By
Alex Smith |
MSC Cruises officially named its newest ship, MSC Euribia, in a ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 8 June 2023.
The event was presented by Danish television host, actress and model Sarah Grünewald, and included a performance by Tony Hadley, former lead singer of British band Spandau Ballet. Several MSC Cruises executives gave speeches, including Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group's cruise division, and Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises.
“I thank everyone who has worked so hard to bring MSC Euribia to life,” said Vago. “I also thank the local authorities, in particular the Copenhagen Malmo Port authority, for their support of our future operations here. MSC is a family company and we partner for the long term, so I can assure you we will be here for a long time, and will do a great job together.”
MSC Euribia’s godmother, Italian actress Sophia Loren, cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the ship. Following a gala dinner, French DJ and music producer Bob Sinclair brought the celebrations to a conclusion with a performance in MSC Euribia’s Galleria promenade.
MSC Euribia is the 22nd ship in the MSC Cruises fleet, and the fifth and final Meraviglia-class vessel. It is also the second of the cruise line’s ships to be powered by LNG fuel, and it will emit 19 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than its sister ships. The brand emphasised MSC Euribia’s sustainability throughout the day of the naming ceremony, highlighting the impact of the newly introduced technologies onboard.
In an exclusive onboard interview with CFR, managing director of MSC Cruises UK Antonia Paradiso said: “Sustainability is becoming more and more important for consumers. We’ve been sharing all of the things that we’re already doing, but also asking if we can do more. As a result, the association between MSC and sustainability is becoming increasingly well known, and it is becoming one of the biggest drivers from our customers, especially among younger demographics.”
On the way to its naming ceremony, MSC Euribia completed a net-zero cruise utilising bio-LNG fuel produced from wet manure, which was purchased for the European gas network in what is known as a ‘mass-balance’ approach. According to Michele Francioni, senior vice president of cost optimisation and process improvement for MSC Cruises, the ship was able to outperform the expected fuel efficiency for the voyage by 11 per cent, compared to the simulated performance of a digital twin created by shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
“This is an exceptional result for us,” says Francioni. “An 11 per cent improvement means we can save around 45 tonnes of fuel. This has been achieved through a combination of operational optimisation and the use of bio-LNG. We wanted to show that this solution was possible today, and that one day we may be able to expand it to the rest of our operations.”
MSC Euribia will now begin a summer season of sailings in Northern Europe with seven-night voyages from Kiel, Germany, and Copenhagen to the Norwegian fjords, including Geiranger, Ålesund and Flam.