New York City will serve as the glittering backdrop for an extraordinary inaugural event when MSC Cruises' newest U.S. flagship – MSC Seascape – comes into service later this year. Today the cruise line announced plans to hold the ship's Naming Ceremony at New York's centrally located Manhattan Cruise Terminal on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. The star-studded event will bring MSC Cruises' distinctive European style and glamour to the Big Apple and be attended by local dignitaries, important partners, top travel advisors, media from around the world, celebrities and international artists. And of course, no Naming Ceremony would be complete without Academy Award-Winning star Sophia Loren carrying out her iconic role as godmother to her 18^th MSC Cruises ship.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, Cruise Division of MSC Group, commented: "We are particularly pleased to celebrate this momentous milestone in New York City, which holds a special place in our Group's history, having been served by ships from the MSC Group's cargo division since 1985. Today, as MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company leads the container shipping sector globally as well as across North America, MSC Cruises has grown to become a major player in the U.S. cruise industry. Having developed a meaningful operation out of South Florida, we are now preparing a major strategic expansion across the East Coast that will see us launch year-round cruises out of New York in 2023. We could not think of a better way of celebrating such a significant milestone than holding MSC Seascape's – our latest flagship – naming ceremony in this wonderful city that has been an important hub for MSC Group for over three decades."

MSC Seascape will be the cruise line's first ship to be named in New York, reflecting MSC Cruises' commitment to the North American cruise market and its upcoming expansion to New York and the Northeast with year-round cruises available from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal beginning in April of 2023. MSC Cruises is the world's fastest growing cruise line and the third largest cruise brand in the world. With a truly global footprint, the line is continuing to expand and grow with two new ships coming into service in 2022 – MSC World Europa and MSC Seascape – and MSC Euribia hot on their heels in summer 2023.

Rubén Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA, said: "We are very excited to showcase to New Yorkers our European heritage and the unique international character we bring to cruising, matching the city's multi-cultural flair.  Bringing MSC Seascape to New York City for her Naming Ceremony is a fantastic opportunity for us to host a very special gala event onboard for our valued travel advisors and partners, introducing them to our newest ship.  Come next year, New York City will be our third US home port, alongside Miami and Orlando / Port Canaveral.  This is the latest example of the significant investment we're making in the U.S. and the Caribbean, which includes building the largest cruise terminal in North America at PortMiami and offering Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve as both a stunning tropical destination and a reflection of our commitment to the environment."

While in New York, specially invited guests from around the world will enjoy a Naming Ceremony that includes live entertainment and performances, along with a gala dinner and an opportunity to discover MSC Seascape's spectacular onboard venues and experiences.

MSC Seascape will sail to Miami immediately following the ceremony for an inaugural season in the Caribbean, with a long list of fantastic features that make her particularly well-suited for the region's warm, sunny weather. The ship will be the second Seaside EVO class ship to enter MSC Cruises' fleet and the fourth vessel in the line's highly innovative Seaside class, which has been redefining guests' expectations for Caribbean cruising since MSC Seaside first launched in Miami in 2017.

MSC Seascape will offer two different 7-night itineraries from PortMiami:

• Eastern Caribbean: Calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Nassau in The Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic
• Western Caribbean: Calling at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands and Ocho Rios in Jamaica
  
  

To find out more about MSC Seascape's itineraries, click here.

Travel advisors from the New York area and across the Northeast should contact their MSC Cruises representative for an invite to this one of a kind, much coveted event.

New Horizons at Sea

MSC Seascape will offer an immersive experience that connects guests with the sea through her cutting-edge design and impressive outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed for relaxation, dining, and entertainment. Some of the key highlights include:

• 2,270 cabins, featuring 12 different kinds of suites and staterooms with balconies (including the iconic aft suites featured on all Seaside class ships)
• 11 dining venues plus 19 bars and lounges, with many options for 'Al Fresco' dining and drinking
• Six swimming pools, including a stunning aft infinity pool with incredible ocean views
• The largest and most luxurious MSC Yacht Club in MSC Cruises' fleet, with approximately 32,000 square feet of space featuring sweeping ocean views from the front of the ship
• An expansive 1,772-foot-long waterfront promenade that puts guests closer to the ocean
• A spectacular glass-floored Bridge of Sighs at deck 16 with a unique view of the sea
  
  

MSC Seascape's environmental technologies will include selective catalytic reduction systems on each of her four Wärtsilä 14V 46F engines, reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 percent and converting the gas into harmless nitrogen and water. Separate hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems will remove 98 percent of sulphur oxide from ship emissions.

The vessel is fitted with best-in-class wastewater treatment systems with purification standards that are higher than most wastewater treatment facilities on land. It will feature advanced waste management systems, ballast water treatment systems approved by the United States Coast Guard, the latest-technology systems for the prevention of oil discharges from machinery spaces, and various effective energy-efficiency improvements – from heat recovery systems to LED lighting able to save energy.

The ship will also feature an underwater radiated noise management system to reduce and isolate the potential effects on marine mammals.