MSC’s new ship Seaview – the first of 11 on order – is seriously glitzy

Jane Archer attends the christening in Genoa and is impressed with the innovations – including the longest zipline at sea – and food offerings

MSC’s new ship Seaview is packed with the latest innovations – boasting everything from a slide-boarding flume to a spa treatment where you can get rubbed in wine.
The vessel, christened by Italian actress Sophia Loren in a gala ceremony in Genoa in June, is the second MSC ship with an unusual Miami condo-style design at the back and lots of outdoor space. It is also the first of a huge order for 11 new ships between now and 2026.

“Seaview is designed to bring passengers closer to the sea,” said UK managing director Antonio Paradiso. “Almost three-quarters of cabins have balconies, there is an outdoor buffet and booths on the deck sell snacks.”

There is also a large Yacht Club – an exclusive ship within a ship area that has featured on every new MSC ship since Fantasia launched in 2008, but which Paradiso dubbed “our best kept secret in the UK”.

Seaview is designed to bring passengers closer to the sea

They will feature in MSC’s first-ever TV ads in the UK, which Paradiso is planning to run in the lead up to the launch of the next newbie, MSC Bellissima, which is being named in Southampton on March 2.

“The UK accounts for about seven per cent of MSC’s bookings. I want to get that to 10 per cent,” he said Seaview is seriously glitzy, with sparkling Swarovski staircases,
a stunning four-deck-high atrium with a stage above the bar for live bands and huge LED screens that show everything from cityscapes to toothy sharks.

There’s a new fish restaurant, Ocean Cay, which has been opened in partnership with Spanish two Michelin star chef Ramon Freixa and the Asian market kitchen (part sushi, teppanyaki, part pan-Asian) that debuted on MSC Seaside. They cost extra, as does my favourite, the French L’Atelier Bistrot.

The play areas for babies and children, as well as separate teen hang-outs for 12 to 14 and 15 to 17-year-olds, are really impressive, but I suspect youngsters will prefer zapping aliens in the 4D cinema, racing on a F1 simulator, sliding down the water slides in the jungle-themed adventure park or taking on the longest zipline at sea – 105m, about the same length as a football pitch.

A head for heights is a must.

The MSC order book 2018-2026

2018
MSC Seaview (Seaside class)

2019
MSC Bellissima (Meraviglia class);
MSC Grandiosa (Meraviglia-Plus class)

2020
MSC Virtuosa (Meraviglia-Plus)

2021
Unnamed (Seaside Evo class)

2022
Unnamed (World class)

2023
Unnamed (Seaside Evo class);
Unnamed (Meraviglia class)

2024
Unnamed (World class)

2025
Unnamed (World class)

2026
Unnamed (World class)