MSC Cruises and Miami-Dade County announce the signing of an agreement for an extension of berthage rights, as well as the construction of a new terminal at the Port of Miami. While Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings confirms the options for the delivery of a fifth and sixth ship for the Leonardo Project in 2026 and 2027.
MSC Cruises announces a new agreement extending berthage rights from Saturday to Sunday and the creation of a new cruise terminal in Miami.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive President of MSC Cruises, said: "This new agreement and the strengthening of the partnership with the Port of Miami and Miami-Dade County is a new step in the growth of MSC Cruises' activity in the North American market. We continue to strengthen our global presence, with a strategy focused on North America."
The new terminal, scheduled to open in October 2022, will be able to accommodate the next generation of MSC Cruises' future ships, including MSC World Class, with a capacity of 7,000 passengers.
Carlos A. Gimenez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County, said: "Investments in Miami-Dade Port infrastructure place Miami-Dade County at the top of the list of the most popular destinations. The construction of a new AAA cruise terminal with a capacity of 7,000 passengers will also create thousands of jobs and new opportunities for our community. We are grateful to MSC Cruises for this partnership."
Rebeca Sosa, President of the Miami-Dade County Tourism and Economic Development Committee said: "We are very proud to have the honour of receiving this commitment from MSC Cruises to the Port of Miami and Miami-Dade County. This sustainable partnership is an excellent opportunity for tourism growth in Miami-Dade County."
Norwegian Cruise Line orders two new generation ships
"This order extends our well-established program of building new units and reinforces our strong growth trajectory," said Frank Del Rio, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, "The Leonardo class will allow us to expand opportunities to explore new destinations and thus offer new experiences to our customers."
With 140,000 gross tons and a capacity of around 3,300 passengers, this new generation of ships will best embody the feeling of flexibility found throughout the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.
One of the priorities in designing the prototype will be energy efficiency, with the ultimate goal of optimizing fuel consumption and reducing environmental impact.
With this announcement, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings now awaits delivery of seven ships for Norwegian Cruise Line and one ship for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for a total of eight ships for deliveries through 2027. Norwegian Cruise Line will receive its new ship, the Norwegian Encore, in the fall of 2019.
