New MSC Cruise Ship One Step Closer to Completion

MSC Cruises’ upcoming ship MSC Seashore celebrated its float out today at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. This is a major milestone in shipbuilding, as it’s the first time a new vessel touches water and progresses into the next phase of construction. Seashore has now moved to a wet dock for all the interior work to be completed for her delivery in July 2021. 

MSC Seashore is the third of four ships in MSC Cruises’ Seaside class, following MSC Seaside and Seaview which launched in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Seashore will be the line’s longest ship at 1,112 feet, and the first of two enriched Seaside Evo ships with newly designed public spaces, more cabins, and the highest ratio of outdoor space per guest of any ship in the company’s fleet.

The CEO of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono, commented on the occasion, saying that “The float out has always been one of the most satisfying moments for those involved in the construction of a ship. It is also the occasion to further strengthen everyone’s commitment, because when the ship touches the sea, a lot of work has already been done, but much more still lies ahead. This applies even more to “MSC Seashore,” which will become the new flagship of MSC Cruises: a record-breaking ship, that focuses on innovation, technology and design, and emphasizing the Fincantieri leadership.” Bono concluded, “The uncertain situation that we are experiencing worldwide adds even more important value to this day, which bodes well not only for MSC Cruises and for our company, but for the entire cruise industry.”

MSC’s Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago added: “We are committed to our new builds program, which with each new class of ships sees us innovating and setting new standards in the industry. MSC Seashore will in fact be the largest and most innovative cruise vessel ever built in Italy, featuring the latest and most advanced environmental technology currently available. She will also be one of two new ships for which we will receive delivery in 2021, thus underlying our belief in the long-term growth prospects of the sector — as also demonstrated by the return to service of our first ship earlier this week as well as the investments made in our new health and safety operating protocol which is already setting a new standard for the industry.”

Enhanced Design

As with the other Seaside generation ships, MSC Seashore will offer a range of design features to connect passengers with the sea, including the stunning Bridge of Sighs and panoramic elevators at the aft, as well as beautiful glass-floor catwalks. 

Some new enhancements on this ship will be over 107,000 square feet of additional deck space, a larger MSC Yacht Club, and better passenger flow with two central meeting points on the ship. Seashore will also include a wider variety of staterooms with 28 additional terraced suites, two suites with private hot tubs, and two new suite categories in the Yacht Club. Families will benefit from connected staterooms that can accommodate 6-10 people, plus there will be more staterooms for those with accessibility needs.

Two new restaurants will be introduced on MSC Seashore, and five specialty restaurants will have new locations to allow for waterfront seating on the ship’s boardwalk. Seashore will also have a new double-decker aft lounge, a larger casino, a new aft pool design, an enlarged indoor pool, and a new interactive waterpark.

Environmental Technology

The 169,500 gross ton ship will hold a maximum capacity of 5,877 guests and be fitted with a state-of-the-art selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxide by 90 percent. It will also include a next-generation advanced wastewater treatment system to process wastewater to a very high quality — so high that the end product is better than most land-based municipal waste standards. 

Other environmental technologies will be utilized on the ship, like hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems that remove 98 percent of sulfur oxide from ship emissions, ballast water treatment systems approved by the US Coast Guard, and various energy improvements like heat recovery systems and LED lighting. MSC Seashore will also be fitted with shore-to-ship power which connects a docked cruise ship to a port’s local power grid to further reduce air emissions — a feature that many of the line’s ships have. 

Itineraries

In summer 2021, all three Seaside class ships will be deployed together in the western Mediterranean. MSC Seashore will offer the popular “Six Pearls” itinerary which calls in Genoa, Pompeii, Naples, Messina, Valletta, Barcelona, and Marseille. MSC Seaside and Seaview will also operate 7-night cruises in the western Mediterranean from Genoa.

Following her inaugural season in the Mediterranean, MSC Seashore will head to the United States and arrive in Miami in November 2021. From there, she will operate 7-night Caribbean itineraries that include calls at MSC Cruises’ private island Ocean Cay. 

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