A new itinerary planning tool is to be used by MSC Cruises in an effort to cut its ships emissions by up to 15% in 2026.
A new mathematical model developed by a research company affiliated to the University of Genoa examines numerous factors that influence the planning of each itinerary to achieve the optimum level of efficiency.
The OptiCruise tool’s algorithms identify optimised itineraries, which continue to appeal for passengers while allowing for best use of energy.
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Voyage planning within the global cruise industry has traditionally been heavily weighted towards the attractiveness of ship destinations for potential holidaymakers.
OptiCruise broadens the scope to include other aspects which influence an itinerary’s efficiency, including sequencing of port calls, departure and arrival times, a ship’s speed, the appeal and attractiveness of destinations, shore excursions, and operational costs such as fuel, port charges and food provisions.
Cruise ship itinerary planning typically takes place two years before a sailing and OptiCruise’s benefits will be seen in 2026 when MSC Cruises’ fleet will number 24 ships.
MSC Bellissima was chosen to evaluate the prototype technology over a 12-month period as the ship sailed between 17 ports in the Mediterranean.
MSC Cruises’ strategy to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 for its marine operations is focused on three key areas – ship and engine technology, operational efficiency and renewable fuels.
OptiCruise comes under the operational efficiency focus with the line making greater use of digitalisation to drive efficiencies in energy consumption.
Chief energy transition officer Michele Francioni said: “We have identified and developed this new technology to optimise the decision-making process of itinerary planning with the aim to further reduce emissions across our fleet from 2026.
“The average fuel savings made and emissions reduced by using OptiCruise are in the range of 10-15& which is a significant step forward in our ambition to achieve our net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 for our marine operations.”