FORT LAUDERDALE — MSC Cruises' expansion into Galveston, Texas, with the MSC Seascape, which kicks off this month, required some special considerations to tap into the Lone Star State's market.
Of course, we're talking about food.
Erin Douglas, MSC's senior vice president of trade sales for MSC, made an appearance onstage at the CruiseWorld show here, said that she was told: "If you're going into Texas, you have to have 'blank.' Texans won't go without 'this.'"
Then she paused. "But everyone had a different 'blank!'"
Douglas name-checked a handful of Texas-fave suggestions, from fizzy Dr. Pepper to ranch dressing to chips and salsa at every bar.
"We did a huge tasting menu for everything that we're going to offer in Texas," she said. "Let me tell you guys, we're ready for you guys, we're ready for the Texans," she said. "The menu is phenomenal: the barbecue, the biscuits, pecan pie, you name it."
"Do you still have the Italian flair?" asked Northstar Travel Group executive vice president Mary Pat Sullivan, who was conducting the onstage interview.
"We're true to the European style and American comfort," Douglas said.
Another consideration to the local market is the Seascape's resident band, The Lone Star. There will be line dancing at different locations and dueling pianos in the Uptown Bar. And then sports: Douglas also said the Seascape would set sail with lots of big-screen TVs for passengers to keep up with college football and NFL games.
MSC continues U.S. expansion
MSC has been rapidly expanding in the U.S. with the Galveston departures, more ships in Port Canaveral, Fla., and, next summer, Seattle. "It's just inevitable," Douglas said. "There's so much going on at MSC, and we continue to invest in the North American market."
Sullivan also asked Douglas about the debut of the line's first World-class ship in North America, the MSC World America, which is out of Miami.
"She has really had an amazing debut. Customers, agents, we keep getting fabulous feedback on her," Douglas said. "We were on a couple of weeks ago with 600 agents. People are loving her; she's got a fantastic Yacht Club and a lot of different venues that are new."