MSC OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES IN FIJI
Coral Sea Shipping welcomed the MSC Poesia into Suva Port on its maiden voyage to Fiji. It made the special stop on it’s around the world cruise to host and officially launch the MSC brand in Fiji. MSC’s cargo division started operations with the first scheduled service commencing on 4th December 2022 after welcoming the Contship Ten.
On board the Poesia were delegates from the Fijian Government, MSC executives, Coral Sea Shipping management and a host of invitees from freight forwarders, key clients, industry stakeholders and members of the media to the cocktail event. A traditional kava ceremony welcome was performed to honour the chief guests Hon. Shaheen Ali, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Commerce Trade Tourism and Transport and Hon. Esrom Immanuel, Assistant Minister for Finance. The guests were shown a presentation of the global operations, treated to lunch and drinks and were given a tour of the ship.
The chairperson of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Cruises Australia, Lynne Susan Clarke said it was pleasing to dock in Suva for the first time. “We have the contemporary brand of which MSC Poesia is one of the 21 ships within our fleet and is really one of the smallest ships that we have,” she said. “Each new build has really been innovative and we’ve really pushed the boundary in what we have done.” She said the cruise line worked across five continents forming an immersive cultural experience for passengers.
MSC Poesia had departed on January 5 on a 119 (3 months) day tour around the globe, visiting a total of 33 countries. The cruise ship has 987 crew numbers and can carry over 3,000 passengers. Clarke also said their newest ship MSC Euribia, the cruise line’s most technically advanced and sustainable ship, powered by LNG (Liquified Natural Gas),will be launched in June this year.
“Looking at our commitment to environmental stewardship, we really have created a pathway to this environmental leadership around four pillars of planet, people, place and procurement.”
MS Acardia, Seven Seas Mariner, Grand Princess, Seabourn Sojourn, Majestic Princess, MSC Poesia and Queen Victoria created economic activity for the month. Assistant Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel said as more cruise and cargo ships arrived, the better it would be for Fiji’s economic growth.
“It will provide also a competitive environment for shippers that can lead to competitive prices,” he said. “With cruise ships there is a possibility of additional tourists and tourism is crucial to Fiji right now.” He said Fiji was pleased that MSC included Suva as one of its port destinations and looked forward to the expansion of MSC’s services in the future.