As is traditional when an airline inaugurates a new flight, the Air France Boeing 747–400 received a ceremonial water salute before take-off, passing under plumes of water expelled by airport fire fighting vehicles.
Setting sail from La Romana, Dominican Republic, the seven-night cruise aboard MSC Musica calls at the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe and St. Maarten.
From late November 2014 until early April 2015, MSC Musica will embark MSC travellers from La Romana, as well as Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe and Fort de France, La Martinique, as Air France and MSC Cruises also collaborate on routes between Paris Orly and Pointe-a-Pitre and Fort de France.
In December 2013 MSC Cruises and Air France KLM signed an agreement to cooperate on mutually relevant business areas. The inaugural flight, which left Paris on Sunday (7 December), marks the first fruit born of that partnership.
Air France KLM is a major player in the air transport industry employing 100,000 staff around the world. The group operates the leading long-haul network on departures from Europe.