MSC Cruises took more bookings in October than it has ever had for a single month in its entire history.

The near-400,000 bookings were for this winter and summer 2023, it said.

Ships are showing higher than average historical occupancy levels for both seasons, the cruise line added.

CEO Gianni Onorato said the bookings bonanza ‘reflects the continued strong investments made in our fleet, which is one of the most modern in the industry with five new state-of-the-art vessels delivered in the last three years alone and more than any other brand since 2017’.

He said that given the current economic climate, consumers were also keen on the value for money of all-inclusive cruises, adding that they were booking further in advance to avoid missing out on their preferred options.