MSC Cruises (Italian: MSC Crociere S.A.) is a division of Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC). Originally founded as Lauro Lines by Achille Lauro, the company entered the cruise business in the 1960s, operating two ships, the Angelina Lauroand MS Achille Lauro, both of which met fiery ends. After the Angelina Lauro burnt in the port of St Thomas in 1979, Lauro Lines, also known as Flotta Lauro, met with bad times, now operating just one ship, the Achille Lauro. In 1985, the Achille Lauro was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Front, and the much-publicised event further dropped passenger numbers. In 1989, Flotta Lauro was purchased by Mediterranean Shipping Company and renamed Star Lauro Cruises. In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank. In 1995, the company name was changed to MSC Cruises. As of December 2009, MSC Cruises is the fourth largest cruise operator in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line.