MSC Group’s Cruise Division hit the International Maritime Organization’s 2030 carbon-intensity reduction target five years early after using more than 9,800 tonnes of renewable fuels in 2025, according to MSC Group’s Cruise Division.
The Geneva-based cruise business said the fuel switch cut emissions by 48,714 tonnes of CO2e as MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys remained on track to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from marine operations by 2050.
The division also expanded shore power use across its fleet, completing 217 successful connections during the year, and produced 84.4% of its freshwater onboard to reduce volumes taken from shore.
MSC World America, the division’s third LNG-powered ship with dual-fuel engine technology, entered service in 2025.
All future newbuildings across MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys will be fitted with the same capability.
The cruise arm also mapped greenhouse gas emissions across its full value chain for the first time, covering shipbuilding, dry-docking, employee travel, food and beverage procurement and logistics, and waste.
The division said the work was a step toward alignment with EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requirements ahead of the regulatory timeline.
MSC Group’s Cruise Division opened new terminals in Barcelona and Miami in 2025, saying both were developed with environmental considerations built in from the start. The division also refreshed its biodiversity strategy, including whale-strike mitigation, route adjustments in sensitive areas and enhanced crew training. It completed a marine conservation facility at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, an island destination designated a Hope Spot by Mission Blue.
Crew retention reached 91% in 2025, while the division delivered more than 1.7m hours of training and launched Our Best, a cultural transformation programme for its workforce.
MSC Group’s Cruise Division is the Geneva-headquartered cruise division of privately owned MSC Group. Its 2025 Sustainability Report covers MSC Cruises S.A. entities, including Explora Journeys, and reports on environmental, social and governance performance for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025.
MSC Cruises is a cruise line operating in the contemporary and premium segments, with 23 ships and itineraries across five continents, more than 100 countries and over 300 destinations.