COIN CEREMONY FOR MSC SEASIDE MARKS ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY “SHIP THAT FOLLOWS THE SUN”

MSC Seaside’s innovative design offers sun worshipers the highest ratio of outdoor space at sea

Geneva, Switzerland and Trieste, Italy, 21 April 2016 – Today MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa, and FINCANTIERI, heir to the great tradition of Italian shipbuilding and one of the largest shipbuilding groups in the world, marked an important milestone in the building of MSC Seaside with the celebration of the traditional maritime coin ceremony held at the Monfalcone, Italy shipyard. The first of up to three MSC Cruises’ next-generation “Seaside” class of smart ships is set to come into service in December 2017 and will sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean. MSC Seaside forms a key pillar of the Company’s ten-plus years €9 billion investment plan, which includes the building of up to 11 next-generation smart ships coming into service between 2017 and 2026.

Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises Chief Executive Officer commented: “MSC Seaside combines FINCANTIERI’s Italian flair and excellence in design with MSC Cruises’ global vision and focus on innovation for both hardware and product. This prototype is significantly different to anything we have ever built before as this is a ship dedicated to cruising in warm seas.  The design of the ship embodies our passion for the sea with innovative features to enhance the enjoyment of the open water and sunshine for our guests . With the highest ratio of outdoor spaces on any of MSC Cruises’ ships, guests will also enjoy an increased number of balcony cabins, sea views and public areas.”

Mr Onorato, concluded: “An important feature of an MSC Cruises holiday is the dining experience, which is distinguished by the extensive variety of Mediterranean and international cuisines on offering and wide range of dining formats available. Specifically for MSC Seaside, we are developing exciting new dining options for the delight of our guests, with nine eateries featuring cuisines from all around the world including a Pan-Asian restaurant in partnership with acclaimed chef, Roy Yamaguchi, a luxury seafood restaurant with chef’s table and a world-class international steak house, amongst others.”

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: “MSC Seaside, the biggest ship ever built in our shipyards, will strengthen our leadership as the most innovative shipbuilder in the cruise industry. This new concept will provide owner with more revenue-generating solutions, with more cabins than a comparable, contemporary design, more open-deck space and an increase in performances, being significantly more efficient”.

MSC Seaside is built on MSC Cruises’ fifth consecutive brand new prototype of cruise ship, demonstrating the Company’s ongoing commitment to bringing to guests the most contemporary and technologically advanced ships that meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s cruise guests. This particular class of ships has been inspired by a pioneering beach condo concept, bringing guests and the sea closer as well as enhancing the beauty of the natural surroundings while at sea.
The vision for this ship was to create something truly unique, bringing to play the Company’s focus on innovation, attention to details all around and the elegant side of the Mediterranean. Every element of the ship is designed to enable guests to enjoy the outdoors in every aspect of their life onboard, from cabins and suites with outdoor spaces, eating and drinking al fresco through to outdoor fitness facilities and luxury cabanas for spa treatments in the fresh air.

At 323 metres long with a GRT of 160,000 tonnes, the ship will feature a maximum capacity of 5,179 guests. MSC Seaside is the first of two identical ships in the Seaside generation. Her sister ship is set to enter service in 2018, while a third one – reflecting an existing option for one additional Seaside generation ship – would be delivered by 2021.
Itineraries and the exclusive Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

The Caribbean is an increasingly in-demand destination for cruise guests and holidaymakers alike from all over the world. MSC Seaside will feature starting in December 2017 exciting itineraries including the Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, thus complementing the itineraries of its other ships serving the region, MSC Divina sailing out of Miami as well as MSC Opera and MSC Armonia out of Havana, Cuba .

In addition, the ship will call at MSC Cruises’ own Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Spanning 95-acres (38.5-hectares) with 11,400 feet (3.5 km) of pristine beach-front spread across six distinct beaches, representing in total the fourth longest beach in the world, this exclusive marine reserve island experience is only available to MSC Cruises guests.
A purpose-built berth and pier right on the seafront mean that MSC Cruises guests will be able to step off the ship straight onto the island finding there all the services available to them on board, including the Yacht Club, thus making it a true and unique extension of the ship itself. The nightlife on the island will include live music and entertainment at the 2,000-seat open air amphitheatre, as well as many restaurants and bars.

