MSC Bellissima Officially Christened in Southampton

   March 3, 2019 ,   Cruise Industry

An official christening ceremony for the biggest cruise ship to be named in the UK had to be evacuated as strong winds rocked the quayside marquee.

MSC Bellissima's star-studded event was held in a large marquee next to the ship at Southampton UK when the decision was made to move the christening onboard.

The ceremony was hosted by This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby and saw screen legend Sophia Loren performing the ribbon-cutting duties.

Before the moving of the event, guests enjoyed a performance by tenors Andrea and Matteo Bocelli as well as a show by Cirque du Soleil at Sea.

Also on the scene were R&B singer Craig David, soul singer Leee John, and disco star Nile Rodgers.

MSC Bellissima is the 14th cruise ship to be named by Italian singer and actress Loren for MSC. The cruise ship, which is the world's 6th largest, was built at a cost of 1 billion US dollars in Saint Nazaire, France.

The vessel will spend her inaugural season in the Mediterranean prior to moving to the Emirates next winter and Asia 2020.