At the end of last month, Fincantieri and MSC Cruises signed firm orders to build two ‘Seaside’ EVO ships, a further evolution of the ‘Seaside’ class prototype, for a total investment of €1.8 bill.
The announcement was made at the delivery ceremony for MSC’s new flagship ‘MSC Seaside’ on 29th November at Monfalcone.
MSC Cruises Executive Chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago, said: “’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.”
“As we are nearing the end of 2017, we can look back on a year when we enjoyed unprecedented capacity growth. 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 through 2026, with six to have come into service between 2017 and 2020,” he said.
Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri CEO added, stated: “We are proud to have accomplished such an important project: a ship, for a new customer, the largest one ever built in Italy. This demonstrates not only our ability to satisfy the needs of the shipowners, but also the extraordinary operational level which Fincantieri has achieved. In fact, I would like to highlight that ‘Seaview’, the sister ship of ‘Seaside’, will be delivered in just six months in this same shipyard.”
“We believe we have built a highly innovative ship with MSC. She marks a further technological quality leap. Such a milestone has allowed us to gain the customer’s loyalty with another order for two new ships, which will [again] represent a real evolution,” he said.
Following the new agreement between MSC Cruises and Fincantieri, the initial shipyard slot reservation to build a third ‘Seaside’ class ship, to be delivered in 2021, has been replaced by the first of two ‘Seaside’ EVO ships. The second ship is set to come into service in 2023.
In addition to offering more space, ‘Seaside’ EVO ships will have greater dimensions, more cabins, an even larger Yacht Club – with an additional deck and larger cabins — and will be hosting up to 5,646 pax.
At the same time, similar to the ‘Seaside’, the new ships will be equipped with the latest advanced environmental technology, including: a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, an advanced active emissions control technology system, that significantly reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) into harmless nitrogen (N2) and water; exhaust gas cleaning (EGC) technology to meet the strictest exhaust regulations in port and in operating areas; the latest waste management and recycling systems; advanced water treatment systems – going above and beyond regulatory standards and meeting the highest industry standards; and, an advanced energy and heat recovery system, Fincantieri said.
Across the ships, the latest generation of energy-saving devices will be fitted and all areas will feature LED lighting. The ships will be ultra-hydrodynamic and thanks to optimised hull lines, propellers and rudders, combined with the latest anti-fouling paint, wave resistance will be further reduced, and greater fuel-efficiency will be achieved.
With the addition of these new ships, the company’s investment plan will now account for 12 new ships to be built by 2026, for an overall investment of €10.5 bill.
After the delivery ceremony, ‘MSC Seaside’ sailed to Trieste. From there, she will continue to Miami for her naming ceremony on 21st December.
‘MSC Seaside’ is the first ship in the ‘Seaside’ class of 153,516 gt and with a guest capacity of 5,119. She is the second newly-built mega cruise ship in the MSC Cruises fleet and the first to be delivered by Fincantieri.
Her sistership ‘MSC Seaview’ will enter service in June, 2018, starting her summer season in the Mediterranean. At the delivery ceremony, Vago also announced that ‘MSC Seaview’ will be christened at Civitavecchia, Italy, on 2nd June, 2018.
