The Discovery Princess, the sixth Royal-class ship built Princess Cruises, floated out today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone.
Interior fittings will now begin, leading the vessel to delivery, scheduled next year for Princess, which is owned by Carnival Corporation.
The 145,000-ton ship is a sister vessel to the Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess, which were all built and delivered in the same shipyard starting from 2013.
The partnership between the Monfalcone yard and Princess Cruises will continue with two next-generation cruise ships. These will be the largest built so far in Italy with a gross-tonnage of 175,000 tons, will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be the first of the ship owner’s fleet to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Deliveries are scheduled for 2023 and 2025.
MSC Cruises will be the first cruise line in the world to install a new advanced air sanitization system onboard its ships.
The new technology sanitization system, known as Safe Air, will improve the quality and cleanliness of onboard air for all passengers and crew.
The Safe Air system will be fitted on MSC Seashore, which is currently undergoing construction at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard.
The first in MSC Cruises’ Seaside Eco class of ships, MSC Seashore is due to be delivered in July 2021.
Safe Air is just the latest in a string of new health and safety measures being implemented by MSC Cruises, following the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary suspension of cruising.The Safe Air system based on the technology of UV-C lamps which are type C ultraviolet rays applied in combination with the ship’s air conditioning system.
Airflow is radiated at the source with a short wavelength light that hits organic particles and prevents the circulation of air pollutants such as viruses, bacteria, and mould.
The system was developed by the Fincantieri’s designers and technicians and the virology laboratory of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, a leading global research institute headquartered in Trieste, Italy.
While MSC Seashore isn’t due to launch until 2021, the cruise line is implementing a host of other strict health and safety procedures in the meantime.
Since partially resuming operations on 16 August on MSC Grandiosa, MSC has been following procedures like universal health screening before boarding, temperature checks, health questionnaires, Covid-19 antigen swab tests, and the wearing of face masks.
Other aspects of the protocol include enhanced sanitization and cleaning, a social bubble for shore excursions, testing of the crew, enhanced medical facilities, and daily health monitoring.
More than 40% of new ship MSC Seashore has been redesigned and enhanced as a “significant evolution and improvement” over its two sister ships.
The differences to MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview include 200 extra cabins, a larger ‘ship within a ship’ MSC Yacht Club and an additional double-deck lounge at the rear.
The latest MSC Cruises’ vessel, due to enter service in June 2021, will have 10,000 square metres of additional deck space with a 16-metre extension to 339 metres, making it the longest vessel in the fleet.
Features include 28 more terraced suites and two suites with private whirlpools.
The expanded MSC Yacht Club will include two new cabin categories – 41 deluxe grand suites and two owner’s suites with whirlpools.
A ‘cluster cabin’ concept for families – where two or three adjoining cabins can be linked to accommodate between six and ten people – will be introduced, while 75 larger cabins for disabled passengers are added.
Two new restaurants are planned alongside a new location for five speciality dining outlets to allow for al fresco waterfront seating on the ship’s boardwalk.
The interior has been redesigned with two central meeting points positioned at the middle and forward part of the ship, as well as specific measures to improve passenger flows.
MSC Seashore will have a bigger casino and 20 speciality bars.
The ship will feature a new design of its aft swimming pool, an enlarged indoor pool and a new waterpark. Clubs for young children and teenagers have been separated from a larger kids’ zone.
A range of environmental protection measures is to be installed including a selective catalytic reduction system designed to help cut nitrogen oxide by 90% through advanced active emissions control technology.
Wastewater will go through a purification and filtration process that transforms it to “near tap-water” quality.
The new-build will also be fitted with shore-to-ship power connections while in port to reduce emissions.
The details emerged at a keel-laying ceremony for the ship at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
MSC Cruises’ executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said: “Today’s ceremony marks another key milestone in the construction of one of our most innovative all-around ships yet.
“Most importantly, MSC Seashore – which will feature the latest and most advanced environmental technology currently available – represents another proof of our long-standing commitment to preserving the environment in our ongoing journey to minimise and continuously reduce the impact of our operations.”
Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono added: “The beginning of drydock works of MSC Seashore, the largest ship so far built in Italy, is for us a source of great satisfaction.
“It is a real challenge in terms of structural and managerial aspects, which powers the impressive workload for the shipyard and the local area.”
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