Bigger ships to ply Baltic for MSC Cruises

Hamburg - Naples-based MSC Cruises plans to expand its capacity in northern Germany next summer, a company spokeswoman said in Hamburg.

The MSC Orchestra, which carries up to 2,550 passengers, will replace the MSC Lirica (1,700 passengers) for cruises from/to Kiel. The MSC Lirica's new base is Bremerhaven.

The spokeswoman said that MSC Cruises would be able to accommodate a total of 44,000 passengers in Germany during the 2009 season, compared with 34,000 in 2008.

In 2009, as in 2008, MSC Cruises will operate three ships for voyages from/to Germany. Like the MSC Orchestra, the MSC Opera (1,700 passengers) will also depart from Kiel with a choice of destinations in the Baltic countries and Norway's fjords. The MSC Orchestra will call at Kiel 15 times, while the MSC Opera will come 13 times.

The MSC Lirica has 10 cruises from/to Bremerhaven planned in 2009. Bremerhaven was the home port this past summer of the MSC Armonia, which will operate in the Mediterranean next year.

MSC Cruises' main catalogue also lists scheduled tours with the company's new flagship, the MSC Fantasia, as well as its sister vessel, the MSC Spendida. The ships, each accommodating 3,300 passengers, are to be launched in December 2008 and March 2009, respectively. Both will undertake eight-day Mediterranean cruises from Genoa next summer. (dpa)