MSC Group’s Cruise Division has taken delivery from Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard of its new flagship ‘MSC Seascape’, the 21st to join the MSC Cruises fleet and the fourth to have been built by Fincantieri as part of a €7bn investment package for 10 ships.
The shipyard will also build six new vessels for MSC’s luxury travel brand, Explora Journeys. MSC Seascape is considered the largest and most technologically advanced cruise ship built in Italy and features important innovations from an environmental perspective.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Group Cruises division, said: “The construction of MSC Seascape demonstrates, once again, the strong and lasting commitment of the MSC Group towards Italy and its manufacturing and underlines our confidence in the recovery of a country in which we have never stopped investing and believing in. MSC Seascape has required an investment of over €1bn which has generated an impact on the Italian economy of almost €5bn. Our Group – between cruises, cargo, ferries, terminals and other activities – employs around 15,000 direct employees in Italy, generating an employment impact of a further 40,000 people. The shipping, logistics and transport sector requires large investments and is based on multi-year spending programmes. We therefore need political stability and a strong, authoritative and constant presence in Europe. Italy – like France and Germany – needs to play a leading role in Europe, since most of the issues related to the shipping sector are now discussed and decided within the European Community”
Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero said: “The delivery of MSC Seascape represents great importance from many points of view, first of all in the relationship with the shipowner. In fact, this ship is the seal of a hugely successful class, Seaside, launched over eight years ago with two new generation units, further evolved into the two ‘Evo’. Secondly, from a management point of view, for Fincantieri this is a result of absolute importance, achieved in full compliance with the deadlines despite the unprecedented difficulties that have characterised the global context in recent years. Finally, in terms of technological innovation, Seascape stands at the forefront in terms of environmental sustainability. By virtue of all this, we look to the future of the sector with optimism, aiming to remain a leader also thanks to a consolidated and ambitious partnership such as the one with MSC”.
MSC Cruises says it has always been committed to operate some of the world’s most technologically-advanced cruise ships, and this innovation also applies to environmental performance. With the long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon cruising by 2050, each new MSC cruise ship represents another step towards this goal, along with other investments to help accelerate the development of next-generation environmental technologies. MSC Seascape features technologies and equipment to minimise the ship’s environmental impact. This includes hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and selective catalytic reduction systems (SCR), achieving a 98% reduction of SOx emissions and reducing NOx emissions by 90%. The wastewater treatment system is designed in line with the IMO MEPC 227(64) Resolution and achieves higher purification standards than most wastewater treatment plants ashore.
MSC Seascape has been designated ‘Green Plus’, the highest-level additional notation in environmental sustainability issued by RINA. The notation recognises design solutions, on-board equipment and operational procedures voluntarily implemented – both during construction and during the ship’s operation – aimed at improving environmental performance beyond the minimum levels required by applicable international regulations.
The 339m 170,400gt MSC Seascape is the second Seaside Evo-class ship, an evolution of the pioneering Seaside class, and joins MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, which launched in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and sister ship MSC Seashore delivered in 2021. MSC Seascape has accommodation for 5632 passengers and 1648 crew.
