In a lengthy interview with Le Monde aboard the newly delivered MSC Meraviglia, Aponte called STX France an excellent partner with an exceptional engineering team that helps MSC produce ships that are special and innovative.
All 13 of MSC Cruises' ships have been built in Saint-Nazaire, where the orderbook includes MSC Bellissima in 2019, a pair of Meravigla-Plus newbuilds plus two World-class LNG ships, with additional options.
'We don’t want to be majority shareholders but to take part in the shareholding balance,' Aponte told Le Monde. 'If the yards were to fall into the hands of Fincantieri only, that would create a problematic dominant position.'
The Italian owner, he suggested, could transfer technologies and possibly revise the commercial strategy in a way that constrains cruise industry development.
And, Aponte added: 'If we are shareholders, as well as Royal Caribbean, the other main client of the yards, we’ll do everything to prevent Fincantieri from pillaging Saint-Nazaire, transferring its technology abroad or favoring its own yards to the detriment of the French site.'
The global cruise orderbook is currently at a record high. However, the MSC chief sees a risk, if the cruise market and orders should slow, that Fincantieri may first fill its Italian yards and leave the rest to Saint-Nazaire, 'if there is a rest.
'Saint-Nazaire must remain independent,' he said, 'to prevent the enormous conflict of interest which looms.'
Le Monde mentioned a possible 10% stake shared by MSC and Royal Caribbean.
Neither Royal Caribbean nor Fincantieri had anything to say about the STX sale on Thursday. Royal Caribbean cfo Jason Liberty called STX France 'a very important partner for years' and praised the highly skilled workforce, adding: 'We don't comment on rumors.'
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