MSC Cruises has revealed its UK business is performing nearly 50% better this year compared with last, partly driven by the growth of fly-cruise sales.
Antonio Paradiso, managing director for the UK and Ireland, said a number of factors are behind the improved performance.
He said this is the first year that MSC Virtuosa is sailing from Southampton every week, but he added that flights are also now in a more “stable” position.
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Paradiso said: “In 2022, there were quite a few issues with flights from the UK, so the fact we’ve had a more stable scenario this year has also allowed us to further grow our fly-cruise business to some of the best-selling destinations – Dubai, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean.
“That was the bit we were missing last year because it was challenging.”
At one point, Paradiso said, the balance between fly-cruise and ex-UK sailings stood at 80% in favour of the former.
Last year, however, the scales tipped in the opposite direction such that ex-UK sailings were ahead by far.
But now there is a “much better balance”, Paradiso said, with 65% being ex-UK and 35% fly-cruise.
Asked what the future is likely to hold, Paradiso indicated that fly-cruise may well grow further.
“There are only so many ships you can have in Southampton throughout the season, so I expect the fly-and-cruise business to further grow,” he said.
“Probably next year we’re looking at 40% being fly-and-cruise or something like that.”
He added: “We’re not reducing the capacity from Southampton. It’s just that we want to grow the fly-and-cruise business because there is an appetite for destinations which are pretty much long-haul.”
Photo: MSC Virtuosa