MISSISSAUGA — MSC Cruises has announced it is expanding its presence here with a brand new office and team just for the Canadian market.

New bookings will be in Canadian dollars and supported by new Canadian websites, says the cruise line.

Starting May 1 MSC Cruises Canada will launch Canadian websites for consumers (MSCCruises.ca) and for agents (mscbook.com/ca).

At the Mississauga office the team will consist of 15 full-time employees in various departments including finance, sales, marketing, call centre and groups.

MSC Cruises says it will be the only cruise line in Canada with a team-supported office that will work solely for the cruise line.

“With the overall expansion of MSC Cruises, we see tremendous potential in the Canadian market with Canadians continuing to have an increased interest in cruise vacations and increasingly, our customers are coming from the Canadian market,” says Ian Patterson, newly appointed Country Manager (former Director of Business Development) for MSC Cruises in Canada.

“The Canadian market is distinct with its own requirements. So the opening of the new office will give us the opportunity to better serve our Canadian clients.”

With the official opening of MSC Cruises Canada on May 1, clients will be able to book in Canadian dollars.

The new websites will be in English first, with the improvements and the French version deployed before the end of the year.

To better meet the needs of English and French speaking travelers, MSC Cruises Canada will also provide a bilingual call centre, a group department and sales support for guests and travel agents. They also offer a wide range of bilingual marketing materials, such as brochures and leaflets.