The respective tourism office and port officials from both sides of the island pose for a group photo with their MSC hosts on board the “MSC Seaview” on Sunday.
MARIGOT--St. Martin Tourism Office was invited on board the MSC Seaview in Port St. Maarten on Sunday, December 5, for the ship’s inaugural seven-night cruise to the most in demand ports of call in the Caribbean.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the leading cruise line in Europe, South America, the Gulf region and South Africa, has chosen Philipsburg as the port of embarkation for the seven-night itinerary aboard the MSC Seaview visiting Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Antigua and Barbuda.
MSC Seaview is 323 metres in length, has 2,000 elegant cabins, 1,400 crew members, a four-deck glass atrium, two swimming pools, private club, restaurants, state-of-the-art gym and a choice of 19 bars. MSC’s flagship offers high quality service on board and an exceptional experience for its 5,000 passengers.
Tourism Office President Valérie Damaseau, Cruise Market Manager Emile Louisy and Local and Regional Market Manager Grégoire Dumel, were accompanied by Port of Galisbay director Albéric Ellis and their counterparts from the Dutch side: St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Director May Ling Chun and Port of St. Maarten Business Development and Marketing Manager Lela Simmonds.
Launching and presentation of the MSC SEAVIEW homeporting in St. Maarten until April 2022. Speech by Patrick J. Pourbaix, Managing Director for Belgium, Luxemburg, and Paris. (click for video) (continue part 2)
On board the MSC Seaview, the local delegation was welcomed by the ship’s captain Corrado Laconis, MSC General Manager France Patrick Pourbaix, MSC Commercial Director Gianluca Martini, MSC Communications Director Delphine Lacroix Peretti, DOM-TOM (overseas France) commercial delegate Melissa Andreze Louison and special operations manager Angele Curiel.
Damaseau welcomed MSC Cruises for its desire to work closely with the local economic and tourism players, for choosing St. Maarten to be one of its departure and arrival points and helping make St. Martin/St. Maarten one of the most attractive destinations in the world. With its two airports, the island possesses an essential asset and is at the heart of a whole network of excursions in the Caribbean region.
“This is a great opportunity for our island, for our visitors, and residents who will now be able to embark on a cruise directly from the island,” Damaseau emphasised.
The meeting between MSC Cruises and local stakeholders was an opportunity for an exchange of views raising awareness of this new cruise departing from the island and maintaining long-term partnerships.
MSC Cruises is currently the fastest growing global brand, with a strong presence in the Caribbean, North America and the Far East. MSC Cruises employs more than 20,000 people and sells cruises in many countries around the world.
