ARLINGTON, Va., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ARC announced today that MSC Cruises is an ARC Helix™ preferred supplier. This latest addition to the supplier portfolio enhances Helix's cruise product offerings for member agencies.
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Roy Grimsland, vice president of sales at MSC Cruises commented, "Travel agencies, regardless of their size, have always played a critical role in our growth strategy. Helix offers us a way to open this distribution channel further by allowing us to reach the expanding number of home-based and smaller agencies. As the world's fourth-largest and fastest growing cruise line, being a Helix preferred supplier is a smart business tactic."
A global company headquartered in Naples, Italy, MSC Cruises carried 1.2 million passengers in 2010. Its ships sail year-round in the Mediterranean, while also offering seasonal sailing to Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, North and South America, the Indian Ocean, South and West Africa, and the Arabian Gulf.
"We are excited to welcome MSC Cruises to Helix," said Christopher Flores, Helix program director. "MSC Cruises has a strong leadership team and outstanding year-round Mediterranean cruise offerings on a modern and expanding fleet. I have no doubt that Helix agencies will embrace – and profit from – this partnership."
ARC Helix is an exclusive members-only program for home-based and retail travel agencies. It offers a preferred supplier portfolio covering all segments of travel, multiple business services, and the professional education and training opportunities to assist agencies in operating more efficiently and becoming more profitable. Helix currently features more than 30 preferred suppliers in its portfolio.
More information about joining ARC Helix is available at www.arccorp.com/helix.
About ARC:
As the financial backbone of the travel industry, ARC enables commerce among travel agencies, airlines, and travel suppliers, and offers them secure and accurate financial settlement services. More than 16,000 travel agencies and 190 airlines use the company's transaction settlement services that, in 2010, totaled more than $77 billion in value. ARC also supplies transactional data to organizations, facilitating better business decisions through fact-based market analyses.
Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.arccorp.com.
About MSC Cruises
Following several years of unprecedented growth, MSC Cruises is the market leading cruise company in the Mediterranean, South Africa and Brazil. The 11 ships comprising its ultra-modern fleet carry 1.2 million passengers. The company is entirely European-owned. It employs 12,000 staff around the world and is present in 43 countries. More information is available at www.msccruisesusa.com.
SOURCE ARC
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