Unique design features

Three catwalks unlike anything else at sea with glass balustrades and a glass floor will give guests the feeling that they are walking on water. The catwalk on the top deck spans 30 metres with views from the top of the ship; the other two are located on deck eight, are 40 metres in length and are part of a 360° open air promenade, the widest on any ship ever built. This stunning public space encircles the entire ship with a tempting array of bars and restaurants so that guests can enjoy al fresco dining and drinking as well as strolling along taking in the sea air. Panoramic lifts will transport guests whilst providing stunning ocean views.

Variety of accommodations

The accommodations on MSC Seaside are specially designed to meet the needs of a variety of cruise guests, in particular families and their children, groups, sun-lovers who want private outdoor space through to those who are looking for the exclusive style and luxury of the MSC Yacht Club. These include, amongst others:
•    14 exclusive aft corner suites where the beach condo design truly comes to life;
•    A collection of terraced balcony cabins are another exclusive design feature and industry-first,  where guests will be able to unwind and relax in the sunshine on their own private terrace overlooking the promenade and with views out to sea;
•    Cluster cabins have been specially designed to be adapted to meet the size of families and groups;
•    Luxury suites with a two-person private outdoor Jacuzzi;
•    Two exclusive Wellness Cabins featuring the most advanced fitness Kinesis fitness equipment from Technoygm, MSC Cruises’ Wellness Experience partner

The further enhanced MSC Yacht Club featured on MSC Seaside is located on the prestigious foredecks offering a vast private solarium, a private lounge and restaurant, with the suites all having a private whirlpool bath.

World-Class entertainment

Exclusive, world-class entertainment is an important distinguishing feature of any MSC Cruises experience. The entertainment spaces on board MCS Seaside have been designed to offer a wide choice of performances and shows with a stunning new theatre and comedy club. Other features include family entertainment such as a full-sized bowling alley and a 5D cinema.
For thrill-seekers who want to experience the sensation of flying at sea, MSC Seaside will feature the longest zip line on any cruise ship currently at sea. Taking off from the funnel at the top of the ship, guests will whiz along the impressive 130 metres across the length of the ship landing at the aft.
Another industry-leading feature is the most interactive and originally-designed aqua park at sea, with four slides and attractions for all ages, including:
•    Slideboarding - a unique waterslide and interactive video game all in one;
•    Duelling High-Speed Aquatubes - sitting in single or double inner tubes, guests race against their fellow guests through  metres of twists, turns and drops on slides that partially extend over the side of the ship and give riders a view of the sea below;  
•    AquaPlay™ & AquaSpray™ catering to younger guests, a portion the aqua park will be designed specifically for tots, featuring an active and colourful water play structure that is an experience all of its own;
•    Adventure Trail - a ropes course which allows guests to traverse between soaring towers, rope bridges, climbs, crawl-throughs and slides as they enjoy an amazing bird’s eye view of the sea.

Fine dining

With the focus on fine dining being one of the key features of the MSC Cruises’ offering, MSC Seaside will offer one of the more extensive choices of specially designed indoor and outdoor restaurants at sea, featuring cuisines from around the world and 20 distinct bars each with their own individual character.

Through a partnership with Pan-Asian chef Roy Yamaguchi MSC Cruises will delight guests with a specialty restaurant exclusive to MSC Seaside. The world-renowned chef will design every element of his restaurant that boasts magnificent views of the sea. Four teppanyaki grills with expertly trained chefs will create a visual spectacle for diners as they prepare a range of Asian dishes including Thai, Korean and traditional Japanese. The sushi, sashimi and raw bar will delight seafood lovers with fresh oysters, lobster, prawns and snow crab served chilled.  Finally the A-La Carte menu will offer an additional range of gourmet Asian creations.

Other dining experiences include a luxury seafood restaurant with chef’s table, a world-class international steak house where the beef will dry age onboard, and a dedicated family pizzeria.