On November 20, 2012, MSC Cruises will celebrate the arrival of luxury cruise ship MSC Opera in South Africa by hosting a special on-board charity event in Cape Town in aid of abandoned and abused children.
Following lunch, guests will take part in a fun-filled auction during which they will be encouraged to outbid each other for one of the fabulous items on offer, supporting a worthy cause in the process.
Guests will be spoilt for choice in terms of what to bid for, with a weekend in a 10th century chateau in France, stunning jewellery, flights and tickets to an AC Milan football match, collector’s wine, and a number of MSC cruises among the auctioned items.
All proceeds from tickets to the event and from the auction will go to Ukuthemba Foundation, a Cape Town based organisation which provides safe and loving home environments for orphans and neglected and abused children.
Previously named Building Blocks Children’s Homes, the foundation works in conjunction with local authorities to rescue babies and toddlers who face incredibly difficult situations, including extreme poverty, abuse, neglect and disability.
Said MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago: “As a family company based on family values, our social priorities are children, families and education, which is why we are delighted to support Ukuthemba Foundation in keeping vulnerable children safe and offering them a stable home.”
Said Kim Killeen, chairman of Ukuthemba Foundation: “Fortunately, through the work of our organisation and with the assistance of donations and fundraisers, those born into despair can be raised to believe that there is hope.”
After the charity event in Cape Town, MSC Opera’s next port of call will be Durban where she’ll be based for the summer season, operating the popular three- and four-night cruises to Maputo, Portuguese Island and Barra Lodge in Mozambique.
MSC Sinfonia will arrive back in SA on November 28, 2012, for her fourth season, offering Cape Town-based guests a cruising option out of their home port. She will operate a series of cruises to Mossel Bay, Walvis Bay, Luderitz and, for the first time, an 11-night round-trip cruise to Walvis Bay and St Helena. MSC Sinfonia will take over the Portuguese island, Maputo and Barra Lodge cruises from MSC Opera on February 18, operating out of Durban until April 12, 2013.
For bookings for the 2012/13 season. See www.msccruises.co.za and on you can also look on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mscstarlight