Our MSC love story
It began in 2013 with a beautiful ship, a three-night escape, and a stateroom number we’ve never forgotten: 16009.
The ship that caught our eye
After a Carnival cruise with our kids, we were already thinking about sailing again. Then MSC Divina arrived in Miami. The welcome videos—with Fiat 500-inspired watercraft leading her arrival—and photographs on Cruise Critic made us want to see her for ourselves.
We booked a three-night Bahamas sailing in Yacht Club, without fully understanding how it differed from the rest of the ship. What followed was a wonderful surprise.
A welcome we still remember
A butler welcomed us into a private check-in area with prosecco, then escorted us onboard. The personal introductions and Med by MSC fragrance became part of that first memory. We still remember our butler’s name: Johnny.
We thought we were booking a short getaway. We were beginning a love story.
More sailings. More memories.
Two more Divina sailings followed. Family matters later kept us away from cruising, but we continued following MSC and watching new ships take shape.
Our return brought five Meraviglia sailings from New York City and two on Grandiosa from Port Canaveral. Now we’re looking ahead to Seashore, Orchestra, Splendida and World Atlantic—carrying a little of that first welcome into every new journey.
Why we created ForeverMSC
ForeverMSC brings together the experiences, practical tips and packing ideas we share from our own sailings. We’re independent cruise enthusiasts, and we want those details to help you feel more familiar with MSC before you step onboard.
Explore MSC’s History & Wider World
Explore the company behind the ships, the MSC Foundation and its connection with Mercy Ships.
One ship. One family.
A world of MSC.
Our first sailing introduced us to MSC Cruises. The company behind those holidays has a story of its own—one that reaches far beyond the cruise terminal.
A captain with a bigger horizon
In 1970, Captain Gianluigi Aponte founded Mediterranean Shipping Company in Brussels with a single conventional cargo ship, Patricia. It was a modest beginning for a business that would eventually help move goods around the world.
A second vessel followed in 1971: Rafaela, named after his wife. As container shipping transformed international trade, MSC grew with it, adding ships, routes and connections. Those familiar stacks of containers became the foundation of a much larger family enterprise.
From carrying cargo to carrying memories
MSC entered the cruise business in 1988 with Monterey. Its passenger operations developed through the Lauro business, followed by ships such as Rhapsody and Melody. The cruise story we know today gathered momentum through a €5.5 billion fleet investment between 2003 and 2013.
The next generation takes ownership
The Aponte family’s next chapter is already underway. In April 2026, MSC announced that Gianluigi had transferred ownership to his son, Diego, and daughter, Alexa, during the final quarter of 2025.
Diego serves as Group President and Alexa as Group Chief Financial Officer. Gianluigi remains Executive Chairman, so this is a generational handover with the founder still involved. The business remains privately owned and in family hands.
MSC today: a global network
Think of MSC and you may picture a cruise ship. Zoom out, and the picture becomes extraordinary: a family-owned group connecting international trade, passenger travel, ports, aviation, rail and healthcare.
In January 2022, MSC moved ahead of Maersk to become the world’s largest container shipping line by carrying capacity. That distinction belongs to its cargo business; MSC Cruises is a separate part of the family group.
MSC’s shipping business reports operating more than 1,000 vessels. Beyond that cargo fleet, the wider Group’s maritime businesses include cruise ships, passenger ferries, vehicle carriers and tugboats that help ships manoeuvre safely in port.
The cargo fleet includes owned and chartered ships. Ports, inland logistics and aviation connect that fleet to customers around the world.
Figures checked against MSC’s published company information in October 2026. Fleet and network figures refer to the cargo shipping business; employment refers to the wider Group.
See the wider world of MSC
More than ships
The Group’s portfolio spans cargo transport, passenger travel and healthcare. Here are some of the connections beyond its container ships.
Taking to the skies
MSC Air Cargo launched in late 2022, adding air freight for shipments that need to move quickly.
Life on the rails
Freight rail through its logistics network and Italy’s Italo high-speed passenger trains extend the story beyond the waterfront.
Healthcare & hospitals
Mediclinic joined the Group’s portfolio in 2023, bringing hospitals and other healthcare services into the wider MSC world.
