MSC Cruises has officially taken delivery of MSC Seaside at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. After MSC Meraviglia earlier in june, MSC Seaside is the second ship to be delivered to MSC Cruises this year. During the delivery ceremony MSC Cruises also announced the construction of two new Seaside EVO ships.
During the delivery ceremony, which pays tribute to centuries-old maritime tradition, Roberto Olivari, Fincantieri’s shipyard director, handed Pier Paolo Scale, Master of MSC Seaside, an ampoule holding the first water that touched the hull when the ship was floated out earlier this year.
“MSC Seaside coming into service marks another key milestone in the history and future of our Company, but she also embodies a pivotal moment for the industry. In fact, she is the first ship of the fifth new prototype that we bring into service and introduces a wholly-innovative product that sets a new standard for the industry to follow. The Seaside Class of ships is designed to bring guests closer to the sea and to operate in sunny waters, while continuing to push the boundaries of maritime and guest-centric technology.” – Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises
MSC Seaside is the first ship in the Seaside Class and a completely new prototype pushing the bounderies of innovative ship building and design. At 153,516 GRT and with a guest capacity of 5,119 she is the second newly-built next generation mega cruise ship in the MSC Cruises fleet.
During the ceremony MSC Cruises and Fincantieri also signed firm orders for the construction of two Seaside EVO ships, a further evolution of the Seaside Class prototype, for a total investment of €1.8 billion EUR.
With a lenght of 1,060 ft., a beam of 134 ft. and a gross tonnage of 169,380 GRT the Seaside EVO ships will offer more cabins, an even larger Yacht Club – with an additional deck and larger cabins – and host up to 5,646 passengers.
The addition of these Seaside EVO ships means the Company is now expecting the delivery of at least one new ship each year through 2026 – with six to have come into service between 2017 and 2020. The 12 new ships signify an overall investment of EUR 10.5 billion.
Fresh on the heels of MSC Seaside, her sister ship MSC Seaview will come into service in June 2018, starting her summer season in the Mediterranean. Today at the delivery ceremony, Mr Vago also announced that MSC Seaview will be christened in Civitavecchia, Italy, on June 2, 2018.