruises, in a celebratory mood, threw a bumper function for agents and clients on Tuesday, October 18 at Wanderers in Johannesburg.
Excellent music (Mafikizolo) and great stand-up comedy (David Kau) were the order of the day, along with excellent food and wines.
One clear cause for celebration was MSC Cruises’ announcement that it will bring its most modern luxury vessel, MSC Splendida to South Africa next year for its 2023/2024 season, and sales have already opened.
This 14-deck passenger ship can accommodate up to 4 363 passengers and it features the MSC Yacht Club for the first time ever in South Africa. It’s a premium ‘ship within a ship’ concept with 71 spacious suites, a dedicated concierge desk, 24-hour butler service, private restaurant, swimming pool and sunbathing area.
MSC Splendida will be based in Durban from November 2023 and offer a range of three- to four-night voyages to Namibia and Mozambique. The cruise line will operate a total of 35 sailings of this beautiful ship from both Durban and Cape Town during 2023-24.
The ship also has four swimming pools, The Strand Theatre for nighttime entertainment, Club 33 nightclub, an ultramodern gym, squash court and running track. It has a range of themed bars and dining venues, including speciality Mediterranean and American steak house restaurants.
Ross Volk, MD of MSC Cruises South Africa, said MSC Splendida would take cruising in South Africa to the next level and redefine holidays at sea.
“This further demonstrates our commitment to the South African tourism sector and MSC Cruises’ aim to drive both the tourism industry and the cruising sector with a resultant positive economic impact to the country.
“The ship will be staffed by nearly 1 400 crew, who look forward to giving our guests the experience of a lifetime, many of whom will be sourced and trained locally through the Shosholoza Academy in Durban.”
Shoshaloza Academy is an MSC initiative, offering training to South African youth who want to work on board cruise ships. Many of the trainees end up working on MSC Cruises vessels internationally.
More evidence of MSC’s commitment to South Africa is the R300m investment it has made at the newly built KZN Cruise Terminal, which will become operational on December 1.
