MSC Cruises push shipbuilding, design boundaries in agreement with Fincantieri
“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,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises executive chairman.
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, 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 ship owners 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.”
Following the new agreement between MSC Cruises and Fincantieri, the initial slot reservation agreement to build a third Seaside Class ship to be delivered in 2021 has been replaced to instead build the first of two Seaside EVO ships. The second ship is set to come into service in 2023.
Key specs for the new Seaside EVO are as follows:
• Length/beam: 339m/41m
• Gross tonnage: 169,380 GRT
• LSA: 7,280
In addition to offering more space, Seaside EVO ships will also 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 passengers.
Optimising environmental technology
Just like the Seaside Class, the Seaside EVO 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, state-of-the-art 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. Across the ships, there will be the latest generation of energy-saving devices 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 has already industry-unprecedented investment plan will now account for twelve new ships to be built by 2026, for an overall investment of EUR 10.5bn.
MSC Seaside will be homeported in Miami and will begin her first sailing in the Caribbean where she will call at various ports in the East and West Caribbean. MSC Seaview will be christened in Civitavecchia, Italy, on 2 June 2018.
