Global players

On Saturday, Switzerland-headquartered MSC Cruises resumed its Chinese port operations in Shanghai. Its flagship vessel, the MSC Bellissima, became the first international cruise liner to sail from the Chinese mainland since the pandemic.

"This marks an important milestone in the global cruise industry's recovery," said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, at a ceremony on Friday to celebrate the event.

"The restart of international cruise operations from China sends a strong signal to the world, and we are glad to experience the incredible speed of recovery here in the Chinese cruise market."

Onorato said the resumption of operations reaffirms his company's commitment to China, which remains as strong as ever.

"China continues to play an important strategic role for MSC Cruises," he said.

The 172,000-gross-tonnage MSC Bellissima is the largest cruise ship operating in Asia. The liner can accommodate up to 5,686 guests in 2,217 cabins. MSC Cruises is the world's third-largest cruise operator by passenger capacity.

"We are fulfilling our commitment to bringing to the region a modern Asian flagship and we are dedicated to further investing in China and benefiting the local economy," Onorato said.

On Friday, MSC Cruises also announced its 2024-25 winter schedule for China, with two ships to operate from four Chinese ports in the first year of the company's return to the region.

"This is the right time for growth. That's why we are very confident that China's market was waiting to see more ships," Onorato said.