🚢 Event Recap: Conversations on our Future with Rick Sasso

If you couldn’t make it, here’s a recap of our conversation as cruise lines focus on reaching net-zero goals, with MSC investing big in Miami.

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Hear from Rick Sasso, Chairman of MSC Cruises USA on why they are investing big in sustainability. Watch here.

He has been called the “Miami cruise line guy.” After more than five decades in the industry, Rick Sasso is envisioning the future of cruising and its impacts on the climate.  

“My career has allowed me to see some incredible changes. And one shining example is sustainability,” he said at our event at The Miami-Dade Beacon Council last week. 

Sasso is the Chairman of MSC Cruises USA, the world’s fastest-growing cruise line. During the Conversation on our Future, he addressed the environmental impacts of the cruising industry and how executives are increasingly focused on sustainability efforts.

As he put it: “It’s not just something you should do. It’s something you have to do.”

You can watch the conversation here.

HOW IT STARTED

Sasso is a Miami native. He attended Miami Central High School and then Miami-Dade College. He worked an entry-level job loading bags at Miami International Airport before joining Costa Cruises in what was then known as the Port of Miami. He was part of the team that helped launch Celebrity Cruises in 1988 and became CEO of the company before it was sold to Royal Caribbean almost a decade later. 

Sasso retired for a short while until he got a call from the owner of MSC to join the executive team “contributing to the vision of this company.” 

That was 20 years ago. 

SAILING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE 

A large part of that vision is on sustainability. 

“It’s at the core of everything this company does,” Sasso said. “And because it’s a family-owned company, it’s more important to be that aggressive. It’s more important to be that focused on that.”

Sasso described how the company is engaging with scientists and technology experts to ensure their ships are using the highest-performing engines and fuels that are the safest for the oceans. 

MSC’s latest sustainability report outlines how it is reducing emissions, protecting the ocean, and using resources more efficiently. That includes connecting to shore power at PortMiami, the world’s busiest cruise port. MSC will have the largest terminal at PortMiami by 2050 and the largest ship to serve the U.S. powered by liquefied natural gas. 

CAN CRUISING BE TRULY GREEN?

Cruise lines are building the ships of the future with more sustainable engine technologies. There are 32 pilot projects and other initiatives with sustainable fuel producers and engine companies testing alternative fuels and technologies, according to the 2024 State of the Cruise Industry Report by the Cruise Lines International Association: 24 ships are trialing biofuels, and another four ships sailing already use renewable biofuels. 

Some countries are also taking aggressive measures for sustainable cruising. In Norway, only ships powered by alternative fuels will be allowed to visit the country’s famed fjords starting in 2026 to protect the environment. The company Hurtigruten Norway has plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship within the next few years. 

Along with MSC, the other Miami-based cruise companies have decarbonization strategies such as ships powered by liquefied natural gas and shore power connections, which allow ships to turn off engines and plug into landside electrical power while docked.

FUTURE CONVERSATIONS

This is our fifth Conversation on our Future, a quarterly event where we invite community leaders to discuss the latest in venture funds, climate tech innovations, and more, centered around Miami’s economic and sustainable future. You can send us your ideas at next@opportunity.miami and watch our previous conversations here:

• Harlem Capital founder Henri Pierre-Jacques on changing the face of entrepreneurship 

• Knight Foundation’s outgoing President Alberto Ibargüen on the future of philanthropy, journalism, and media

• Blue Frontier CEO Daniel Betts on disrupting the A/C industry with climate tech

• Seedcamp founder Reshma Sohoni on investing in tech

PITCH US 

If you have a company or entrepreneur to suggest or an idea to share that relates to building Miami’s future, email us at next@opportunity.miami. We invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on our social media channels. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can subscribe by clicking here. And if you are new to Opportunity Miami, you can learn about our mission and work here. 

Hope to hear from you. 

– Suzette