<h1 class="post-title" style="line-height: 1em; border: 0px; font-size: 2.625em; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><span style="font-size:18px;"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://cruisemiss.com/2014/05/22/msc-cruises-confirms-ship-order-of-two-ground-breaking-vessels/" href="http://cruisemiss.com/2014/05/22/msc-cruises-confirms-ship-order-of-two-ground-breaking-vessels/" rel="bookmark" style="line-height: 1em; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color:#000000;">MSC Cruises Confirms Ship Order Of Two Ground-Breaking&nbsp;Vessels</span></a></span></h1><div class="post-entry" style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; color: rgb(85, 85, 85);"><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/seaside.jpg" href="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/seaside.jpg" style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none;"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5468" data-cke-saved-src="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/seaside.jpg?w=1210&amp;h=554" src="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/seaside.jpg?w=1210&amp;h=554" alt="MSC Cruises Seaside" width="605" height="277" originalw="605" originalh="277" src-orig="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/seaside.jpg?w=605&amp;h=277" scale="2" style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></a></p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">MSC Cruises has today signed a contract with Italian shipyard Fincantieri confirming the construction of two new cruise ships, with an option for one more vessel.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The new prototype project, named ‘Seaside’, will be the largest cruise ships ever built by Fincantieri and will feature a revolutionary architectural style leading the way for a new generation of cruise ships.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The two new ships will cost&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">€700 million</span>&nbsp;each, with the first scheduled for delivery in<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">November 2017</span>&nbsp;and the second arriving in&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">May 2018</span>. The deal follows MSC Cruises’ letter of intent with STX France, signed in March this year for another two ships (and two optioned).</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">“<em style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From the moment we started talking with Fincantieri, we had in mind to design and build two completely new ships, revolutionary in their structure, unlike anything that exists on the market today</em>” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">“<em style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Seaside is a futuristic prototype because of its structure, shape and versatility. We are getting ready for the new and compelling challenge that the construction of these ships represents. It will be a real revolution in the world’s cruise market, an excellent product for its unique and innovative architectural features and cutting-edge technology.</em>”</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may_2014-5.jpg" href="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may_2014-5.jpg" style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none;"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5469" data-cke-saved-src="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may_2014-5.jpg?w=1210&amp;h=856" src="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may_2014-5.jpg?w=1210&amp;h=856" alt="MSC Cruises New Ship" originalw="605" width="605" height="428" originalh="427" src-orig="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may_2014-5.jpg?w=605&amp;h=427" scale="2" style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></a></p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">With a length of<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;323 metres,&nbsp;</span>a width of<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;41 metres&nbsp;</span>and a height of<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;70 metres</span>, the new ships will have a gross tonnage of<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;154,000 tons</span>&nbsp;and will accommodate up to&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5,300 passengers plus 1,413 crew members</span>. The ships will boast&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2,070 guest cabins</span>,&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">759</span>&nbsp;for<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;crew members</span>, and&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">43,500 square metres of public areas available</span>. Innovative in design and versatility, the new ships will be able to dock in any port around the world. Construction will be and will be funded with the support of the insurance and financial company SACE.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The contract was signed between Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pierfrancesco Vago</span>, MSC Cruises chief executive&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gianni Onorato</span>, and Fincantieri chief executive&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Giuseppe Bono</span>.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">“<em style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Today, MSC Cruises adds the last piece to its new industrial plan that will allow us to double the capacity of our fleet by 2022. With the arrival of the new ships we will reach a capacity of about 80,000 passengers a day</em>” said MSC Cruises chief executive&nbsp;<span style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gianni Onorato</span>.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may-2014_sea03.jpg" href="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may-2014_sea03.jpg" style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); text-decoration: none;"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5471" data-cke-saved-src="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may-2014_sea03.jpg?w=1210&amp;h=856" src="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may-2014_sea03.jpg?w=1210&amp;h=856" alt="MSC Cruises New Ships" originalw="605" width="605" height="428" originalh="427" src-orig="http://cruisemiss.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/msc_20_may-2014_sea03.jpg?w=605&amp;h=427" scale="2" style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 5px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></a></p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The ‘Seaside’ prototype presents unique features such as a sea-level promenade that circumnavigates the ship with outdoor spaces, shops and restaurants. In addition, Seaside will also feature a spacious theatre, a terraced balcony and panoramic lifts with sea views.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Furthermore, the ship will boast numerous technological innovations that will, among other things, further reduce fuel consumption by 25%.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">The total value of MSC Cruises’ new orders with Fincantieri and STX France total almost €5 billion.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">MSC Cruises currently operates a fleet of 12 ships. From August 2014 until November 2015 its four smallest Lirica-class ships will each be undergoing a ‘renaissance’ programme of lengthening and refurbishment worth a total of €200 million, also at the Fincantieri yard.</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Info courtesy of MSC Cruises</p><p style="line-height: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1.6em 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"><br></p></div>