Interview with : Patrick Pourbaix, Managing Director of MSC France, Belgium and Luxembourg

A large resort on the water, with all the entertainment on board

Cruises have become very popular in recent years. Are you feeling it?

P. P. - That's true, but it didn't happen overnight. It's a whole process and we communicate a lot about the rejuvenation of cruising, a phenomenon that is now happening in France.

How do you explain this?

P. P. - Cruises are no longer positioned in the same way as they were in the past, when they were reserved for the elite and people travelled from one point to another. In the 1980s, the Americans were the first to modernise cruising and turn it into a holiday product. The boat itself became a holiday destination, with all the entertainment on board, a big resort on the water.

And what about Mice?

P. P. - It's very recent. We've had a few groups, large and small, including a very prestigious French brand, but there's still a huge amount to be done. In the United States, the cruise clientele represents 13 million passengers, including 20 % for the Mice segment. That's a huge number. At MSC, we have just created a Mice department. So we're going to be very active in this area.

Does the Meraviglia only sail in the Western Mediterranean?

P. P. - No, that's for her inaugural season and she'll stay there until spring. Then, this summer, it will move to Hamburg for cruises in the north, the fjords and the Baltic.

In practical terms, how does this work?

P. P. - It's very rare to privatise a complete boat, because they are getting bigger and bigger. So you form an entity on a ship where there are other passengers. It's a notion that's still poorly perceived, but one that's set to change rapidly. Corporate customers are only just beginning to understand that this is a gigantic resort with all the facilities that go with it. Restaurants can be privatised, excursions can be tailor-made. It's even better than an incentive on dry land.