By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Award-winning Italian actress Sophia Loren helped MSC Cruises to christen its newest cruise ship, MSC Seaview, during a ceremony at the Port of Genoa in Italy on 9 June.
The celebrations were hosted by Italian TV star Michelle Hunziker and featured a performance from the Italian children’s choir, Piccolo Coro Dell'Antoniano. The choir represented the United Nations humanitarian and developmental aid organisation UNICEF, which is a long-time partner of MSC Cruises.
Matteo Bocelli, son of the world-famous Andrea Bocelli, also took to the stage, just as he did when MSC Seaview’s sister ship MSC Seaside was christened in Miami, Florida last December.
Loren finished off the traditional proceedings by cutting a ribbon to launch the bottle of champagne to name MSC Seaview.
Also present at the ceremony was Ramon Freixa, the Spanish Michelin-starred chef who has extended his partnership with MSC Cruises to develop his first restaurant at sea onboard MSC Seaview. Pan-Asian chef Roy Yamaguchi was also there to celebrate opening his second restaurant at sea – the his first launched on MSC Seaside.
MSC Seaview is designed to bring guests outside into the open decks and walkways. Featuring the highest ratio of outdoor space of any MSC Cruises ship, MSC Seaview brings guests closer to the sea with staterooms and suites featuring elongated balconies offering both shaded and uncovered areas, dining and drinking and outdoor fitness and luxury spa cabanas in the open air.
MSC Seaview is the 15th addition to the MSC Cruises fleet and the third ship to come into service in just 12 months as part of the company’s €10.5 billion (US$12.4 billion) investment plan.
MSC Seaview will begin her maiden voyage from Genoa on 20 June, embarking guests at six ports in the Western Mediterranean including Genoa, Marseille, France; Barcelona, Spain; Naples in Italy; Messina in Sicily; and Valetta in Malta. After her inaugural season, she will journey to South America to call on various South American destinations, including Brazil.