MSC launches back-to-back cruises in new bid to woo Australian cruisers

• MSC has launched its first European combination cruises for the Australian and New Zealand market.
• The first 14-day voyage will depart from Southampton in the United Kingdom and visit France, Spain and Portugal before heading towards Scandinavia.
• The cruise line will continue to roll out more back-to-back options for the local market.

MSC has launched its first European combination voyage for the Australian and New Zealand market. It’s the first for the European line, which means cruisers can book back-to-back sailings.

Speaking to Cruise Passenger, Katrina McAlpine, the Managing Director of MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys in Australia and New Zealand, said the combination cruises is one thing to unlock the local market.

“I think a huge selling point for MSC, that a lot of people don’t realise, is that we are not rigidly set like other cruise lines. MSC’s flexi porting means that guests could join an MSC ship from somewhere like Marseille in the south of France, rather than starting their journey in Southampton,” she said.

“And by creating back-to-back combinations, Australian and New Zealand guests will be able to book the same suite throughout the entire two-week journey. We know our local market doesn’t go to Europe for just seven days, so we’re creating these combinations to ensure the ease of booking.”

McAlpine said the first combination cruises for MSC will sail round-trip from Southampton in the United Kingdom aboard MSC Meraviglia.

The cruise sails on the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal before turning north towards the landscapes of Norway and its fjords as well as the waterfront cities and towns of Scandinavia.

But McAlpine says it’s only the beginning of the combination cruises for Australians and Kiwis.

That scale opens an enormous range of potential combinations from the Western and Eastern Mediterranean to the Adriatic, Greek Islands, Canary Islands, Atlantic coast, Baltic and Norwegian fjords. More combinations will be announced for Australian and New Zealand guests in the near future.

“We have 14 ships that are homeported in Europe, with eight based year-round so the opportunity for us is huge. We are going to keep rolling out more of these types of combination cruises for this market,” she said.

“In this region, we have also seen a big uplift in the Mediterranean, also because we have the capacity and availability because of our year-round porting. We’ve found that some of our clients will base their festive season cruises around Christmas markets and then add on a land tour or river cruise.”

McAlpine said she has also seen an increase in younger guests travelling with the line, particularly in the line’s ship-within-ship area, the MSC Yacht Club.

“We’ve seen an increase of around 40 per cent of younger cruisers, aged around the 40+ mark. In the local market, we’re seeing a lot more families hovering between the ages of 40 and 45. It’s a shift we’ve seen over the last four years, and many of these younger cruisers are booking in the Yacht Club.

“We’re seeing guests booking the Yacht Club as early as 18 months, while most other categories of suites and cabins will be booked 11 months in advance. For those travelling in the Yacht Club, they are making sure they have a particular suite, and they are booking their cruises well before flights are available.”

The brand’s closest homeported ship for Australians is in Asia – the MSC Bellissima – is vying for the fly-cruise market with a focus on not just their Mediterranean sailings, but also their options in Alaska, Asia, and Northern Europe.

“We’re always going to keep growing the Mediterranean and capitalise on that demand. And while that’s a big part of our DNA, we’ve got so many other destinations like Alaska, Asia and Northern Europe that we’re going to keep driving.

“In Japan, we have seen a 50 per cent increase, so that’s been a big one for us. But this trend is across the board with Australians.”

For the new combination voyages, MSC has opened bookings for four dates in 2027 – 29 May, 12 June, 10 July and 4 September.