MSC Cruises took delivery of its first Seaside class cruise ship and announced plans for two new cutting-edge ships during a ceremony for the flagship MSC Seaside in Italy on Wednesday.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella was among the many big names on hand for the MSC Seaside's highly anticipated delivery at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
The global cruise line used the ceremony stage to announce the orders of two Seaside EVO ships to be built by Fincantieri. The ships will expand on the Seaside prototype and signal a total investment of €1.8 billion ($2.13 billion), MSC Cruises said.
The first Seaside EVO ship is slated for a 2021 delivery while the second is scheduled to come into service in 2023.
The 169,380-ton vessels will accommodate up to 5,646 passengers and will feature a slew of enhancements, including greater dimensions, more cabins and an expanded Yacht Club boasting an extra deck and larger rooms.
Like the MSC Seaside, the EVO ships will come equipped with the latest advanced environmental technology. Highlights include a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, an advanced active emissions control technology system, exhaust gas cleaning (EGC) technology, state-of-the-art waste management and recycling systems, advanced water treatment systems and an advanced energy and heat recovery system.
LED lighting and optimized hull lines, propellers and rudders will assist in energy saving and help to improve fuel efficiency.
"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," MSC Cruises executive chairman, Pierfrancesco Vago said in a statement. "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."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Meet MSC Cruises' Next Two New Ships[/READMORE]
Following Wednesday's delivery, the MSC Seaside will sail to its homeport in Miami ahead of a naming ceremony December 21. The flagship vessel will eventually depart Miami for her first sailing to the Caribbean.
With the addition of the two Seaside EVO ships, MSC Cruises' ambitious €10.5 billion ($12.44 billion) investment plan now comprises a dozen new ships to be built between 2017 and 2026.
"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," Vago concluded. "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."
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