Insider Look: MSC’s Executive Chairman Teases New Initiatives

Insider Look: MSC’s Executive Chairman Teases New Initiatives

hi everybody bill panov here with portal
cruise and travel I’m here with Pierre
Francisco Vago the executive chairman of
the cruise division of the MSE group how
are you good great a little bit tired
jet leg but we here to to give the right
story to this incredible industry that
is improving year on year so MC is
having a phenomenal year I mean the
growth is just out of sight there is a
lot of planning we have an industrial
plan we obviously we are a global
company so we need to have the sh to
support all the areas that we operate we
have a global brand I Define it
sometimes as a gloal brand so we operate
in the med we operate in northern Europe
we operate in UK in South Africa Middle
East and OB in North America now we need
the the ships to support the growth and
that is the industrial plan how has MC
innovated over the years and what key
trends do you see shaping in the future
our industry is very interesting because
we we design a ship we design new
prototype
it takes five years to bring them to
life and then we amortize them in 30
years so we’re talking about today
something that will have to be actually
in 2035 so we’re not only talking about
sustainability which obviously is a key
part to the future of the industry but
as well to entertaining what will people
want to eat how they want to be
entertained what will be the feature of
the ships of the cabin the technology in
the world that it changes every six
months we have a new technology so it’s
a there is a lot of study there is a lot
of anti anticipating of what the world
will be and that it makes you so
fascinated in so many ways in what way
does MC prioritize Safety and Security
for their guest and crew members well
it’s par amount to us safety obviously
is the number one thing we starting to
understand as a cruise industry that we
need to share like good peers all these
systems and know how because we want to
ensure that we have an industry that is
absolute safe our assets move so we have
an advantage every time there is a
geopolitical issue the assets move so we
avoid the problems but safety per say
also for the customers and the crew
living on the ship so we develop
technology like a manover board we have
a security we have many features to
ensure that safety we have a maritime
support center in London that controls
the ships live as they operate you know
everywhere in the world exactly what the
engine room what the bridge is doing the
the the trajectory the intinerary so we
know exactly in any given time what is
happening to every single ship can you
discuss MC’s commitment to diversity
inclusion and corporate social
responsibility we are a private company
uh so we understand what the world is
all about and it’s a natural evolution
in our values of a family company to
actually have equal
opportunities and to have the
opportunity for everybody to grow and
this for us is key because at the end of
the day we can have the best hardware we
can have the most important industrial
plan but people is our asset that is the
real winning force behind the success of
MC what sets MC apart from other cruise
lines and what unique experiences do you
offer to guest on board well we have for
example the yacht club which is a unique
so we designed at on paper when we
actually drew the ga we actually nested
and Cocoon this particular area uh on
the top in the bow in the front of the
ship that is like an executive floor
let’s say for the hotel so is a the
Privacy the exclusivity the luxury of a
ship within a ship so you have a private
concierge a private Lounge a private
restaurant private Spa with Incredible
suits with your own private battler but
then you have the fun of the bigger ship
downstairs so you know for also
multigeneration families is a great
Advantage because everybody can have fun
right and we actually develop further
this logic with the districts and MC
World America that will be coming to
these Shores next year in April will
actually show all the different
districts so that uh the the population
Our Guest population can actually find
themselves in an organic way you know
with the same peers with the same people
you know in different areas of the ship
so for family for children you know
Newly Weds older people people that want
to have fun people that want to gamble
there is a district for everybody how
does MC prioritize as sustainability and
Environmental Conservation conservation
is at the heart of everything we’re
doing like I said before we are a
private company um we live by the Sea
the we are a division of a bigger group
we are the largest shipping operator in
the world on the cargo side so obviously
we live for the sea we live by the Sea
and the see there is no life without the
ocean so the ocean is everything for us
we have a responsibility for our future
generations and we starting as a family
we we set up the MC Foundation because
we realize that to just give money is
not the way to go because you give money
but every dollar that you give maybe to
the project to the field only a small
percentage arrives so we realize that if
we do it ourself then every single
dollar goes directly to the project so
ocean key is a very good example is a
marine private reserve is 100 kilometers
away from the shores and we transform
into an ecological sustainable
environmental project so it was an old
industrial era that we transform into
Paradise we actually done partnership
with University of Miami University of
the Bahamas to actually study for super
Coral you know Bill the the the global
warming the water raising temperature
corals are dying corus dies there is no
fish and if there is no fish there is no
life and there is no ocean there is no
life on Earth so you know all these
things really touches us and that’s uh
something that we care and we want to do
very well how does MC engage with the
local communities and support economic
development in the
destinations well again
destination we always engage with
Coastal communities we want to be a
resource for them we understand that we
can bring an ecomic benefit direct
indirect endures a lot of our passenger
the visit some of the territories that
we that that that we go with our ships
eventually they go back with Land Tour
operators so we want to be systematic
not only in ensuring that we publish our
iner with large Advance you know two
years in advance so we can talk to the
local community to ensure that the flow
is never an overcrowding impact to the
local destination but as well to have
the systematic circular economy that
benefits the local population and by
doing that you people love us people
love the cruise industry people love MSE
because it’s a give and take in areas
that are very rich very difficult to
reach and that’s again what our ships
our Hardware can can actually bring to
the to the local economy in closing now
what are MSE Cruise’s expansion plans
and upcoming developments that
passengers can antip ipate in the
upcoming years well we are a global
company we are I say many times we are a
gloal company because being Global is
one things but we need to understand how
to operate local it’s one brand now we
have a second brand obviously with a
luxury with Explorer and uh by being a
global company the market is growing
Asia just opened up uh Japan is doing
very well we have Europe northern Europe
we actually have an operation in Africa
we have a big operation in the Middle
East in South America and now we also
come in North America so as the growth
and the demand the pent up demand is
there for cruising we need to have more
ship being built so that we can actually
make all these people and all our
customer happy across the globe be
Franchesco Vago what a pleasure
continued success with MC thank you
thank you
[Music]

In an exclusive interview, MSC’s Executive Chairman, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the cruise line’s upcoming initiatives and plans for the future. Get ready to be wowed as Mr.Vago reveals exciting new developments that are set to revolutionize the cruising industry.

0:00 Intro
0:18 MSC is having a phenomenal year
0:50 How is MSC shaping the future?
1:36 How does MSC prioritize safety and security?
2:40 What is MSC commitment with diversity and social responsibility?
3:15 What sets MSC apart from other cruise lines?
4:37 How does MSC prioritize sustainability?
6:15 How does MSC engage with the local communities?
7:26 What are MSC Cruise’s expansion plans?
8:20 Outro