New York City will serve as the backdrop for the 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 Manhattan Cruise Terminal on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. And of course, no Naming Ceremony would be complete without Academy Award-Winning star Sophia Loren carrying out her role as godmother to her 18th MSC Cruises ship.
“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,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, cruise division of MSC Group. “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. 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 in summer 2023.
“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,” said Ruben Rodriguez, president, MSC Cruises USA. “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 homeport, 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, 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. 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
Travel advisors from the New York area and across the Northeast should contact their MSC Cruises representative for an invite to this event.
For more information, visit msccruisesusa.com/cruise/ships/msc-seascape/itineraries.
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