The luxury ship MSC MUSICA arrived at Haifa port this morning. About 2,000 foreign tourists who went on a bus trip in the north of the country arrived in Israel by ship, and during the day about a thousand Israeli passengers will board it for the continuation of the cruise that left this evening to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea.
The “Muzika” ship arouses interest in the Israeli cruise market because in the summer its cruises are planned to depart from the port of Haifa, and to take Israeli passengers on board as well. The ship serves Israel every Thursday, from today until the beginning of November. This is the largest cruise ship that will sail from Israel this year. The weekly cruises from the port of Haifa set sail with stops in Limassol Cyprus, Mykonos, Piraeus and Santorini in Greece, Kusadasi in Turkey and back to the port of Haifa.
The ship MSC MUSICA has 16 floors with 1,275 rooms with places to host 3,200 passengers and another thousand employees. Swimming pools, a spa, a casino, a variety of restaurants, 15 bars and lounges, and live performances are available to passengers on the ship.
In the field of entertainment, MSC MUSICA offers its guests a whole world of day activities and night entertainment with a main show every evening. The ship has over 1,000 seats, a casino, a panoramic disco and more. Every evening “Broadway” style performances at the La Scala theater. The Israelis who will sail on the ship will also be able to enjoy entertainment programs in the Hebrew language, stand-up shows, menus and daily programs in Hebrew, as well as Israeli crew members.
MSC puts an emphasis on families, which is why they have installed on the ship state-of-the-art playgrounds for children of all ages, a gym, dance clubs, sports fields such as tennis, basketball and soccer, and even a 240-meter running track.
The company’s headquarters in Israel report an increase of about 50% in demand for cruises in general, compared to before the corona epidemic. Due to the arrival of the cruise ships of MSC Cruises to the port of Haifa last year, the demand for cruise vacations from Israel grew by 70% and the company expects that the demand will increase even more this summer, following the decrease in the corona virus.
The director of MSC Cruises Israel, Eyal Atias, announced: “We are excited to launch in Israel the cruises of the luxury ship MSC MUSICA, which presents new standards in the field of cruises from the port of Haifa. The ship offers a high standard of service, fascinating tours throughout the Mediterranean basin in an international atmosphere, a fine culinary experience, a wide selection of entertainment productions, live performances and children’s clubs for all ages, a casino and duty free. The mix of passengers on the ship is diverse and includes passengers from about 30 different countries and not only Israelis. We adapt unique entertainment programs and shows to them. Since we launched the activity from Haifa port, we recognize an increase of about 70 % in demand and I believe that this coming summer we will reach new highs.”
MSC Cruises is the third largest cruise brand in the world and the largest in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and South Africa. The company headquarters is located in Geneva and belongs to the MSC Group, the leading shipping and logistics concern in Switzerland with a maritime heritage of over 300 years. The company employs over 30,000 people and offers dream cruise vacations in many countries around the world. MSC is a private company owned by a captain married to a former Israeli born in Haifa.
Photography by Nir Hoffman
