Rafael Moreno is the Commercial Director of MSC Cruises in Spain. He began his career with the company 13 years ago as Area Manager for the Central Region and later also for the Northern Region. In 2016, he became National Sales Manager, and in 2022, the company appointed him Commercial Director for Spain. A graduate in Mathematical Sciences, he has always been passionate about tourism and languages.
- MSC Cruises has barely slowed down, even during the pandemic, with two new ship launches per year. Is the Spanish market keeping pace with this growth?
The truth is that this past year has been incredibly busy, but we've had tremendous support from the Spanish market. Globally, in 2022, we closed the year breaking records, with last October being the best month in our history with 400,000 bookings. We're seeing strong demand with a broad outlook for the medium and long term. Furthermore, the two new ships we launched last year, MSC World Europa and MSC Seascape, have been very well received, both globally and in the Spanish market. In fact, MSC World Europa, which will be sailing the Mediterranean this summer with departures from Barcelona, has been a booking success. This June 8th, we're launching our new flagship, MSC Euribia, which will sail through Northern Europe and the Norwegian Fjords on its inaugural leg, and many Spaniards have already signed up to embark on this journey aboard MSC Euribia. These results reward the long-term vision that the company continued to have for the business with investments not only in new ships but also in the quality of the passenger experience.
- Choosing such an exotic destination as Saudi Arabia was a very bold move. What kind of reception has it had in the Spanish market?
As you know, MSC Cruises has become the first cruise line in the world to establish a regular cruise route that includes no fewer than two Arab cities in its itinerary. The reception in the Spanish market has been a resounding success. We launched this itinerary in November 2021, when Saudi Arabia was still not a country accustomed to tourism. It's worth remembering that it wasn't until 2019 that the country decided to open its borders to international tourism. Since then, more than 9,000 Spanish cruise passengers have enjoyed not only a 7-night voyage through the waters of the Red Sea but also the experience of being among the first tourists in the world to cross the borders of Saudi Arabia, experience its culture firsthand, mingle with its people, and visit some of the most impressive sites that are part of the country's history. And next year we will continue: the itinerary will change slightly, and we will adapt to our customers' requests to offer the best possible experience.
- This year the company has a new ship, the MSC Euribia, in the Baltic, at a time when St. Petersburg is no longer on the itineraries. Is it more difficult to sell Baltic cruises under these circumstances, or does having a new ship mitigate that absence?
Indeed, this coming June 8th we will inaugurate our new flagship, MSC Euribia. This ship will spend its inaugural season sailing through Northern Europe, reaching the Norwegian Fjords on some of its itineraries. While MSC Euribia will not be sailing to the Baltic capitals, MSC Fantasia will this summer. It's true that St. Petersburg was a major draw on our Baltic Sea itineraries, but we continue to offer very interesting destinations such as Helsinki, Tallinn, and Stockholm.
- The company embarks passengers in seven Spanish ports, all of them located in the Mediterranean, plus Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Do you think there will be opportunities for other ports, such as those in northern Spain, in the near future?
One of the company's strategies is to make cruises more accessible to Spanish travelers by opening more embarkation ports. We've found that once passengers try a cruise, they come back for more, and it's easier to try one if it's closer to home. New this year, for example, is a departure from Bilbao to Dubai. The MSC Virtuosa will depart from the port of Bilbao on October 30th for a 24-day voyage to some of the key destinations in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the United Arab Emirates. Of course, we hope to continue expanding our embarkation ports and make this a long-term strategy, building on the seven we currently offer.
- If we're talking about exotic or long-haul destinations, like the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates, the Red Sea, South America, and so on, which one is the most popular in the Spanish market?
All destinations are very popular with the Spanish market, but the Caribbean is especially successful year-round. In addition to offering very attractive destinations on our Caribbean itineraries, we also have a very comprehensive package that includes flights, two or three nights in a hotel, excursions in Miami and New York, and the cruise. This vacation package is performing very well and appeals to families, couples, and groups of friends alike.
- How important is the Spanish market for MSC Cruises?
As a source market, Spain is one of the most important markets for MSC Cruises, and we give it crucial attention, as demonstrated by our ongoing commitment to Spanish ports and destinations. This year we will make 500 calls in Spain, which is 21% more than in 2022, and, as we mentioned, we have seven embarkation ports. Furthermore, as an inbound market, Spain is one of the most popular destinations in Southern Europe, and we wanted to capitalize on this by launching a range of itineraries and a fleet that caters to all types of travelers.
- What has been your main challenge and your main achievement at MSC Cruises?
I would say that the main challenge has been the situation brought on by the pandemic. It was a completely new situation for everyone, and we had to join forces to face it. But I can say that I am very proud of how we managed to overcome that period as a team and how we managed to recover and increase sales, to the point of, as I mentioned earlier, breaking a record in 2022 with figures higher than those prior to the pandemic. I consider having participated in achieving these positive results to be a great personal accomplishment.
