Swiss cruise line eyes Subic as destination

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – A Swiss cruise line plans to make this freeport its next cruise destination.

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Cruises, led by Port Operations Assistant Ian Meachem, met with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Wilma T. Eisma and other officials last week.

Eisma welcomed Meachem and Wallem Philippines Shipping, Inc. Asst. General Manager Antonio Calingo Jr. as the three parties discussed the possibilities of MSC Cruises making Subic Freeport one of its port stops in Asia.

Meachem said there are certain requirements that need to be fixed before the company commits to making Subic one of their ports, but added that the tourist spots in Subic and around the freeport are enticing.

Eisma presented the officials of the cruise company and the shipping company the areas where most of the tourists can visit. She added that SBMA has plans to make the town of San Antonio, a contiguous municipality, a cruise ship docking area near the pristine beaches of Zambales.

MSC Cruises, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the world's largest privately owned cruise company and the number one cruise line in Europe, South America and South Africa.

The company offers a vast array of yearround sailings in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Seasonal itineraries cover northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, Cuba and the French Antilles, South America, southern Africa, and Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman.