During a press conference this past week at Cruise Shipping Miami, executives from MSC Cruises unveiled a number of new and unique features for the upcoming MSC Seaside in addition to her year round home.
Beginning in 2017, the MSC Seaside will sail year round from a new dedicated and refurbished terminal at PortMiami. During her multi-year commitment to PortMiami, the MSC Seaside will offer year round sailings to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. In addition, her christening in 2017 will take place in Miami, the first time an MSC ship will be christened in North America.
“MSC Cruises has the unique opportunity to provide North American guests with a âMediterranean Style Cruiseâ experience that no other line is able to offer, and guests from around the world a unique setting as it sails to the most sought-after destinations in the Caribbeanâ said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. âSince bringing MSC Divina to Miami in November 2013, weâve seen significant demand from consumers in the product, excellent support from our travel agent partners and the growing need for additional MSC Cruisesâ ships in the market.â
Following the reveal of MSC Seaside’s new home, MSC also unveiled an expansive waterpark area for MSC Seaside, which it is dubbing “the most interactive waterpark at sea.” The new waterpark, tucked behind the ship’s massive funnel, will feature two 525 foot long duel racing slides; an interactive water play area featuring jets, hoses, and water bucket; Adventure Trail, a wet and dry adventure ropes course; and Slideboarding, a new waterslide incorporating a video game experience.
Waterpark design firm, WhiteWater West Industries of Canada, gave a brief explanation of the new Slideboarding experience: “Guests race down a two-story, 367 foot slide on a sleekly designed raft that includes an embedded game controller with colored buttons. The end goal â match the color of the flashing strobe lights seen on various sections of the slide with the colored buttons on the raft.”
A number of additional spaces and amenities are expected to be announced in the coming months.
The new MSC Seaside is currently scheduled to debut in Miami in 2017. Upon her debut, she will be the largest ship to date for MSC Cruises, carrying 4,410 guests and weighing in at 154,000 tons.