At the Formula 1 circuit
MSC Cruises’ global partnership with Formula 1 brings the brand to another international stage, connecting its travel identity with the world of motorsport.
Ocean travel
MSC Cruises and luxury brand Explora Journeys offer different ways to explore the world by sea.
The businesses behind the global network
MSC’s businesses connect across sea, land and air. Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) invests in and operates container terminals. MEDLOG connects sea transport with inland logistics, while Africa Global Logistics (AGL) brings together port and logistics services across Africa.
WEC Lines and Log-In add regional shipping and logistics connections. Clasquin contributes freight forwarding and logistics expertise, while Global Car Carriers represents the specialist world of ships built to transport vehicles.
Then there are the vessels that help other vessels do their jobs. Boluda brings maritime services and towage into the portfolio; Wilson Sons adds Brazilian port and maritime operations, including tugboats. Alongside the giant container ships and cruise liners, these working vessels are an essential part of the wider maritime picture.
The ferries connecting the Mediterranean
MSC’s passenger story extends well beyond cruising. Grandi Navi Veloci—better known as GNV—carries passengers and freight across the Mediterranean. Its published network includes 30 ships and 33 routes, connecting Italy with destinations in Spain, France, Albania, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malta.
SNAV adds another dimension, with ferry services in Italy and Croatia and a fleet that includes hydrofoils, catamarans and high-speed vessels. These are everyday connections for island communities, holidaymakers and businesses alike.
Where the voyage meets the shore
A cruise begins before you step onto the ship. CTL Maritime is the MSC Group business dedicated to developing and managing cruise terminals and tourism destinations worldwide. It supports the Cruise Division’s growth through the places and infrastructure that welcome travellers ashore.
Explore the wider MSC Group portfolio
MSC’s current company directory brings together these businesses:
- MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company
- MEDLOG
- MSC Cruises
- Terminal Investment Limited (TiL)
- SNAV
- Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV)
- WEC Lines
- Explora Journeys
- Log-In
- Africa Global Logistics (AGL)
- MSC Air Cargo
- Mediclinic Group
- Italo
- Global Car Carriers
- Clasquin
- Boluda
- Wilson Sons
- CTL Maritime
The MSC Foundation: a global commitment
Established in 2018 as a private nonprofit, the MSC Foundation brings together the Group’s philanthropic commitments across four areas: environmental conservation, education, community support and emergency relief.
Protecting the ocean
At Ocean Cay in The Bahamas, the Super Coral Reefs Programme combines scientific research, coral nurseries and reef restoration. The Marine Conservation Centre is the programme’s hub—a connection to the island that goes well beyond a beach day.
Opening doors through education
Partnerships with organisations such as UNICEF support children’s learning and opportunities, while environmental education helps younger generations understand and protect the natural world.
Supporting communities
The Mercy Ships partnership is one example of support for vulnerable communities: practical maritime assistance alongside funding that helps expand access to healthcare.
Responding when disaster strikes
The Foundation supports emergency responses with aid and transportation. Its work has included relief after Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas and shipping essential supplies for crises in Africa.
Moving goods. Bringing hope.
MSC’s global reach also supports work that changes lives. Its relationship with Mercy Ships began in 2011, helping the independent charity deliver free surgical care and medical training in Africa through its hospital ships.
MSC contributes shipping expertise, ocean transportation and inland logistics to get essential supplies where they’re needed. Since 2019, the MSC Foundation has funded the Group’s transport and logistical support for this work. In 2024, the Group and Foundation deepened their commitment by supporting the construction of a new Mercy Ships hospital vessel.
For a company built around moving things across oceans, it’s a powerful use of those same connections: helping medical teams reach people who might otherwise have no access to the surgery they need.
What’s next for MSC?
MSC continues to invest in new journeys and destinations. In the Caribbean, that story extends beyond Ocean Cay and Sandy Cay: Freeport’s harbour and beach club developments, its shipyard investment, and the reported Grand Turk proposal show a wider commitment to the region. Alongside those projects, Explora Journeys is preparing a new chapter on Europe’s rivers.
