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

Geneva, Switzerland and Trieste, Italy, 21 April 2016 – Together with FINCANTIERI - one of the largest shipbuilding groups in the world - MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe, today marked an important milestone in the building of MSC Seaside with the traditional maritime coin ceremony held at the Monfalcone, Italy shipyard. The first of up to three MSC Cruises’ “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 year, €9 billion investment plan, which includes the building of up to 11 next-generation 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. This ship is significantly different to anything we have ever built before as it is dedicated to cruising in warm climates.  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 offer and the wide range of dining formats available. Specifically for MSC Seaside, we are developing exciting new dining options for our guests. Amongst others there will be nine eateries featuring cuisines from around the world including a Pan-Asian restaurant in partnership with acclaimed chef, Roy Yamaguchi, a luxury seafood restaurant with a chef’s table and a world-class international steak house.”
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 MSC Cruises with more revenue-generating solutions; more cabins than a comparable, contemporary design; more open-deck space and more efficiency in the way that it runs.”
The MSC Seaside class of ship has been inspired by a pioneering beach condo concept, bringing guests closer to the sea and enhancing the beauty of their natural surroundings. Every element of the ship is designed to enable guests to enjoy the outdoors, from cabins and suites with outdoor spaces to al fresco dining options and outdoor fitness facilities. There will even be luxury cabanas where guests can enjoy 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. The sister ship is set to enter service in 2018, while a third one – an existing option for one additional Seaside generation ship – will be delivered by 2021.

Unique design features
Three walkways with glass balustrades and a glass floor will give guests the feeling that they are walking on water. The walkway 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 the 360° open air promenade. This stunning public space will encircle the entire ship with a range of bars and restaurants for guests to enjoy al fresco dining or a walk in the sea air. Panoramic lifts will transport guests whilst providing stunning ocean views.

Variety of accommodation
The accommodation on MSC Seaside is specially designed to meet the needs of a variety of cruise guests, in particular families and their children, groups, sun-lovers and those who are looking for the exclusive style and luxury of the MSC Yacht Club. These include:
•    14 exclusive aft corner suites where the beach condo design truly comes to life;
•    A collection of terraced balcony cabins where guests will be able to unwind and relax in the sunshine on their own private terrace;
•    Modular cabins have been specially designed to be adapted to meet the size of families and groups;
•    Luxury suites with a two-person private outdoor whirlpool bath;
•    Two exclusive Wellness Cabins featuring the most advanced fitness equipment from Technoygm, MSC Cruises’ Wellness Experience partner

The enhanced MSC Yacht Club on MSC Seaside will feature a private solarium, a private lounge and restaurant, and all of the suites will have a private whirlpool bath.

World-Class entertainment

Exclusive, world-class entertainment is an important 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 current cruise ship. Taking off from the funnel at the top of the ship, guests will whizz 130 metres across the length of the ship, landing at the aft.
There will also be four interactive slides and attractions for all ages, including:
•    Slideboarding - a unique waterslide and interactive video game;
•    Duelling High-Speed Aquatubes - sitting in single or double inner tubes, guests race against each other 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™ for younger guests, a portion of the aqua park will be designed specifically for tots, featuring an active and colourful water play structure;
•    Adventure Trail - a rope course that 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.

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 exciting itineraries including the Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica and Puerto Rico from December 2017, enhancing the current MSC Cruises offering: MSC Divina will continue to sail out of Miami with MSC Opera and MSC Armonia sailing out of Havana, Cuba.
In addition the ship will call at MSC Cruises’ own Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Spanning 95-acres with 3.5 km of pristine beach spread across six distinct beaches (representing the fourth longest beach in the world) this exclusive marine reserve island experience is only available to MSC Cruises guests.
The island will be an extension to the ship itself. 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 where they will find all the services available to them on board, including the Yacht Club. 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.