Cruises Staff | MSC Cruises (2023)

Captain Paparo attended Nino Bixio Nautical Institute in Sorrento, and during his summer holidays he joined cargo vessels to enrich his skills. Once graduated in 1997, he started to work on ferry vessels as Deck Cadet, until 2002 when he joined the cruise industry. In 2008 he was promoted First Officer, and ten years later he reached the role of Master. He is well proficient with new generation Azimuthal propulsion vessels, as well as conventional systems vessel. Captain Paparo joined MSC Cruises in 2022, after twenty years of experience in the cruise industry.

He started his career on 1999 in MSC cargo ships while he was still studying at Nautical Institute in Piano di Sorrento, Italy. Since then, he continued to work for MSC cargo division until reaching the rank of Chief Officer. In 2010, he then moved to the MSC cruise division as Second Officer on the MSC Orchestra. Since then, he continued his career as First Officer, Safety Officer, Staff Captain roles and then promoted to Captain on MSC Divinain 2022.

The Master Sebastiano Chrisam has been working since 2000 in the cruise industry. He graduated at the Nautical Technical Institute "Sebastiano Venier" in Venice. He subsequently embarked as Cadet Officer building and developing consistent experience and career as Deck Officer, until he achieved his first Command, back in 2017. He has sailed world wide and at the beginning of 2023 he joined the big MSC family

Captain Tuvo hails from the beachside town of Levanto, La Spezia in Italy . He started his career onboard cargo ships just after graduating from The Nautical Institute Nazario Sauro. In 1999, he decided to make the transition to passenger ships and worked his way up the ranks, being promoted to Captain in 2016. While he has many years of sea-time experience under his belt, he always looks forward to the next adventure. His greatest joys are his family, cooking and outdoor sports such as cycling and hiking. Captain Tuvo is honoured to be a part of the MSC family.

Captain Cilento was born and raised in Montechiaro, a small village of the Sorrento Peninsula. His dream as a child was to work at sea and in 2005, after graduating from the Nautical Academy Nino Bixio, in Piano di Sorrento, Italy, he started working on board the container vessel MSC Melissa.In 2010, after gaining the Officer of the Watch License he moved to the cruise ship division and boarded MSC Melody. In 2015 he was promoted to Safety Officer and he was assigned to the role of Fleet Safety Trainer, assisting Captains and Crew during safety inspectios preparations. In 2017 he was promoted to Staff Captain and worked on several ships until 2022 when he was promoted to Captain of MSC Opera.

Raised in the Italian Sorrento peninsula, where seafaring traditions are strong, he attended the Nautical Institute Nino Bixio. During his career, he acquired considerable experience as first Officer, Staff Captain and Master for several shipping lines. For ten years he has been Master on MSC cargo vessels, before moving to the MSC cruise division.

Captain Gazzano started his career at sea in 1981. He joined the cruise industry in 1996, where he worked his way to obtain the role of Staff Captain and eventually Captain. All along he kept on training refining his maneuvering/ships handling and management skills alike. He finally joined MSC Cruises in 2021.

He graduated from the Nautical Institute Francesco Caracciolo in the Italian island of Ischia. He was promoted to various ranks on cargo ships until he became Staff Captain in 2016. He joined MSC Cruises after 15 years of experience with another major cruise line, and he was promoted to Master on MSC Orchestrain 2019.

Captain Iacono joined on MSC cargo vessels in 2001, and three years later he was transferred to the cruise division. In 2008 he received the upgrade to first officer, and as Safety Officer he served on various ships, gaining experience in USA and Northern Europe. He was subsequently promoted to Staff Captain and he became Master of MSC Musicain 2019.

He started his seagoing career in 1983 as an able bodied Seaman and ships cook, on cargo ships. Dreaming of a career as a cruiseship Master, he joined the Maritime Academy in 1988. In 1993 he embarked on his first cruiseship as 3rd Navigation Officer with a major cruiseline. While sailing in all continents and having completed 3 world cruises he climbed up through the ranks to get his first appointment as Master in 2008. With his expertise he has been assigned to the shipyard to oversee several newbuild projects and has held multiple office functions. He is well proficient with both conventional as well as Azimuthal propulsion systems. At the beginning of 2022 he was proud to be welcomed into the MSC Cruises family.

He graduated from the Nautical institute “Luigi Rizzo” of Catania in 1984 and started his career aboard petrochemical ships in Genoa. In 1988 he joined the cruise industry, rising to the role of Master in 2006. From 2015 to 2017 he took on the prestigious role of Fleet Captain overseeing operations for all lines of a major cruise company. After thirty years of experience, in 2018 he joined MSC Cruises becoming the MSC Sinfonia Master.

He graduated at Nautical Institute Venier in Venice, Italy, to start his career on gas tankers in 1991. After seven years he moved to cruise lines and in 2006 he became Staff Captain of azipod propulsion ships. He was promoted to Master in 2013 and finally joined MSC Cruises in 2021.

Captain Maresca graduated from the Nautical School in Piano di Sorrento in 1998 and started his maritime career in in the cargo division. After obtaining the Master license in 2006, he moved to the cruise division where he was promoted as Safety Officer. In 2012 he was Staff Captain on the MSC Magnifica, and in 2019 he became Master.

Captain Chris Pugh qualified from Warsash Maritime College in Southampton, England. He started his career in 2001 at the age of 16, onboard Container ships, later moving to various Cruise vessels, ferries, and other passenger vessels. He finally joined MSC Cruises in 2019 where he was promoted to Master in 2022.

He graduated from the Maritime University in Gdynia, Poland 1989, when he started his career on cargo vessels. In 1995 he moved to passenger ships and served in few cruising companies up to the position of Staff Captain. In 2019 he joined MSC Cruises and took command of MSC Armonia. Captain Piotr has experience also on azimuthal propulsion.

Originally from Marsala, on the island of Sicily, he graduated as Master Mariner License in 1977 in the Nautical College of Trapani. His career at sea expands for over 45 years, 27 of them working in the Cruise industry, moving up to the rank of Captain in 2000. First, Captain Sammartano worked on tankers for sixteen years and spent two years in the Italian Navy. Later on he joined one of the major cruise lines, where he was also promoted to Fleet Captain. In January 2022 he joined MSC Cruises as Captain.

Captain Sagani is a fourth generation ship captain. On completion of his studies at the Nautical Institute in his hometown Trieste, he joined the Italian Navy and served on a Mine-Hunter during the first Gulf War in 1990. After the Navy, he started his career on cargo vessels and in 1995 he joined the cruise industry. He quickly climbed the ranks and was promoted to Captain in 2007, since then he has been in command of many different classes of passengers ships, cruising many different itineraries around the world. Most recently, he was assigned to the newbuilding team and took delivery as Master of some new constructions from the Fincantieri shipyard. He has joined the MSC Cruises family after 27 years of experience in the Cruise industry.

Captain Sapetti graduated from the Nautical Institute Leon Pancaldo in Savona, Italy. He started his career in 1998 on reefer containers vessel, to move to cruise lines in the year 2000, where he gained the role of Safety Officer first and ultimately of Staff Captain in 2013. He finally joined MSC Cruise in 2018 where he was promoted Master in 2022.

Captain Rossi graduated from the Nautical Institute Leon Pancaldo in Savona, Italy. He started his career in 1992 on oil tankers, to move to ferries and subsequently to cruise lines in the year 2000, where he gained the role of Safety Officer first and ultimately of Staff Captain in 2010. He finally joined MSC Cruises where he was promoted Master in 2019.