The Cruise Division of MSC Group today officially took delivery of its new flagship MSC Seashore – the largest cruise ship to be built in Italy. Sister ship MSC Seascape is currently under construction at the Monfalcone shipyard and is due to come into service in winter 2022.
An intimate ceremony was held to mark the occasion as tradition dictates at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone and was attended in person by MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, other members of the Aponte and Aponte-Vago families, Giampiero Massolo and Giuseppe Bono, Chairman and CEO of Fincantieri, as well as representatives from MSC’s new builds team along with executives and workers from the shipyard. During the ceremony, which pays tribute to centuries-old maritime traditions, Roberto Olivari, Fincantieri’s shipyard director, presented to Giuseppe Galano, Master of MSC Seashore, an ampoule containing the water that first touched the hull when the ship was floated out earlier this year.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, commented: “The construction of MSC Seashore is an investment that generates an direct and indirect economic impact of almost 5 billion euros on the Italian economy. At the same time, its 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."
“Our new flagship is further testament to our leadership in sustainability, with each new ship featuring the latest and most advanced environmental technology and solutions. Additionally, over and above our industry-leading health and safety protocol, MSC Seashore is the first cruise ship in the world to feature a new and ground-breaking air sanitation system. ‘Safe Air’ uses UV-C lamp technology, eliminating 99% of viruses and bacteria to guarantee clean and safe air for all guests and crew on board.
Pierfrancesco Vago continued, “MSC Seashore also demonstrates our commitment to continuous innovation in terms of guest experience. She is without doubt our most stunning and sophisticated vessel to date and takes to a whole new level the already successful Seaside platform, with public spaces completely reimagined, a new secondary lounge and a broader offering both in terms of restaurants and retail options amongst many other new and much improved features. 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 to represent our full brand values with North American consumers.”
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated, “MSC Seashore is the fourth cruise ship that we have delivered in Italy during this still extremely demanding year, demonstrating the effectiveness of our production and management system. All these milestones, and others to come, have been successfully achieved and this is never taken for granted. This is why I consider this ship not only the best symbol of recovery for the whole cruise sector, but also of the capability of the Group to leverage its competences and soundness to fully preserve our workload.”
