MSC LIRICA comes to Tilbury in Mediterranean Sunshine
On a glorious Sunday at the end of May, a combination of Italian officers in white
tropical uniforms and multi-national staff brought a flavour of the Italian Riviera to the
London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury when MSC LIRICA arrived with 800 tourists bound
for the historic sites of London and 1,300 international passengers joined or left the
vessel during her stay.
In bound from her cruise to the Norwegian Fjords and the Land
of the Midnight Sun, at 253 m long and 59,000 tonnes, MSC LIRICA is believed to be
the largest passenger vessel to have called at the London Cruise Terminal. Dominating
the skyline and river front for both Tilbury and Gravesend, this prestigious vessel
attracted considerable local interest as she left the landing stage, turned and sailed off to
Amsterdam.
Port of Tilbury’s Managing Director, Perry Glading, toured the vessel with Chairman of
MSC Cruises UK & Ireland, Peter Pate, and Chief Executive, Giulio Libutti together
with invited guests.
To commemorate the event, Perry Glading exchanged gifts with
MSC LIRICA’s Staff Captain, Silvio Musap. Welcoming MSC LIRICA Perry Glading
said, “The arrival of MSC LIRICA was not only a major step forward to Tilbury’s
London Cruise Terminal plans but also demonstrates that in difficult economic times,
requiring cost effective solutions with a high degree of service delivery, Tilbury’s cruise
management and staff have shown what can be achieved. We believe that the tourist
market should take note of this and the facilities that are available in Thurrock Essex”.
Peter Pate responded, “We are very pleased to bring MSC LIRICA to the Port of Tilbury
as part of our programme to increase our share of the UK cruise market. The Port of
Tilbury gives us access to London and a wide range of excursions to the Home Counties,
Essex, Kent and Suffolk. We look forward to returning to Tilbury in the future.”
