Awards, Certifications & Designations

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (October 21, 2009)– MSC Cruises received “Best Big-Ship Luxury Enclave for MSC Yacht Club” and “Best Kept Secret,” honors in the 2009 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards. The awards honor the world’s top cruise lines and highlight the best of the best in cruising.

MSC Yacht Club is like a “ship within a ship,” with dedicated VIP areas available onboard the MSC Fantasiaand MSC Splendida. The MSC Yacht Club allows guests to experience the best of both worlds –personalized service and a private, intimate space while also enjoying the full benefits of all the magnificent vessel has to offer.
"Cruise lines continue to maintain exceptional standards and provide a fantastic vacation experience for travelers," said editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer Brown. "Cruise lines should be justifiably proud of their staff, crew, partners and agencies that have made such achievement possible.”

The Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards evaluate cruise lines and ships according to who they cater to and compares like-for-like. Categories reflect the range of cruises and ships available to travelers -- from fun-packed family ships, to more serene luxury vessels -- and aims to provide a useful guide to the best ships for each type of cruiser and style of cruise.

Richard E. Sasso, president and chief-executive-officer for MSC Cruises in the U.S. and Canada, said, “MSC Cruises strives for excellence in providing quality guest experiences. This recognition by Cruise Critic with two Editors’ Pick awards for MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia further enhances our reputation as a top-notch cruise line with amenities and accommodations for a variety of guests.”

A list of all 2009 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards winners as well as cruise line and cruise ship reviews, cruise deals and news is located on CruiseCritic.com.

• Travel Weekly Gold Magellan Award, Cruise Ship/Contemporary Cruise Ship Category for MSC Splendida, 2010. 
• Travel Weekly Silver Magellan Award, Cruise Ship/Promotional Video Category for Canada/New England, 2010. 
• Travel Weekly Silver Magellan Award, Cruise Ship/Suite Design Category for the Yacht Club Royal Suites, 2010. 
• Porthole Magazine, 12th Annual Readers' Choice Awards, “Best Onboard International Experience" (November/December) 2010.
• Top 10 Cruise Ships, “MSC Fantasia” by cruise booking specialists Cruise 1st, and listed by Reuters.
• Berlitz Guide Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, “Large Resort Ship” excellent rating (4 out of 5) for nine ships in fleet.
• Shermans Travel, Top 10 Cruises in 2010, “Best New Domestic Itinerary”-onboard MSC Poesia for her Canada/New England cruises.
• Cruise Critic, 2009 Editors’ Picks, “Best Big Ship Luxury Enclave”- MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida and “Best Kept Secret” - MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida
  
• Travel Weekly Gold Magellan Award, Cruise Ship/Eco-Friendly “Green” Cruise Ship Category for MSC Fantasia, 2009. 
• Travel & Leisure, named “Best New Cruise Ships” for MSC Fantasia and MSC Fantasia, 2009 (April 2009 issue).
• Travel & Leisure, referred to as “Perfect for Cruisers Looking for a Great Value,” 2009. (April 2009 issue).
• Conde Nast Traveler, 2008 World Savers Awards
• Best International Cruise Experience, as named by Porthole Cruise Magazine, Editor-in-Chief Awards, 2007 & 2008.
• Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks 2008, “Best Suites at Sea– Royal Suites” on MSC Fantasia.
• CIAL AWARD “COMUNI RICICLONI 2009” – awarded by CIAL (National consortium for the recovery and recycling of aluminum packaging) for an aluminum recycling project started in 2007 onboard MSC Cruises’ fleet.
• Green Planet Award, a coveted international award from Kuoni Switzerland, recognizes MSC Cruises for outstanding eco-friendly facilities.
• The Venice Blue Flag, awarded for the partnership project with MSC Cruises is aimed at preserving the artistic beauty of Italy’s canal city by setting the standard for lower ship emissions.

• Bureau Veritas:

• The World’s First Six Golden Pearls, given for a cruise ship achieving the highest environmental standards was awarded to MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia. Six Golden Pearls is an integrated voluntary program that certifies corporate compliance with the three highest international standards in the areas of environment (ISO 14001), health and safety (OHSAS 18001) and food safety (ISO 22000). It includes an extra notation Cleanship 2 AWT, for the 3 domains “potential pollution”: air, water, waste.
  
  
• The World’s First Energy Efficient Design,MSC Splendida. This designation allows owners, designers and yards to combine energy-saving technologies while delivering the best overall energy performance for the specific vessel and service which is the lowest in category Green House Gas Emissions.
  
  
• ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 22000 Certification

• RINA:
• ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management
  
  
• AWT - Advanced Water Treatment