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MSC Cruises plans full season of ex-UK cruises in 2018

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MSC Magnifica to operate ex-UK sailings out of Southampton in 2018
MSC Cruises is beefing up its presence in the UK in 2018 deploying 95,128gt MSC Magnifica for a full season of ex-UK sailings to Northern Europe and the Med out of Southampton.

Next autumn sees the arrival of the much larger MSC Preziosa for a handful of cruises from the southern UK port.

Antonio Paradiso, md of MSC Cruises for the UK & Ireland, who helped design the new itineraries for MSC Magnifica to match the feedback received from key travel partners’ accounts said: 'I am proud to announce that MSC Cruises is returning to call the UK with one of our best ships and a unique offering: cruises with less time at sea in both Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. I have personally worked with our itineraries team to make this possible and look forward to launching this new product – for which sales will open shortly on November 21.

'From March to October 2018, MSC Magnifica will offer five new itineraries of seven or 14 nights including a 14-day sailing calling at Le Havre, La Coruna, Leixoes, Lisbon, Malaga then Amsterdam and Hamburg. A North Sea sailing will travel to Stavanger, Bergen, Olden and Alesund in Norway plus a round-UK sailing calling at Southampton, Newcastle, South Queensferry in Edinburgh and Invergordon.

Paradiso added: 'We are expanding our offering with the ambition to further grow our market share in the UK & Ireland.'

Part of MSC Cruises' strategic growth for the UK and Ireland market includes a Southampton call by MSC Meraviglia, the company’s newest next-generation ship, due to be named in June 2017.