MedCruise launched its first Professional Development Course for 2024 on January 15, according to a press release.

Starting at the Port of Genoa onboard the MSC Fantasia, 42 port and destination members will participate in a three-day training focused on environmental and social sustainability, as well as the circular economy in the cruise sector. 

This training has been made possible through the collaboration and sponsorship of MSC Cruises. It will include a call in La Spezia where delegates will make a sustainable-friendly visit to the destination organized by the Port Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea, a member of MedCruise.

Michele Francioni, senior vice president MSC Cruises, Ivana Melillo, head of energy efficiency and funded projects, MSC Cruises and Marieta García, president of GEA, Gestión y Estudios Ambientales, will be the lecturers for the three-day professional development course. 

“The great challenge facing the cruise industry in the future will be to combine the ever-growing market demand with products that meet the expectations of an increasingly diverse public, while appealing to new generations,” said MedCruise president Figen Ayan. “All of this, supported by strong collaborations between all stakeholders and including environmental objectives or legislation to go beyond through technological development and innovation to make this important economic sector more and more sustainable.”

Francesca Antonelli, MedCruise senior vice president and professional development director, and cruises manager of the Port Authority of Valencia, shared details about the training program during a press conference in Genoa on January 15, 2024. 

Specialized technicians from MSC will take the delegates on a tour of areas of the ship not accessible to the public, engaging in discussions on repurposing, waste reduction, water conservation, advanced wastewater treatment systems, and energy consumption monitoring. 

Participants will also join workshops organized in small groups, focusing on vessel efficiency, fuel flexibility, exhaust gas cleaning systems and other recent measures adopted by cruise ships

for increased efficiency. A dedicated session will raise awareness of the social and environmental significance of selective waste separation and recycling, responsible water and waste food.