€ 1.8b order for two new MSC ships

MSC Cruises has signed orders with shipbuilders Fincantieri for the construction of two new Seaside EVO ships at a cost of €1.8 billion (A$2.8 billion).

The deal was formalised yesterday as the line took delivery of its new flagship MSC Seaside,

pictured, the line’s second new ship to enter service this year.

“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,” said MSC Cruises executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago.

“She is the first ship of the fifth new prototype that we bring into service and introduces a whollyinnovative product that sets a new standard for the industry to follow,” he said.

At 153,516 GRT, MSC Seaside has a capacity of 5,179 guests and will home port in Miami for a series of cruises in the Caribbean.

She will be followed in six months by a sister ship, MSC

Seaview, and forms the prototype to the two new Seaside EVO class ships ordered yesterday.

The first EVO vessel will enter service in 2021, followed by the second in 2023.

The as-yet-unnamed additions will be slightly larger at 169,380 GRT and will carry up to 5,646 passengers each.

They will offer more space, a larger Yacht Club and additional deck space, as well as operating new environmental technology including emissions control systems, exhaust cleaning and water treatment systems.

Vago said with the addition of two Seaside EVO ships to its investment plan, MSC was in an even better positioned to further extend its global footprint.