MSC Cruises was founded as Lauro Lines ( ) in Naples , Italy by Achille Lauro in 1960 . The company entered the cruise business operating two ships , the '' Angelina Lauro '' and . The '' Angelina Lauro '' burnt in the port of St. Thomas , United States Virgin Islands in 1979 and the '' Achille Lauro '' was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front in 1985 . In 1989 , the Mediterranean Shipping Company bought Lauro Lines and renamed it StarLauro Cruises . In 1994 , the '' Achille Lauro '' caught fire and sank . In 1995 , the company name was changed to MSC Cruises
hijacked
Achille Lauro hijacking
MSC Cruises