Largest Italian-built Cruise Ship Delivered to MSC
MSC Group’s Cruise Division on Wednesday officially took delivery from shipbuilding group Fincantieri of its new flagship MSC Seascape, said to be the largest and most technologically advanced cruise ship ever built in Italy.
The vessel is the 21st to join the MSC Cruises fleet and the fourth to have been built by Fincantieri as part of a €7 billion investment package for 10 ships. The shipyard will also build six new vessels for MSC’s luxury travel brand, Explora Journeys.
The 170,400 GT, 339-meter-long MSC Seascape is the second Seaside EVO-class ship, an evolution of the Seaside class, and joins MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, which launched in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and sister ship MSC Seashore delivered in 2021.
MSC Seascape features cutting-edge hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and selective catalytic reduction systems (SCR), achieving a 98% reduction of sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions and reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 90%. The wastewater treatment system is designed in line with the International Maritime Organization’s MEPC 227(64) Resolution and achieves higher purification standards than most wastewater treatment plants ashore.
MSC Seascape has been designated “Green Plus”, the highest-level additional notation in environmental sustainability issued by the RINA certification body. The notation recognizes design solutions, on-board equipment and operational procedures voluntarily implemented – both during construction and during the ship’s operation – aimed at improving environmental performance beyond the minimum levels required by applicable international regulations.
The ship has capacity for 5,632 passengers in 2,270 cabins, and it will sail with a crew of 1,648. MSC Seascape offers a range of brand-new features, venues and experiences for guests, as 65% of the public areas have been reimagined to take the guest experience to a new level. The ship offers 13,000 square meters of outdoor space, with outdoor bars and dining, swimming pools, and areas for relaxing and sunbathing.
“MSC Seascape has required an investment of over 1 billion euros which has generated an impact on the Italian economy of almost 5 billion. Our Group – between cruises, cargo, ferries, terminals and other activities – employs around 15,000 direct employees in Italy, generating an employment impact of a further 40,000 people,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruises division of the MSC Group.
Addressing the Government, he underlined that “the shipping, logistics and transport sector requires large investments and is based on multi-year spending programs. We therefore need political stability and a strong, authoritative and constant presence in Europe. Italy - like France and Germany - needs to play a leading role in Europe. Since most of the issues related to the shipping sector are now discussed and decided within the European community."
Following the ship’s official naming ceremony on December 7 in New York, MSC Seascape will offer weekly sailings from Miami to the Caribbean.
Length: 339m
Beam: 41m
Height: 76m
Gross tonnage: 170,400 tonnes
Guests: 5,632
Cabins: 2,270
Crew: 1,648
Maximum speed: approx. 21.8 knots