The 25th of April, MSC Sinfonia will start its spring-summer 2009 cruise season in the port of Livorno. There will be a record number of embarking passengers: 1565 passengers will go on board a ship who will dock in the Tuscan port for the first time.
There will be 1317 Italian guests from all regions, particularly from Central and North-West. The remaining passengers will reach Livorno from 30 different countries.
MSC Sinfonia, 251 meters long and 29 meters wide, 58.625 tonnes, 9 bridges, can accommodate 2.087 passengers in its 777 cabins of which 132 elegant suites with balcony.
In 2008, MSC Cruises handled in the port of Livorno about 50 thousand passengers. In 2009, thanks to the magnificent MSC Sinfonia, the Company is foreseeing a growth of around 20%.
"Livorno, in the recent last years, has been of primary importance for our Company in representing our point of reference for the Tuscany - said Luca Valentini, North West Area Manager of MSC Cruises. "We are in a time in which MSC Cruises is experiencing a phase of development that has no precedent. We have chosen to place a larger ship in Tuscany, with the capacity to accommodate more passengers, because the demand for boarding from Livorno has grown extraordinarily. Livorno is not simply a destination port but has to be considered an essential point of embarkation for Italians and foreign people”.
"Port of Livorno 2000 and Port Authority are proud that MSC Cruises confirmed Livorno as a port of turn-around for a modern ship as MSC Sinfonia, offering a range of services and that they are using the Pisa airport for passengers arriving from all over the countries in Europe" explained Mr Guido Asti, Managing Director and CEO of Port of Livorno 2000 srl, the Company that manages the Passengers Port including the Cruise and Ferry Terminals.
“MSC is strongly supporting Livorno, which now can also be considered the “way out gate" towards the Mediterranean Sea, for the advantage of the body of Tuscan consumers. The agreement with MSC Cruises has established the foundations for a long-term collaboration, which we believe will bring greater and greater benefits to our port, to the city of Livorno and the whole Tuscany”.
MSC Sinfonia is provided with all the comfort, allowing passengers to spend wonderful holiday entertainment: from the San Carlo Theatre (580 seats) to the Business Center (200 seats) - suitable to shelter conventions and meetings - 4 restaurants, 8 bars, a Spa, the thermal bath with Thalassotherapy-room, hammam, sauna and gym, a sport centre, areas for basketball, volleyball and tennis, shuffleboard, jogging trail and miniature golf.
MSC Sinfonia, is also the only cruise ship of the Cruise Company who has on board a golf simulator. And then, disco, casino, mini-club, card room and library.
MSC Sinfonia will sail from Livorno every Saturday, from April 25th to October 17th, for 8 days cruise between Monaco, Spain, Tunisia and the Balearic Islands (with the possibility of boarding from Catania every Thursday and from Naples every Friday).
MSC Cruises currently has the most modern fleet in the world with nine ships: MSC Fantasia, the largest ship ever built for a European shipowner, MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Armonia, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody.
They sail all year round in the Mediterranean, North Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, North and South America, the Indian and South Africa. MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica will be launched in 2009 and 2010.
MSC Cruises is the only company to have received the "6 Golden Pearls” from the Bureau Veritas in recognition of its high level of quality management and environmental protection.
The 7th of June the biggest cruise ship of the world for her maiden voyage docked at Port of Livorno. She is named Independence of the Seas and belongs to Royal Caribbean International, the second worldwide cruising Company also operating Celebrity Cruises and Azamara brands.
