Most major cruise lines are part of huge parent companies – and it can be hard to remember who owns what!
Carnival Corporation leads the pack with nine brands, including P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Cunard. The Royal Caribbean Group isn’t far behind, owning Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
But MSC Cruises is different. It’s not part of either of those giants – and its story might surprise you.
Here’s who owns MSC Cruises, and how this powerful company became one of the biggest names in the cruise world.
About MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises is a global cruise line based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in Naples, Italy, in 1989. MSC Cruises employs over 30,000 people and has 19 cruise ships, making it the fastest-growing global cruise brand.
Suggested read: MSC Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class
MSC Cruises is part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC) – the world’s second-largest container shipping operator with 570 container ships.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company has the following divisions:
- MSC Cruises – Holiday cruises
- Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) – Cargo shipping
- Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) – Ferries
- Società Navigazione Alta Velocità (SNAV) – Ferries
- MSC Shipmanagement Limited – Onboard and shoreside crew
- Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) – Port operations
- MEDLOG – Inland logistics
The MSC Cruises arm of the business is owned by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte and his family, including wife Rafaela, son Diego and daughter Alexa. Gianluigi Aponte is the founder, chairman, and MSC Cruises owner, while his family members all have key roles in the business.
Photo credit: Rcdsouza19, CC BY-SA 4.0
With a net worth of around $37.4 billion in 2025, Gianluigi and Rafaela Aponte rank among the richest people in the shipping industry and are listed as the 52nd wealthiest people in the world, according to Forbes.
The Largest Privately Owned Cruise Company
This all means that MSC Cruises is the world’s largest privately-owned cruise company. While other cruise lines are publicly traded and owned by shareholders, MSC Cruises is privately owned by the Aponte family.
Because MSC Cruises is privately-owned, it doesn’t have stock. It’s not possible to buy shares in MSC as you can with Carnival, Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line.
The CEO of MSC Cruises is Gianni Onorato, an Italian with 30 years of experience in the cruise industry. He has been the CEO of MSC Cruises since 2013. Prior to that, he was the president of Costa Cruises from 2004 to 2013.
So That’s What MSC Stands For!
The ‘MSC’ in MSC Cruises stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. This is because the MSC Cruises brand is part of the same shipping company that transports cargo around the world.
The Timeline of MSC
MSC Cruises was founded in 1988. However, the Aponte family’s involvement in the shipping industry dates back much further. Take a look at the timeline below to learn about the history of MSC Cruises…
- 1675 – First record of the Aponte family’s involvement in shipping to and from Naples
- 1970 – Gianluigi Aponte purchases a single ship and founds the Mediterranean Shipping Company
- 1988 – MSC enters the cruise business with the purchase of the first cruise ship, Monterey
- 2003 – MSC Cruises invests €5.5 billion on12 new ships to build the world’s most modern fleet of cruise ships
- 2014 – MSC Cruises invests €5.1 billion on seven new cruise ships and the enlargement of four existing ships
- 2016 – A further €3.9 billion is invested to build four World-class ships
- 2017 – A further €2.6 billion is invested to build three more ships
- 2019 – MSC Cruises’ private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, welcomes its first guests
- 2020 – MSC Cruises is the first major cruise line to restart thanks to its industry-leading health and safety protocol
Fun fact: Gianluigi Aponte financed the purchase of his first cruise ship, Patricia, without a loan.
An Italian Cruise Line, But With International Flair
MSC Cruises is an Italian cruise line. It was founded in Naples, Italy, in 1989, although it’s now registered in Switzerland with headquarters in Geneva and operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice.
MSC Cruises offers cruises all over the world. The cruise line caters to many different nationalities, with many languages being spoken on board. Announcements are often made in English, Italian, French, Spanish and German. Entertainment is mainly based around music or visuals such as acrobats and dancers, rather than comedians or lecturers.
Final Word
MSC Cruises has come a long way from its humble beginnings in Naples to becoming one of the most powerful names in cruising. Still run by the Aponte family, it’s proof that a privately owned line can compete with – and even outshine – the industry’s biggest players.
Whether you’re drawn to the Italian flair, the futuristic ships, or the global itineraries, MSC Cruises continues to grow faster than almost any other brand at sea. And with more ships and innovations on the horizon, it’s clear the Aponte family’s story is far from over.
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How can I contact Gianluigi and Rafaela Aponte?
How do I apply to work for this cruise line
Hi Thompson. I have a guide for you here, with links to where you can apply: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-to-get-a-job-on-a-cruise-ship/
We have a situation here. Me and my friend (70y.o.) travel from Canada. We suppose to leave on June 26 to Bahamas and Mexico.
But, it never happened! Because, Toronto Pearson airport kept us at the check-in 6 hours instead of 3! We couldn’t get on a plane, accordingly we couldn’t make it to the cruise on time! Please, help us to solve this problem! This is our first cruise trip ever!
MSC owes me some money. When I booked my trip I pay in full, now they owed me money and they are giving me little at a time. I would like for some one to get in touch with me. My trip was canceled by your company not my false. Please I need my money.
Did you find someone who was able to get all of your money back? I cancelled in June due to covid. My companions got their money back on their credit card. For some reason, MSC did not re-imburse on our credit card. They said they would send a check. We have been waiting 3 month for our money. Needless to say, we will not use MSC again
This will be are first cruise. I was wondering if Royal Caribbean Cruise line credit card can be used on other cruise ships?
Thank you
Hi Ruth. Yes, I believe it can ve used with Celebrity Cruises as that’s part of the Royal Caribbean group. Jenni