MSC Cruises has marked a key milestone in the building of MSC Seaview with the celebration of the maritime traditional coin ceremony, held at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy. MSC Seaview is the third next-generation mega cruise ship that will come into service under MSC Cruises’ ten-year investment plan through 2026.
The traditional coin ceremony takes place when a ship’s keel is laid, at the early stages of its construction. Tradition dictates that two long-standing employees representing the shipyard and the ship owner act as godmothers for the ceremony, placing two coins under the new ship’s keel block as a sign of blessing and good fortune. Today Michela Bullo, from Fincantieri and Loredana Giammusso, from MSC Cruises had the honour of performing this task.
“MSC Seaview is one of the four MSC Cruises’ ships currently under construction, as part of an industry-unprecedented ten-year, €9 billion investment plan that underpins the next phase of our global growth as the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line.” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman. “She will also be a reflection of our unique and ongoing commitment to each time bringing to market the most innovatively conceived cruise ships, as the Seaside generation of MSC Cruises ships – of which MSC Seaview is part – introduces yet another game-changing prototype.”
Mr Onorato, MSC Cruises Chief Executive Officer added: “MSC Seaview will bring guests and the sea closer to each other, with a pioneering beach condo concept and other unique design and product elements that allow to make the most of the warmer weather. With one of the highest ratios of outdoor spaces at sea, guests will also enjoy an increased number of balcony cabins, sea views and outdoor public areas, with every element carefully planned to allow to make the most of the sea and the sunshine. Every element of the ship is designed to enable guests to enjoy the outdoors in every aspect of their life on board, from cabins and suites with outdoor spaces, eating and drinking al fresco through to outdoor fitness facilities and luxury cabanas for spa treatments in the fresh air.”
MSC Seaview will be the highlight of MSC Cruises’ next year’s ship deployment activities as she will come into service in June 2018, sailing the Western Mediterranean in her inaugural summer season. MSC Seaview will have three historic Mediterranean homeports: Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona and will call at popular Mediterranean destinations including Naples, Messina and Valetta. She will then continue her deployment in Brazil as of November 2018.
At 323 metres long with a GRT of 154,000 tonnes, MSC Seaview will feature a maximum capacity of 5,179 guests. She will be the second of two sister ships in the MSC Cruises’ Seaside generation to be built by Fincantieri. Her sister ship MSC Seaside is set to enter service later this year in December 2017 and is scheduled to be christened in Miami, where she will homeport. For more on MSC Seaside and the Seaside generation of ships click here.
Pictures courtesy of Fincantieri