MSC Cruises aims to slash emissions using new OptiCruise tool

OptiCruise was tested on MSC Bellissima for 12 months. [Photo: MSC Cruises]

The world’s third-largest cruise line, MSC Cruises, aims to cut its fleet’s emissions by up to 15% in 2026 by using a new itinerary planning optimization tool called OptiCruise.

In cooperation with OPTIMeasy, a research company affiliated with the University of Genoa, Italy, MSC Cruises has developed a new mathematical model that comprehensively examines multiple factors influencing the planning of each of the cruise line’s itineraries. The goal is to achieve the optimum level of efficiency for a sailing while maintaining or enhancing guest satisfaction.

Voyage planning within the global cruise industry has traditionally been heavily weighted toward the attractiveness of ship destinations for potential travelers.

OptiCruise broadens the scope substantially to include numerous other aspects that influence an itinerary’s efficiency. These include the sequencing of port calls, departure and arrival times at ports, a ship’s speed, the appeal and attractiveness of destinations for guests, shore excursions, and operational costs such as fuel, port charges, and food provisions.

The tool’s algorithms use all of this information to identify optimized itineraries that continue to appeal to guests while allowing for energy efficiency.

Cruise ship itinerary planning typically takes place two years before a sailing, and OptiCruise’s benefits will be evidenced in 2026 when MSC Cruises’ fleet will number 24 ships.

MSC Bellissima was chosen to evaluate the prototype technology over a 12-month period, during which the ship sailed between 17 ports in the Mediterranean Sea.

MSC Cruises’ strategy to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 for its marine operations is focused on three key areas: ship and engine technology, operational efficiency, and renewable fuels. OptiCruise falls under the operational efficiency focus, with the cruise line making greater use of digitalization to drive efficiencies in energy consumption.

“We have identified and developed this new technology to optimize the decision-making process of itinerary planning with the aim to further reduce emissions across our fleet from 2026,” said Michele Francioni, chief energy transition officer at MSC Cruises. “The OPTIMeasy team calculates that the average fuel savings made and emissions reduced by using OptiCruise are in the range of 10-15%, which is a significant step forward in our ambition to achieve our net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 for our marine operations.”

OptiCruise was developed as part of the European Union-funded Project CHEK, established to investigate and trial several low-carbon shipping opportunities, including energy technologies and innovative ship designs.

The mathematical model was accepted for development by Project CHEK as it was recognized as a factor that could substantially reduce emissions, not just for MSC Cruises but across the entire cruise industry.

The CHEK Project is part of the EU’s Horizon research and innovation program and is led by the University of Vaasa in Finland. In addition to MSC Cruises, the consortium includes World Maritime University, Wärtsilä, Cargill, and Lloyds Register, among others.