A strategic 3‑year charter arrangement has been concluded between South Korea’s Lotte Tour operator and MSC Cruises, under which the large cruise vessel MSC Bellissima is to be positioned in the port of 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 includes port calls in Taiwan and Japan before returning to its Korean base. Lotte Tour and the cruise line 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 specific hulls for those additional deployments have not yet been identified.
Representatives of the tour operator noted that the long‑term 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 major global operator with a fleet serving destinations worldwide under its parent Mediterranean Shipping Company, will support the deployment as part of its broader commercial programme.