MSC Cruises takes delivery of MSC Seashore ahead of North American debut
MSC Cruises has taken delivery of its new Seaside-class cruise ship, MSC Seashore, ahead of her deployment in North America later this year. MSC Seashore was delivered by Fincantieri at its Monfalcone shipyard in a ceremony attended by Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, and Giampiero Massolo and Giuseppe Bono, Chairman and CEO of Fincantieri.
The 4,560-passenger MSC Seashore is the largest cruise ship to be built in Italy and is the third ship in the Seaside-class. Her sister ship MSC Seascape is currently under construction at the same shipyard and is scheduled for launch in 2022.
MSC Seashore is slightly larger than the two existing Seaside-class ships at 169,000-gross tons, making her the third-largest cruise ship in the fleet after the Meraviglia and Meraviglia-Plus class ships.
“The construction of MSC Seashore is an investment that generates a direct and indirect economic impact of almost 5 billion euros on the Italian economy,” said Vago.
“At the same time, it’s coming into service also activates an important economic and employment driver for coastal communities and much beyond, generating a further significant economic impact every year for the tourism industry,” he added. MSC Seashore, like the recently launched MSC Virtuosa (which will homeport in Dubai this year), features a host of advanced sustainability technology to reduce her environmental impact.
MSC Seashore features hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems, selective catalytic reduction systems, achieving a 98-percent reduction of sulfur oxide emissions and reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 percent. The ship’s wastewater treatment system has been designed in line with the International Maritime Organization’s MEPC 227(64) Resolution and achieves purification standards that are higher than most wastewater treatment facilities ashore.
“Our new flagship is a further testament to our leadership in sustainability, with each new ship featuring the latest and most advanced environmental technology and solutions,” said Vago.
“MSC Seashore is also the first cruise ship in the world to feature a new and ground-breaking air sanitation system, ‘Safe Air’, which uses UV-C lamp technology, eliminating 99 percent of viruses and bacteria to guarantee clean and safe air for all guests and crew on board,” he added.
According to Vago, all of MSC Seashore’s public spaces have been completely reimagined, with the ship featuring a new secondary lounge and a broader offering of restaurants and retail options.
“This will create a unique onboard experience for our guests this summer in the Mediterranean and during the Winter season when she will move to Miami,” said Vago.
The ship offers 13,000 sq. meters of outdoor space, with a wide choice of outdoor bars and dining, pools and deck area as well as different vantage points around the ship to take in the sea views.
MSC Seashore will spend her first cruise season in the Mediterranean, cruising to Genoa, Naples, for visits to Pompeii, and Messina in Sicily; Valletta, Malta; Barcelona, Spain and Marseille, France.
At the end of October she’ll reposition from Genoa to Miami, from which she’ll sail 7-night Caribbean itineraries visiting San Juan in Puerto Rico, Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas.
