Two cruise lines, MSC Cruises and sister brand Explora Journeys, are delivering higher quality foods and fresh produce to their guests, thanks to a new way of shipping food products from warehouses to their vessels.
The two cruise brands are both divisions of Italy-based MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), the global container shipping firm. Using MSC’s “smart containers,” the cruise lines are assured of provisioning the freshest produce and foods available as their vessels operate voyages in virtually every region of the world.
In 2023, MSC Cruises began using smart containers to transport foods from a supply warehouse in Genoa, Italy, to its cruise ships and reported a higher level of food product quality versus 2022, when it was still using traditional food transport options by land and sea.
While both MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, which is a luxury level line, source about 96% of their food products locally, they still need to transport some goods from a network of global warehouses. How that food is transported impacts its freshness, the cruise lines explained in an announcement on August 14, 2024.
MSC’s smart container option provides high-tech services controlled by internet devices. Each smart container is monitored by a central customer service center for position, temperature, and humidity.
The service center, located in Antwerp, Belgium, provides these services 24/7, so that in the event of a container falling open, for example, the customer receives an immediate alert so that the issue can be resolved. The smart container enables the cruise line clients to integrate data into their own IT systems with the ability to access that data at any time.
“The use of smart containers has made a significant positive impact on the supply of food, especially in markets where it is a challenge to source and acquire all of the products locally,” said Paolo Raja, managing director of MSC procurement and logistics.
“For example, for our ships in the Middle East the local production is limited, and some goods can take several weeks traveling from the warehouse to the vessel,” added Raja.
With 22 ships sailing global voyages, MSC Cruises provisions mind-boggling amounts of food to its vessels.
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During the course of one year, the fleet receives some 5,500 food and beverage items, including 32 million eggs, 223,000 liters of olive oil, 170,000 oysters, 2 million tomatoes, and 1.9 million pounds of apples.
Each MSC Cruises ship will be provisioned with 50,000 pounds of fresh fruit, 44,000 pounds of fresh vegetables, 12,000 pounds of fish, 2,200 pounds of butter, and 7,000 pounds of rice for a 7-day cruise.
Second Explora Journeys Ship to Debut Soon
Luxe brand Explora Journeys is a new line that launched in 2023 and currently has one ship sailing, Explora I. Its second vessel, Explora II, is due to enter service in fall of 2024. Both ships have 18 dining venues onboard, including one recently added to Explora I.
The fine dining option, called Anthology, debuted in June and offers fresh Italian cuisine. The menu is curated by Chef Franck Garanger, a former apprentice at the Michelin-starred Le Vert D’Eau in Angers, France. Anthology will be a venue onboard Explora II as well.
Offering the freshest available produce and food products is a priority for every cruise line. One pioneering effort is seen in Holland America Line’s popular Fresh Fish program, which began operating in late 2023.
The cruise line created a global network of seafood suppliers at dozens of ports around the world, guaranteeing that guests will dine on the freshest available fish and shellfish available.
Under the program, fresh seafood goes from port to plate within 48 hours. Celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto, the line’s Fresh Fish Ambassador, oversees the initiative.
