Cristina Hodgson
MSC Cruises, Europe’s leading cruise company, has celebrated the inaugural call of MSC Orchestra in the city of Malaga.
The inauguration ceremony took place yesterday, Thursday June 30, attended by Pilar Fernandez-Figares, manager of MalagaPort, and Fernando Pacheco, the managing director of MSC Cruceros in Spain, marking the start of the MSC Orchestra’s summer itinerary.
The MSC line has programmed 12 cruises on board the MSC Orchestra this season—which commenced yesterday, June 30—with Malaga as homeport.
The itinerary for the 11 days includes Cadiz, Lisbon, Alicante, Mahon, the Italian cities of Olbia and Genoa, and Marseilles in France, before returning to the capital of the Costa del Sol.
MSC Cruises is now the company making the highest number of calls into Malaga Port, 52.6% more than in 2019.
In fact, it’s expected that MSC cruises will bring more than 40,000 visitors to the city, giving a much needed boost to the local economy.
During the inauguration ceremony Pacheco said: “We are very pleased to celebrate that, for the first time in two years, we are once again offering the people of Malaga the chance to embark on one of our ships from their own port.”
“We have been talking for months about our commitment to this city, which offers everything to international travellers, and also gives the people of Malaga the opportunity to enjoy a holiday at sea,” he added.
According to Pacheco bookings for this season have exceeded expectations and the company is already making plans for the summer of 2023, including the use of a bigger ship which can take 30% more passengers.
The MSC Orchestra itself can carry 3,223 passengers and approximately 1300 crew members.
READ MORE:
- Tourist giants Ryanair and MSC Cruises step up their commitment to Spain’s Malaga this summer
- MSC Cruises chooses Spain’s Malaga as port of embarkation for 29 calls next summer
