MSC Cruises is strengthening its presence in the city of Málaga, which will be a port of embarkation for a new 11-day, 10-night Western Mediterranean itinerary during the 2022 summer season, running from June to October. The voyage will be aboard the MSC Orchestra, which has a capacity of 3,223 passengers and approximately 1,300 crew members. With this addition, MSC Cruises becomes the cruise line with the most calls at the port of Málaga, representing a 52.6% increase compared to 2019.
Malaga will be the port of embarkation for MSC Orchestra on a total of 12 occasions, which will contribute to local trade and business; and will have a significant economic impact on the area's economy.
With this announcement, MSC Cruises, the world's third largest cruise company and market leader in Europe, South America, and South Africa, reinforces its confidence in Malaga, as the 12 calls by MSC Orchestra are added to the 17 calls already announced for 2022, which will mean a total of 29 calls made by 11 of MSC Cruises' 19 ships compared to 2019.
Furthermore, in its ongoing commitment to national ports, MSC Cruises has announced that MSC Orchestra will also use Alicante as a port of embarkation for this itinerary, allowing more Spaniards to enjoy a safe and high-quality holiday in the Mediterranean in a comfortable and accessible way.
On this itinerary, MSC Orchestra will offer the opportunity to embark on a cruise where Spain and the Iberian Peninsula will be the main focus, as it will include visits to Olbia, Genoa, Marseille, Cadiz, Lisbon, Menorca, and Alicante, in addition to Malaga and full days of sailing.
Fernando Pacheco, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in Spain, commented, “We are delighted to announce this new itinerary, which demonstrates the company’s strong commitment to Spanish ports and destinations, and will offer excellent opportunities to bring the destinations of southern Spain closer to cruise passengers from all over the world. I am pleased to be working with our local suppliers again, even more closely than before. Both travel agents and customers have been asking us for some time to make Málaga a port of embarkation in the summer, and after working together with the Port of Málaga and Suncruise Andalucía, we have made it happen, further reinforcing our commitment to the city.”
For his part, the president of the Port Authority of Malaga, Carlos Rubio, highlighted that “MSC Cruises’ long-standing relationship with the Port of Malaga is very positive and we are confident that we will continue to maintain it in the coming years so that it can translate into an increase in port calls, as well as greater satisfaction for the company’s customers.”
From Suncruise Andalucía, its president, José García Fuentes, said, “We welcome this news very positively and thank MSC Cruises for their commitment to Andalusia and for including its ports in new itinerary proposals. We believe this should be the beginning of a commitment from MSC Cruises in particular, and the cruise industry in general, to Andalusia as a cruise destination, taking into account its diverse ports, cultural, heritage, and landscape diversity, and all that the destination offers cruise passengers.”
MSC Orchestra is one of the cruise ships in the Musica family of MSC Cruises. It is one of the company's ships with the highest percentage of outside cabins, and combines spacious and elegant interiors with a wide variety of bars and restaurants to enjoy life on board, as well as the Body and Mind Spa, the Palm Beach casino, or the Jungle Adventure game room.
MSC Cruises offers its passengers the opportunity to travel with all the safety measures guaranteed by MSC Cruises' pioneering health and hygiene protocol. This protocol is characterized by its flexibility, allowing it to adapt to the evolving pandemic situation on land. Thanks to this protocol, MSC Cruises can guarantee that its cruises are a safe, sustainable, and phased experience for everyone, working continuously to ensure the health and safety of crews, port workers, passengers, and the public.
