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MSC Cruises and Fincantieri mark float out of MSC Seascape

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169,400-gt MSC Seascape will be able to accommodate up to 5,877 guests with 13,000 m2 of outdoor space (source: Fincantieri)MSC Seascape will be delivered in November 2022 from Fincantieri, the second Seaside EVO-class ship to enter the MSC Cruises fleet, and the fourth vessel in the line’s Seaside class
MSC Cruises executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said, “The float out of MSC Seascape marks yet another significant milestone in the growth of our fleet and the vessel will pay homage to the oceans through yet another host of highly innovative maritime and design features.“We have continued with our ambitious new build plans in spite of the pandemic, and today is a double celebration for MSC as our next flagship MSC Seascape is floated out into water simultaneously as its sister ship MSC Seashore is officially named at our private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.


“MSC Seascape – together with MSC Seashore – features some of the latest environmental technologies and solutions to minimise its impact on the environment which will help us take a further step forward towards realising our ambition of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050”.Fincantieri chief executive Giuseppe Bono said, “Such an imposing ship makes it even more suggestive to reflect on the enormous work behind its construction. We began the work on MSC Seascape almost concurrently with the onset of the emergency and today, together with an established operator like MSC, we celebrate its float-out in line with pre-pandemic plans. The great determination in respecting production commitments and preserving the entire orderbook has become the hallmark of our Group, an authentic cornerstone of the culture of the company, and there could not be a better precondition for looking to the future with renewed confidence”.169,400-gt MSC Seascape will be able to accommodate up to 5,877 guests with 13,000 m2 of outdoor space.MSC Seascape’s environmental technologies will include selective catalytic reduction systems on each of its four Wärtsilä 14V 46F engines to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90% by converting the gas into harmless nitrogen and water, plus hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems to remove 98% of sulphur oxide from ship emissions.


Fincantieri added in a statement that the vessel is fitted with best-in-class wastewater treatment systems with purification standards that are higher than most wastewater treatment facilities on land, advanced waste management systems, ballast water treatment systems approved by the US Coast Guard, the latest-technology systems for the prevention of oil discharges from machinery spaces and various effective energy-efficiency improvements – from heat recovery systems to LED lighting able to save energy. The ship will also feature an underwater radiated noise management system to reduce and isolate the potential effects on marine mammals.

Carnival Corporation to ‘fully co-operate’ with a congressional inquiry

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Carnival Corporation to ‘fully co-operate’ with congressional inquiry

Carnival Corporation has said it will fully co-operate with the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after it opened an inquiry into the company’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that letters had been sent to Carnival chief executive Arnold Donald, the US Coast Guard and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asking for internal documents and correspondence relating to outbreaks onboard its ships.

The letter asked Carnival to clarify its plan for improvement in the areas of public health and passenger safety which it said: “has not been seen up to this point”.

It also said the cruise giant appeared to be “still trying to sell this cruise line fantasy and ignoring the public health threat”.

A statement from Carnival said it was reviewing the letter and would fully co-operate with the committee.

The statement said: “Our goal is the same as the committee’s goal, to protect the health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew, along with compliance and environmental protection.”

In a call with journalists on April 16, Donald refuted suggestions the cruise industry was slow to react to the outbreak of coronavirus.

And he argued that cruise was one of the best-placed sectors of travel to cope with anticipated stricter health and safety protocols in the future.

He said: “The cruise industry put a pause on the cruise before anybody else did. Before hotels or restaurants and other places of social gathering.

“Cruise ships are not the cause. Neither are they the reason for the spread.”

Coronavirus: Grand Princess passengers confined to cabins

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Passengers on a Princess Cruises ship off the coast of California have been confined to their cabins following the death of a guest from coronavirus after a previous cruise.

Health tests were carried out yesterday on 45 passengers and crew on board Grand Princess with the results due today (Friday).

The US Coast Guard delivered sampling kits to the ship by helicopter.

Around 140 Britons are reported to be on the ship.

A spokesperson for the line said: “Princess Cruises can confirm there are 3,533 people currently onboard Grand Princess, including 2,422 guests and 1,111 teammates. In total, they represent 54 nationalities.

“Following guidelines received today from the US Centers of Disease Control, all guests have been asked to stay in their staterooms while test results are pending.

“Guests are receiving meal deliveries in their staterooms by room service, and additional television and movie options have been added to in-room programming.

“Guests have also been provided complimentary internet service to stay in contact with their family and loved ones, and the ship’s internet bandwidth has been increased.

“Immediate family members of guests onboard Grand Princess may call the appropriate number in their region to speak with family assistance representatives: US and Canada: +1 888-358-8055, International: +1 872-201-6779.”

The company stressed that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus on board.

The line’s Diamond Princess was quarantined in Japan in early February for 27 days. Six of its passengers – including the first Briton – died after contracting the virus.

Meanwhile, Princess Cruises is changing its cancellation policy on a temporary basis for departures up to May 31.

The revised policy is being introduced “to assist passengers in making decisions regarding their cruise holidays during the evolving worldwide coronavirus situation”.

The details vary by departure date:

April 3 or earlier: Cancel up to 72 hours before sailing to receive a future cruise credit (FCC) for 100% of cancellation fees.

April 4-May 31: Cancel by March 31, 2020, and receive an FCC for 100% of cancellation fees.

Meanwhile, for cruises from June 1–June 30, the final payment moves to 60 days prior to sailing from 90 days.

Passengers that choose to keep their booking for departures between March 9 and May 31 will receive the following complimentary onboard spending money:

$100 per cabin for 3-day and 4-day cruises

$150 per cabin for 5-day cruises

$200 per cabin for 6-day and longer cruise