MSC Cruises said it has acquired a "significant
interest" in Trieste Adriatic Marine Initiatives, a holding company for
the cruise terminal Trieste Terminal Passeggeri.
MSC said the acquisition would allow it to launch
homeport operations in Trieste starting in the summer of 2020.
The terminal includes two berths in the heart of Trieste
able to accommodate cruise ships up to 984 feet long.
Trieste could serve as an alternative port to Venice, which
has become increasingly crowded with cruise ships. Venice is pursuing an
alternative channel for the largest cruise ships to divert them from the
central canal in the heart of the city.
Trieste is about 72 miles east of Venice across the Adriatic
Sea and is served by an international airport.