Cruise Trade News editor Gary Peters speaks to MSC Cruises UK and Ireland sales director Steve Williams for the latest interview in the CTN Cruise Corner series.

There’s only one thing up for discussion and that is of course the restart of domestic cruises.

MSC Virtuosa set sail from Southampton yesterday (Thursday 20 May), and as Williams explains, this represents a huge step forward into a new era, not just for MSC Cruises but also the wider sector.

“It feels surreal [to be back],” says Williams. “To get on board and do what we do best… seeing crew and guests, we’re all really excited. Things will be a bit different, but we want to give guests a great holiday experience.

“We’re really proud to be leading the way. We’ve been sailing in the Mediterranean since August, so we’ve done it, we’ve lived it and learned things along the way. Having that experience is really good for the UK market. We all just want to be back sailing and creating great memories.”

He adds: “To see our new flagship in Southampton is emotional. The response [from guests to the domestic cruises] has been unbelievable. I would say of all the cruise lines, we have the greatest level of flexibility and choice. We have 52 sailings on MSC Virtuosa alone across the season – open for families and vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests.

“Since the government announced the green list countries, we’ve seen sales spike and surge. Demand is getting stronger and stronger.”

*Interview recorded on Wednesday 19th May.