Taking a cruise on the luxury liner MSC Bellissima is like visiting a dream city where everything that satisfies the needs for gastronomy, leisure, culture and relaxation can be found just outside one’s room.
Established 16 years ago, owner and operator MSC Cruises Japan is part of the MSC Group, a global logistics, transport and cruise company with 54 years of history. President Oliviero Morelli recently spoke with The Japan Times about the long and successful history of the MSC Group and how its local office can promise a one-of-a-kind experience to passengers in Japan.
“The cruise business is only a part of MSC Group, which began in 1970 with a small cargo ship,” Morelli said. The company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, has grown into a global enterprise with over 200,000 employees in 155 countries, representing 75 nationalities. It also covers a wide range of ocean and inland transport, port infrastructure and other operations as well as cruise line and ferry services. “The cargo division of MSC Group has about 850 vessels worldwide, and by 2025 the cruise division will have 24 vessels, two of which are from our Explora Journeys luxury cruise line,” Morelli said.
The MSC Group has been a family-owned business since its foundation. “The advantage of a family-owned business is the strong leadership and quick decisions, which is why we are one of the fastest-growing companies in the world. I have worked for MSC Group for almost 20 years, and it really feels like a family,” he said.
Morelli came to Japan to lead the Japan office in 2014. “When I first arrived, it was a small office of only five people. The Japan office did not have its own ship back then, so our job was to take care of Japanese guests who wished to go on a cruise from other ports across the world such as Rome, Naples, Miami and Southampton that MSC ships used,” he said.
In 2018, the Japan office was able to dedicate a ship to Japan. “Now we have a product that we can showcase. Ever since the ship arrived, our position in the Japan cruise industry rose every year,” Morelli said.
Last year, the tour around Japan hosted by MSC Bellissima, which has been sailing Japan’s waters for three years, received the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation’s 2023 Cruise of the Year Award.
“We became the best cruise line both in the number of guests, over 110,000 a year, and the quality of our services,” Morelli said, proudly noting that the Japan office has grown into a multinational team of 40.
In July, MSC Bellissima was awarded the title of “Asia’s Best Cruise Ship” at the Asia Cruise Forum in Jeju, South Korea, where Morelli received the award from the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
“It is the biggest and most eco-friendly ship to sail in Japan, measuring 315 meters long and 65 meters tall. Its main feature is a long promenade called Galleria Bellissima, which extends almost 100 meters. It is filled with shops, bars and restaurants on both sides,” Morelli said. It is paved with Italian limestone and has a domed ceiling covered with LED screens whose changing images give wonder and pleasure to the eyes of the guests.
The high-quality service is made possible by a diverse international crew of about 1,600 that works around the clock. It is a significant number considering the fact that the maximum number of guests the ship can accommodate is 5,655.
“This diversity supports the multinational culinary experiences that we offer to our guests with 12 restaurants and 20 bars and lounges,” Morelli said.
Sightseeing and activities at different ports of call are other highlights of cruises and are things MSC Cruises Japan strives to excel at.
“We always include a few new ports to our cruise so that our repeat customers can enjoy new experiences,” Morelli said, adding that, for example, visiting a local fish market in the port of Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture is an experience entirely different from taking a coordinated group tour around large and crowded fish markets in big cities. In addition, visiting picturesque rural ports can be full of excitement and discoveries for guests while contributing to the revival of Japan’s regional economies.
MSC Cruises Japan cooperates with municipalities and other stakeholders at each potential port to ensure that they and the surrounding areas are ready to accept the vast number of guests who disembark so both guest and host can enjoy and benefit from the encounters.
Last year, the company launched a round-trip cruise from Naha, Okinawa Prefecture. The cruise visits Keelung in Taiwan, as well as the small Okinawan islands of Ishigakijima, Miyakojima or both.
“Usually winter is a low season for cruising, but this cruise brought 60,000 guests on board in just one winter,” Morelli said, noting that the Okinawa cruise will also be in service this winter.
“Starting with Japan and South Korea, we look forward to offering unforgettable cruising experiences to guests of diverse generations in Asia,” Morelli said.
