Cruise industry news Feb 2022 feat. MSC & Celestyal updates

Innovation Hub

Welcome to our news and blog section. Here you will find the latest updates from theICEway and our IT specialists at ICE. We are frequently invited to attend and speak at industry events, so if you don’t want to miss out on those, this is the page for you.

With more than 20 years’ worth of experience in cruise, travel and healthcare, you will also be able to read more about these key sectors. Of course, at the heart of it all is Information Technology – which some of you may know as ‘IT’ – and we’ll certainly include news on that.

Our ecosystem of companies was founded upon 3 guiding principles, or values: People, integrity and innovation. We always aim to infuse our every effort with one or all of these. The first, ‘people’, includes not only our people, but also those we work alongside each day. If you are reading this, then you can rest assured that it also includes you.

As such, we welcome your comments and feedback so do join in the conversation. You can also follow us on social media using the links below.

Cruise industry news Feb 2022 feat. MSC & Celestyal updates

As we march into – well, March – it is time to reflect upon cruise industry news Feb 2022. The month began with MSC Cruises extending its UK season. It then ended with MSC cancelling calls to Saint Petersburg in light of the terrible situation between Russia and Ukraine. In between, our friend Holly Payne at Seatrade Cruise covered the launch of Celestyal Cruises’ Seaware Reservations Platform.

Read our cruise update round-up from Jan 2022.

MSC Virtuosa Extends Its UK Season

This Seatrade Cruise News piece revealed 23 additional sailings from Southampton this year for the MSC Virtuosa. There will also be an accompanying television advertising campaign and incentives for agents.

This positive move for the cruise industry sees Virtuosa’s UK season extended by 1 month. New itineraries include 14 nights exploring the Western Mediterranean.

Celestyal Launches Seaware Platform

Seatrade Cruise also reported on Celestyal Cruises’ Seaware Reservations Platform going live in early Feb. The platform was designed with Versonix to support agent bookings.

The cruise IT experts here at theICEway have supported numerous Seaware projects over the years. We were not involved with Celestyal’s efforts but are delighted to see further growth within the industry as a whole.

MSC Suspends Saint Petersburg Calls

Finally, we turn to this Cruise Industry News article on MSC’s suspension of calls to Saint Petersburg. The last day of the month saw the suspension announced due to recent developments in the region. A press release cited security-related concerns.

From the end of May until October, MSC’s 4 cruise ships with Baltic Sea sailings are to suspend their calls to the Russian city:

- Preziosa
- Grandiosa
- Poesia
- Virtuosa

That is all for your cruise industry news Feb 2022. Not the most positive note to end on but one that needs to be included nevertheless. What did we miss? Are you in cruise IT and considering a new reservations platform? Want to learn more about Seaware? Perhaps there is an alternate tech-based question on your mind? Our IT professionals are here to help!