Sustainability - People

PEOPLE

MSC Cruises is a people-focused company, employing tens of thousands of people across the world. Nearly 80% work on board our ships.

Read our latest Sustainability report

2021 Sustainability Report

Health and Safety

Safety training for all crew is mandatory with additional more detailed training specific to each role.A team of fleet safety trainers from the shoreside Crisis Response Department are responsible for standardising, monitoring, assessing, and if necessary, correcting, the onboard safety activities.

Upon embarkation, and before the ship’s departure, all passengers must attend a safety drill.

Every passenger carries a cruise card or wrist band to ‘check in’ at an assembly station, with the Muster Evacuation Monitoring Protocol System tracking when passengers are on board or when they disembark. This Protocol also includes information about people with special needs who might need additional support in an emergency.

In response to COVID-19 a comprehensive set of operating procedures have been developed that build upon already stringent health and safety measures that have long been in place on board our ships.

The protocol was designed by in-house specialists in different fields and we were assisted by an expert third party consultancy, and through consultation with our Blue Ribbon Covid-19 Expert Group.

MSC Cruises was the first cruise line in the world to install a new and advanced innovative technology sanitation system called Safe Air to improve further the quality and cleanliness of the onboard air for our guests and crew. Safe Air was fitted on MSC Seashore, which set sail in July 2021. The system is based on UV-C lamp technology, using ultraviolet rays to destroy air pollutants such as viruses, bacteria and mold.

Our safety procedures are specifically designed to greatly exceed IMO and International Safety Management (ISM) Code regulations and we cultivate a culture where our whole crew has direct responsibility for safety.

Employee Welfare, Training and Development

The pandemic continued to affect the restart of operations throughout 2021 and created challenges for crew and crew operations. We provided support to the 16,729 crew members onboard in 2021 and those stuck at home, unable to work.

Most initial training of onboard employees occurs at our dedicated crew training facilities around the world allowing training in simulated settings with the same equipment as found on our ships.

In 2021, use of our extensive library of eLearning materials rose 23% with 2020, with 749 people actively making use of the Learning platform. Resources include e-books, audio learning and recorded classroom sessions. More than 3,600 books were downloaded from the platform.

With complex technical equipment onboard, deck and engine teams go through comprehensive technical training and certification, in accordance with all applicable national and international rules and regulations and in compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

Whether they work on the Bridge, the engine room, in hospitality, or in a supporting role onshore, all our people receive the training they require to allow them to do an exceptional job.

Diversity and Inclusion

Successful steps have led to increased diversity specifically in the Deck department through engaging new officers of diverse nationalities.

At present, 54% of our shoreside employees and 18% of onboard crew are female. Our expansion plan means we need to recruit tens of thousands of crew members and we will use this opportunity to improve gender equality across all areas of our operations. We have made a commitment to reach gender equality across our fleet over the next four years.

Our guest-facing crew are provided with training on cultural awareness and sensitivity to various groups, including people with disabilities.

With 120 nationalities across the business, we have a truly international workforce that represents every creed, colour and background.

STEERING THE COURSE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

For us sustainability means protecting the environment, supporting the people who work with us and choose to travel with us, as well as the communities and places that we visit and do business with.
Discover our sustainability programme organised around four key pillars: Planet, People, Place and Procurement

Discover more

PEOPLE

Health and Safety

Employee Welfare, Training and Development

Diversity and Inclusion

STEERING THE COURSE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Thank you for visiting MSC Cruises