The 40th anniversary celebrations recognise the company’s steady expansion from a one ship operation at the end of 1970 to evolving as the world’s second largest container carrier with 420 local offices, 435 cargo vessels serving 306 ports across six continents.

Similarly the company’s modest entry into the cruise line industry in the late 1980s has seen phenomenal growth, especially since 2003, to the extent that today MSC Cruises is the fourth largest cruise company in the world. Its ultra-modern fleet of 11 cruise ships has also become the market leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Brazil.

MSC was founded by the legendary Gianluigi Aponte, a young Italian seaman and former bank teller who had the courage and foresight to purchase his first ship, Patricia, in 1970. He acquired an even bigger vessel in 1971 which he named after his wife, Rafaela. The carrier, Ilse, was bought in 1973.

These three cargo ships represented the pioneering beginnings of the shipping line, which initially started operating in the Mediterranean, East EastAfrica and the Red Sea and had already expanded to North America and Australia by the end of the 1980s.

MSC announced its entry into the cruise shipping market during the late 1980s with the iconic cruise liner Monterey, which has subsequently been sold to several different owners.

Following several years of unprecedented growth MSC Cruises has emerged as one of the world’s youngest leading cruise companies. Today 1.2 million passengers cruise aboard her liners in the most sought after destinations on the globe. The launch of the new MSC Divina in 2012 is expected to see numbers top 1.4 million.

The exclusive general sales agents of MSC Cruises in the Maltese islands are Hamilton Travel of 4, St Publius Street, Floriana. Tel. 21241292; website www.hamiltontravel.com.mt