MSC Cruises christened the 5900-passenger vessel MSC Seascape on Wednesday, December 7th, at New York City’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
~3000 guests, including key travel partners, MSC officials, VIPs and media, witnessed as Alexa Aponte-Vago, daughter of Gianluigi Aponte (MSC Group's founder and executive chairman) performed the traditional ribbon cutting to name the boat.
The 170,000 GT ship was blessed by Sophia Loren (88-year-old Italian actress and MSC cruise fleet's godmother) who appeared via special broadcast.
Loren said that one of the highlights of the past 20 years had been to officiate the christening of MSC's passenger ships.
“MSC has always occupied a special place in my heart. Let me bless the MSC Seascape, her great crew and all her passengers.”
MSC Seascape arrived in NYC after a 17-day Transatlantic crossing from Europe. MSC selected New York City for the naming to celebrate the company’s commitment to the American market including her 2023 launch of voyages from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on the fleetmate MSC Meraviglia.
Pierfrancesco Vago (executive chairman of the cruise division of MSC Group) said they had come a long way since the pandemic hit. He added the industry had been put in the spotlight from the start just like New York had been.
"But like you in the face of adversity, we came together and steered ourselves on the right course.”
MSC Seascape is now en route to PortMiami (satellite AIS tracking), from where will offer alternating 7-night roundtrips to Eastern and Western Caribbean destinations. All of these voyages visit MSC’s private Bahamian island Ocean Cay.