A strategic 3‑year charter arrangement has been concluded between the South Korean tour operator Lotte Tour and MSC Cruises, under which the vessel MSC Bellissima is to be homeported in Incheon beginning in June 2027.
The agreement calls for the ship, one of the largest in the MSC fleet by gross tonnage and passenger capacity, to be deployed from that Korean homeport with its passenger receipts sourced principally from the local market.
The vessel is capable of carrying up to 5 600 persons and is measured at approximately 171 598 gross tons, offering a range of accommodation and public areas characteristic of MSC Cruises’ contemporary designs.
Under the terms of the partnership, MSC Bellissima is scheduled to make its first departure from Incheon on June 14th, 2027, embarking on a 7‑day voyage that visits ports in Taiwan and Japan before returning to its Korean base.
Lotte Tour and MSC have projected incremental expansion of the arrangement in subsequent years, with plans to add a second chartered vessel in 2028 and a third in 2029, although details for additional deployments have not yet been released.
Representatives of Lotte Tour noted that the long‑term ship charter commitment reflects extensive experience in arranging similar cruise operations and anticipated that the collaboration would contribute to the development of the Korean cruise market by introducing a sustained, large‑ship presence into the region.
MSC Cruises, a subsidiary of MSC Group (Mediterranean Shipping Company), will support the deployment as part of its broader commercial programme.