MSC Cruises is a Swiss-registered, global cruise line with headquarters in Geneva. MSC Cruises is the world's largest privately owned cruise company, employing 16,300 people worldwide and having offices in 45 countries as of July 2014. MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere S.p.A.) is part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC), the world's second biggest container shipping operator.

Originally founded in Naples, Italy as Lauro Lines (also known as Flotta Lauro) by Achille Lauro, the company entered the cruise business in the 1960s, operating two ships, the Angelina Lauro and MS Achille Lauro. The Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St. Thomas in 1979 and in 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front. In 1989, Mediterranean Shipping Company bought Flotta Lauro and renamed it StarLauro Cruises. In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank. In 1995, the company name was changed to MSC Cruises.

MSC Cruises is the fourth largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Lines with a 5.2% share of all passengers carried in 2015.

In 2014 MSC Cruises announced that the four Lirica class ships will undergo renovation under the "Renaissance Programme".

In 2015, MSC Cruises had four new ships on order from STX France and Fincantieri, with options for three more. The first two ships are due to be delivered in May 2017 (MSC Meraviglia) and November 2017 (MSC Seaside). There are 4 more diesel-powered ships on order for delivery in 2020s.

Ships

Lirica class:

Musica class:

Fantasia class:

Future Ships:

Main working area

• Western Mediterranean: MSC Preziosa, MSC Fantasia, MSC Armonia, MSC Meraviglia
• Eastern Mediterranean: MSC Magnifica, MSC Poesia, MSC Musica, MSC Lirica, MSC Opera
• Northern Europe: MSC Splendida, MSC Orchestra, MSC Sinfonia
• Caribbean: MSC Divina, MSC Seaside, MSC Opera (winter season)