Ocean Cay keeps evolving
MSC is continuing to develop Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, with a new round of guest experiences planned for late 2027. Paradise Sands will introduce an adults-only beach retreat, while Seakers Cove’s family area is set to gain a playground, splashpad and a ropes course with water features.
Plans also include four additional dining venues—specialty dining, buffets and food-market options—alongside new bars and a wider choice of cabanas. The MSC Foundation’s planned “Shifting Perspective” experience will give visitors new ways to explore marine conservation.
An extended pier is also due for completion in late 2027, allowing two ships to dock at once. The investment builds on the island’s beaches and conservation work while expanding the ways guests can spend their day ashore.
Read MSC’s Ocean Cay development plans ↗A new island next door
Alongside Ocean Cay’s continued development, MSC Group is creating Sandy Cay, a new luxury private-island destination nearby for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys guests. Announced in April 2026, it is scheduled to open in 2028.
MSC describes Sandy Cay as a quieter, more intimate complement to Ocean Cay, with a focus on its natural Bahamian setting and elevated island experiences. Together, the two destinations show how the Group is investing both in the places guests already love and in new experiences for the future.
Discover MSC’s Sandy Cay announcement ↗Beyond the private islands: a new chapter for Freeport
The reported $450 million Freeport Harbour development includes a new cruise berthing complex at Billy Cay, visitor facilities, commercial areas and transport infrastructure. The announced allocation is $400 million for Billy Cay infrastructure and $50 million for a beach club and refurbishment of the existing retail village.
Separately, MSC is developing a beach club on a 20-acre beachfront portion of the Grand Lucayan Resort for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys guests. CTL Maritime is leading that project; preliminary construction began in April 2026, with an opening expected in 2028.
The wider maritime picture includes MSC Cruises’ stake in Grand Bahama Shipyard, which is undergoing a $600 million transformation, and the Group’s trade and investment footprint at Freeport Container Port. That shipyard figure is the overall project value, rather than MSC’s individual contribution.
Freeport Harbour plans ↗ · Grand Lucayan beach club ↗Grand Turk: connecting cargo and cruising
CTL Maritime and ITM Group have been linked to a proposed $173 million redevelopment of Grand Turk’s cargo port in Turks and Caicos. The plan would create a combined cargo-and-cruise facility, with a terminal and an expanded pier capable of accommodating at least two large ships simultaneously.
Reporting in May 2026 placed the project at the memorandum-of-understanding stage, citing the country’s premier. It remains a proposal in this overview, rather than a completed development or a confirmed new stop on an MSC itinerary.
Read the Grand Turk project report ↗Luxury journeys on Europe’s rivers
In September 2026, Explora Journeys announced a Letter of Intent with Dutch builder Den Breejen Shipyard for its first luxury river ships. This marks MSC Group’s planned entry into river cruising through its luxury travel brand.
Sales are planned to open in 2027. Ship designs, delivery dates and initial itineraries are still to be announced—so a 2027 sales launch should not be confused with the first sailing date.
Read Explora Journeys’ announcement ↗Project scope, budgets and planned opening dates may evolve as development progresses. Source links show the announcements and reports behind this overview.
One family. A world of connections.
From container ships and cargo aircraft to ferries, railways, ports and healthcare, the MSC Group connects people, places and industries across the globe. Investment in its businesses, infrastructure and destinations continues to shape that story, while its support for humanitarian care, education and marine conservation gives those connections a wider purpose.
That wider world is part of our fascination with MSC. Now, let’s return to the part of the family that first brought us here: MSC Cruises. Whether you’re considering your first sailing or exploring a different onboard experience, we’ll share what we’ve learned along the way.
History and company information checked October 2026. ForeverMSC is an independent enthusiast site.
Explore the sources
- MSC: operated fleet and global shipping network
- MSC Group: GNV ferry services
- SNAV: its fleet
- Boluda: towage and maritime services
- MSC Group: history and family leadership
- MSC Cruises: the cruise story
- MSC Group: its companies and wider portfolio
- MSC: the Aponte family ownership handover
- GNV: the MSC Group and CTL Maritime’s role
- MSC Foundation: Ships of Hope
- MSC Foundation: Super Coral Reefs Programme
- MSC Foundation: programmes around the world
- Formula 1 and MSC Cruises