MSC Cruises Strengthens European Leadership Position

ST. NAZAIRE, FRANCE (Sept. 11, 2006) – A great event was celebrated in St Nazaire: one more significant step in the continued development of MSC Cruises.

The floating out ceremony of MSC Orchestra at Aker Yards in St Nazaire took place Saturday. On the same day the first steel of MSC Fantasia was cut. Guests attending the ceremony also viewed the first panel that has been laid for the construction of MSC Poesia, due to debut in 2008.

MSC Cruises currently has three ships under construction at Aker Yards: MSC Orchestra for delivery in spring 2007, and MSC Poesia and MSC Fantasia, both slated to enter service in 2008.

Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises, commented, “Today is an important milestone that reinforces the partnership between MSC Cruises and the Aker shipyard. This is a unique event as the shipyard celebrates three events for the same company on the same day, with the construction of MSC Poesia also starting. The innovative technology and engineering, the spacious public areas and the large number of staterooms with balconies will make MSC Orchestra and the future ships ordered by MSC Cruises a model to suit the requirements of the worldwide cruise market. It also reconfirms the uniqueness of the MSC Cruises product with our Italianess distinguished by the refined and classic materials used. We are very pleased with the efforts up to now by the shipyard and the future goals we have to face.”

MSC Orchestra is the second ship in the ‘Musica’ class - 90,000 gross registered tons, 961 feet long and 108 feet wide. She is the sister ship to MSC Musica and MSC Poesia and is an innovative and elegant ship. Her beauty is more than structural and can be admired in the onboard services and attention to detail.

MSC Serenata and MSC Fantasia will be the largest ships commissioned by a European ship owner to date. They each will be 133,500 gross registered tons, 1093 feet long, 125 feet wide and have a passenger capacity of 3,900 and 1,313 staff members. With these additions, the MSC Cruises fleet will grow to 12 ships by 2009, and the line expects to host more than 1 million guests annually by 2010.

MSC Cruises’ investments in new ships started in 2003 with MSC Lirica. The 4 billion euros program will continue until 2009, when MSC Serenata joins the fleet.

MSC Cruises has a current fleet of eight ships: MSC Musica, the newest addition to the fleet, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody, MSC Rhapsody, MSC Monterey and offers itineraries in the Mediterranean all year round, in Northern Europe, Transatlantic, the Caribbean, South America and South Africa. The MSC Cruises fleet will increase to 12 ships by 2009, with the launch of MSC Orchestra in 2007, MSC Poesia and MSC Fantasia in 2008, and MSC Serenata in 2009. MSC Cruises co-sponsors Alinghi in the 32nd America’s Cup, which will take place in Valencia in June 2007.