Geneva-based cruise line MSC Cruises and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri celebrated the float-out of MSC Seaside, the first of the two “Seaside” class mega-ships ordered by the company, at the shipyard in Monfalcone on November 26, 2016.
MSC Seaside is scheduled to enter service between June and December 2017 and will be homeported in Miami.
Featuring a length of 323 meters and a width of 41 meters, the 154,000 gross ton cruise ship will able to accommodate 5,179 passengers and 1,413 crew.
The new cruise ship is part of MSC Cruises’ EUR 9 billion (around USD 9.6 billion) plan which includes the construction of 11 next-generation ships expected to enter service between 2017 and 2026. The company’s investment in MSC Seaside amounted to EUR 700 million.
The steel cutting ceremony for MSC Seaside was held at Monfalcone shipyard in June 2015.