Creating cruise ships that exceed expectations

Mr Di Nenno adds MSC Cruises sets out to develop and deliver elevated spaces when compared with other lines sharing the same brand positioning as MSC. 
“We want to ensure the experience of our guests is something they will find on our ships but which they cannot find at home, in a hotel or anywhere else,” he says. “What guests find on our ships is above their expectations and not something they would find on our competitors’ ships.”

With the move to passengers considering both the ship and destination in the booking process, Mr Di Nenno says, “The ship should be a destination, and we want people to think, ‘I want to be on that ship because of this and that’. So, we had to be sure that from the very first time guests step on board they have that ‘wow factor’ experience.

“There was a time when people were booking a cruise to see different cities and destinations but weren’t really paying attention to the ship. It was just a place you went back to in the evening to relax and have dinner in a restaurant that could be any restaurant. Thinking about the ship as a destination means you must design guest experiences all around the ship and in different venues.”

With each new MSC Cruises ship there are new design elements; some obvious and others more subtle.

The line’s second World-class ship, 6,762-passenger, 215,863-gt MSC World America will showcase all-new zones – seven in total – when it launches in Miami in April 2025. Helping guests find their way around the vessel and plan their time on the ship, the areas include a family area, colourful promenade and adult-only chill zone. 

Mr Di Nenno explains, “We are trying to redefine the concept of living on a ship and with MSC World America, we are introducing the different districts so guests can better understand where they are. Each district will offer all they need, so they have something to eat and something to do and can spend their entire day in a district if they want.”

He says MSC Cruises is also looking at using design details in carpets, such as understated arrows or other detailing, and different coloured lighting across various decks to act as waymarkers to further help with guest orientation and create a seamless passenger flow.

MSC Cruises’ sustainability mission, with a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout the fleet by 2050, is also reflected within interior design considerations.

“It is difficult to be 100% sustainable in the design of a ship because of the need for fire-retardant materials,” continues Mr Di Nenno. “But we are working with brands that share our sustainable approach and produce in a responsible way, and we don’t work with suppliers that do not share this approach.”

Summing up, Mr Di Nenno says Covid was a very hard time for the industry, but resulting challenges had not impacted MSC Cruises’ original interior design plans for newbuilds.

“All the ships we have delivered until now have been affected by everything that has happened, including supply chain issues, delays in getting materials and costs, but at MSC Cruises we want to deliver what we design, and we don’t compromise on that. If a material has a delay, then we prefer to delay the ship rather than deliver something that is not 100% what we designed. Everything went up in terms of pricing after Covid, but it was something we were willing to pay because we wanted to deliver what was promised.”

Looking to the future and what might be on the horizon on the MSC Cruises’ interior design front, Mr Di Nenno says he is already busy working on ships five and more years down the line.

“Stay tuned and see what will come,” he concludes. Whatever that might be, curious future passengers can most likely expect a tasteful design which, in turn, will appeal to a very wide range of international tastes.

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