MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe and South America, and FINCANTIERI, heir to the great tradition of Italian shipbuilding and one of the largest shipbuilding groups in the world, today celebrated the float out of MSC Seaview. The ceremony took place at the Monfalcone shipyard in Italy, where the ship is being built, the company said in its press release.
MSC Seaview is the second of MSC Cruises’ Seaside generation of cruise ships, based on a highly-innovative prototype designed to bring guests closer to the sea than ever before, for warmer climates and the ultimate sun and sea cruise experience. She is set to come into service in June 2018, just six months after MSC Seaside will first come into service in December 2017 with her Grand Voyage from Trieste, Italy to Miami, USA in December 2017.
MSC Seaview will sail her inaugural 2018 summer season in the Mediterranean, offering holidaymakers the chance to experience the jewels of this region like never before on a cruise ship. Guests will discover seven different lively ports from four countries, all without unpacking a suitcase - Genoa, Naples, Messina, Valetta, Barcelona and Marseille.
Following this inaugural season, the ship will follow the sun to Brazil and the Southern hemisphere for the winter 2018-2019 season, with an itinerary that includes Santos, Ilha Grande, Buzios, Porto Belo and Camboriu.
The float out is a key milestone in the construction of a cruise ship, as it is the moment when the vessel is first touched by water as her dry dock is flooded and the ship is moved to a wet dock for the final phase of her construction. The exterior of the ship is now complete and work moves to complete interiors, fixtures and furnishings.
At 323 metres long with a 154,000 GRTs, the ship will feature a maximum capacity of 5,179 guests. MSC Seaview is the second of two identical ships in the Seaside class. Her sister ship – MSC Seaside – is set to enter service later this year in November.
MSC Seaview will be the third next-generation ship coming into service in just 12 months, following on from MSC Meraviglia (June 2017) and MSC Seaside (December 2017).