Gianni Onorato: ‘We have made big investments across the world’


Antonio Paradiso: ‘We will visit every agent on this island’


and will have all the services on board for guests to go back and enjoy.


Agent pledge


Antonio Paradiso, the line’s UK & Ireland managing director, issued a bold promise to agents as he revealed that MSC Cruises was entering the final phase of a three-year plan to boost its profile in the UK. After consolidating its place in the UK market, Paradiso said phase two had been to make “huge investments” to strengthen the UK sales team. Steve Williams, director of sales, and Rebecca Kelly, regional head of sales in Ireland, were both named as two examples of this investment. Paradiso said further improving MSC Masters, the line’s online training platform, which launched


“At the end of this process, we will have the best ships on the market”


in August, was phase three. “We are not going to stop until


we have visited the last agent on this island,” he said.


World-class ships


MSC Cruises’ four new 200,000- ton ‘World-class’ vessels will be a combination of both Seaside class and Meraviglia class, according to Onorato. The chief executive said:


“MSC Meraviglia was a change more inside than outside, whereas MSC Seaside was more about the outside. Then we have World-class ships, which will


combine the innovation we have seen with Seaside class outside and the internal innovation of Meraviglia class.” The four new World-class ships


are scheduled for delivery in 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. To put the size into perspective,


Royal Caribbean International’s four Oasis-class ships are all in excess of 220,000 tons, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship, Bliss, weighs just over 168,000 tons.


Top-level service


MSC Cruises has 17 vessels on order between now and 2027, and the constantly expanding fleet means crew members must be recruited rapidly. More than 50,000 new personnel have been trained and brought onto the ships to serve passengers. Onorato identified onboard


service as a key area he wants to continue improving. “We have made big investments


across the world and set up recruitment offices, he said. “At the offices we have recreated the ship with a mock-up cabin and restaurant. “At the end of this process, we


will have the best ships on the market.” He also pledged to get crew members introducing themselves to passengers before they have even boarded the ship. “Today, the customers, or the


travel agents in some cases, will receive a message from the cabin [crew],” he said. “This means that when the


customers board the ship they can begin their holiday. It is something that will improve the customer experience, and make [travel agents’] jobs easier.”


13 December 2018travelweekly.co.uk17


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