Speaking at the 2017 ITT Conference in Sorrento, executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago stressed the sustainable growth of the cruise industry, but he acknowledged the “challenges and opportunities” on the horizon.

“Brexit could be a challenge because of the questions it raises with visas and border controls,” he told delegates.

Asked whether the chief executives of companies should be working more closely with the government on negotiations for exiting the EU, Vago agreed. “I’m engaged with the UK Chamber of Shipping and the British government. And my peers at other lines are all very much engaged and part of the process too,” he said.

“The common denominator in shipping is British law. So we are engaged; we participate; we talk. And sometimes there are questions that can’t be easily answered, but it’s very important that we are part of the process.”

Earlier Vago discussed MSC’s substantial growth plan. The line has seen 800% growth in the last 10 years, and has plans for up to 11 new ships to be built over the next decade, amounting to €9 billion investment. This includes the recent launch of MSC Meraviglia, as well as MSC Seaside which is due for delivery later this year.

The line will also introduce a new “World Class” vessel from 2022, which MSC claims will be the largest in the world by passenger capacity.

The ships will use environmentally friendly technology, and will feature liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines. “The last frontier for the cruise industry is the environment,” Vago admitted. “But we are doing an incredible job with that.”

He also conceded that introducing such huge ships posed challenges for port infrastructure.

“We need to be able to give the best holiday experience we can offer, from the start,” he said. “There are some challenges here [with ports], but the future looks bright. Otherwise we wouldn’t be investing €9 billion,” he added.