MSC Cruises continued towards their rapid expansion of 10 new cruise ships entering service by 2026 when their newest mega ship, MSC Seaview, was floated out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.
MSC Seaview will mark the third ship from MSC Cruises to come into service in just 12 months, beginning with MSC Meraviglia (June 2017), and then MSC Seaside (December 2017), before MSC Seaview (June 2018).
Much like her sister ship MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview will be a sun lover’s paradise, featuring the innovative “condo on the beach” design, bringing guests closer to the sea with more outdoor space per guest than ever before. This includes a 360 degree outdoor promenade, situated lower to the ocean than that of other ships, with outdoor shops and dining.
MSC Seaview will hold 4,134 passengers based on double occupancy, with 2,066 staterooms, 76% of which will have an ocean view or balcony. Some of the balconies will be terraced with both sun-soaked and covered areas, so guests can sun bathe and relax from the privacy of their own staterooms.
MSC Seaview will sail her inaugural 2018 season in the Mediterranean, stopping in Genoa, Naples, Messina, Valetta, Barcelona and Marseille; and then, for winter 2018-2019, she will journey to Brazil and South America with ports of call in Santos, Ilha Grande, Buzios, Porto Belo and Camboriu.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, gave the following statement about the float out of their new cruise ship: “The float out of MSC Seaview is another significant milestone in the expansion of our fleet. She is part of a ten year investment plan that will have already seen the delivery of six new ships by 2020.”
The float out is a key milestone in the construction of a cruise ship, marking the completion of the ship’s exterior. The dry dock is flooded and the vessel meets water for the first time before being moved to a wet dock. Now, in the final phase of construction, work begins to complete the interiors, fixtures and furnishings.
MSC Seaview is the second of two identical ships in the Seaside class — at 1,060 ft. long and 154,000 GRTs — and holding a maximum capacity of 5,179 guests (4,134 at double occupancy).
