MSC Cruises Targets Growing Luxury Market With New Ship Order
Photo Credit: A butler is shown in the MSC Yacht Club, a small high-end enclave within a larger MSC Cruises ship. The privately held company is building four "ultra-luxury" ships, it announced Thursday. MSC Cruises
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MSC Cruises is already spending billions on big ships, so why not add a few luxury vessels to the mix? The cruise operator has a built-in customer base, but the trick will be to offer a product that gets those passengers to pay more for the high-end experience.
Already on a years-long growth spurt, MSC Cruises is adding a new category to its ship-building boom: luxury.
The privately owned European operator announced Thursday it has agreed to order four "ultra-luxury" cruise ships for more than 2 billion euros, or $2.3 billion. The vessels will have capacity for 1,000 passengers — far smaller than the rest of MSC's fleet — and encompass 64,000 gross tons.
The first will start sailing in spri
