CAISSA Touristic Group, China’s leading outbound tourism service provider, and MSC Cruises announced that MSC Lirica is set to serve the Chinese home market from Shanghai starting in May 2016.
Caissa Touristic and MSC Cruises reaffirmed the strength of their recently announced strategic partnership at a joint press conference in Beijing today, disclosing details of the cruise experiences to be offered aboard MSC Lirica.
Chen Xiaobing, Caissa Touristic’s President, said: “MSC Cruises’ distinctive European flavour resonates well with CAISSA Touristic’s brand spirit, which also originates from Europe.”
“What makes this partnership stand out, from other traditional agreements between China-based tour agencies and cruise lines, is the emphasis that will be placed on training the entire on-board staff to ensure guests receive the best-in-class MSC Cruises’ experience and service. This also includes the degree of adaptation of the ship’s hardware and software, such as facilities renovation, service design and operation, and more, to fit the customs and tastes of the Chinese guests it is designed to serve” he said.
MSC Cruises’ Chief Executive Officer, Gianni Onorato, added: “Everything on an MSC cruise, from the hospitality, cuisine, and staffing, to the ship’s interiors, is designed and controlled in-house with meticulous attention to quality and detail, the way only a family-owned company can. This means we can customise every aspect of our offering – right down to a new Cruise Ambassador role we have created just for MSC Lirica – to meet the needs of consumers in the markets we serve.”
“We’re customising MSC Lirica by drawing on the unrivalled local knowledge of our partner, CAISSA Touristic. MSC Lirica is the perfect size to enable guests to get the very most out of this customisation, which means she brings to the market a cruise product, specifically designed to meet the needs of the Chinese consumer, that is truly like no other” he said.
During the press conference, Mr Onorato presented various industry-first innovations, particularly in onboard dining, entertainment, and guest services, which will guarantee the Chinese guest experience a unique offering that’s tailored to their tastes, from boarding to disembarkation.
SOURCE: CAISSA Touristic MSC Cruises