Cruise line signs deal as it takes delivery of MSC Seaside, its second new ship of 2017
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has signed a €1.8 billion deal to construct two Seaside EVO ships for MSC Cruises, which will be delivered in 2021 and 2023.
Designed as an evolution from MSC Cruises’ new Seaside Class vessels, each of the 169,380gt Seaside EVO newbuilds will be 339 metres long and offer more onboard space, cabins and a larger Yacht Club. They will be able to accommodate up to 5,646 passengers each.
Like the Seaside Class, the Seaside EVO ships will have optimised hull lines, propellers and rudders and anti-fouling paint to reduce wave resistance and boost fuel efficiency. Both ships will also be equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system and an advanced active emissions control technology system that significantly reduces nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen and water. They will also feature exhaust gas cleaning technology, waste management and recycling systems, advanced water treatment systems and the latest advanced energy and heat recovery system. Onboard, the ships will feature energy-saving devices and LED lights.
The news was revealed during as Fincantieri officially delivered MSC Seaside to MSC Cruises at its yard in Monfalcone, Italy.
MSC Seaside was handed over to the cruise line in front of Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic; Graziano Delrio, Italy’s Minister of Infrastructures and Transports; executives from MSC Cruises and Fincantieri; and other dignitaries. During the ceremony, Fincantieri’s shipyard director Roberto Olivari handed an ampoule containing water from MSC Seaside’s float-out ceremony earlier this year to Pier Paolo Scala, the ship’s master.
“We are proud to have accomplished such an important project: a ship, for a new customer, the largest one ever built in Italy,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. “This demonstrates not only our ability to satisfy the needs of the shipowners, but also the extraordinary operational level which Fincantieri has achieved. We believe we have built a highly innovative ship with MSC. She marks a further technological quality leap.”
The 153,516gt MSC Seaside, which can host up to 5,179 guests, is the first in the Seaside Class and will be christened in Miami, US on 21 December before embarking on a series of Caribbean sailings. Her sister, MSC Seaview, will be christened in Civitavecchia, Italy on 2 June 2018.
“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,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ executive chairman. “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.”
MSC Seaview is the second MSC Cruises newbuild to enter service in 2017 – MSC Meraviglia entered service this May. With the addition of these new ships, and Seaside EVO vessels, the line’s investment plan has now expanded to cover 12 new ships to be built by 2026, for overall total investment of €10.5 billion.
“As we are nearing the end of 2017, we can look back on a year when we enjoyed unprecedented capacity growth,” said Vago. “With two of the more innovative new ships in the industry having come into service in the past six months and now with the addition of two Seaside EVO ships to our investment plan, we are now even better positioned to further extend our global footprint. We are expecting the delivery of at least one new ship each year until 2026, with six to have come into service between 2017 and 2020.”