With Hollywood Royalty Sophia Loren on board, MSC’s newest ship is at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve to celebrate her naming ceremony. For the 16th time, Sophia Loren is Godmother to an MSC cruise ship.
At the same time, the cruise celebrates the inauguration of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve itself. Although the island has been open for a while now, MSC Cruises is taking the opportunity to celebrate its newest Seaside EVO ship full of environmental improvements and a private island that includes a coral laboratory and coral nursery areas.
MSC Cruisesโ Newest And Most Innovative Ship
She is not just the next Seaside-class ship; MSC Seashore is a more than 65% redesigned and redeveloped version of her earlier sister ships with new public areas, more guest staterooms, more outdoor space, and considerably longer. Although the ship had been scheduled to start operations from Miami earlier this year, she sailed a short summer season in the Mediterranean.
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On November 17, MSC Seashore departed from Miami, Florida, with a select group of invited guests onboard. Miami is the vessel’s permanent homeport from where she sails on Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries.
Travel advisors and media from around the world and other important VIPs and stakeholders are witnesses today as Sophia Loren performs her role as godmother to an MSC cruise ship for the 16th time.
Festivities are taking place both onboard the ship and on the island, where MSC Seashore will remain throughout the night. A gala dinner will follow the christening, while live entertainment is provided courtesy of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and three-time Grammy Award-winner Nile Rodgers and his band Chic.
Inauguration of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
Today’s naming ceremony also serves as the formal inauguration of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Although the island opened temporarily in December of 2019, it closed down shortly after the pandemic hit.
The inauguration includes a ground-breaking ceremony for the MSC Foundation’s Marine Conservation Center, which consists of a laboratory and coral nursery areas in an effort to restore coral reefs in the Bahamas.
President of MSC Cruises U.S.A., Rubรฉn Rodrรญguez, commented: โToday is a truly special day for us. MSC Seashore is yet another example of us bringing our newest, most innovative ships to the U.S. market. Itโs also special because we are naming her at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, our breath-taking private island committed to the restoration of marine resources and the ongoing conservation of marine life.โ
When MSC took charge of Ocean Cay, it was certainly not the tropical island paradise it is today. For a long time, the area served as an industrial excavation of sand. MSC undertook the restoration project to restore the ecosystem to its former glory.
Following the naming ceremony and inaugural breaking of ground at Ocean Cay, MSC Seashore will return to Miami to sail on her inaugural Caribbean cruise on November 20, which will call at Cozumel, Falmouth, Jamaica, and MSC Ocean Cay, in the Bahamas, before returning to Miami, Florida.
Guests can combine this cruise with an additional voyage that includes two days at Ocean Cay, a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a final stop in Nassau, Bahamas.
With Ocean Cay now open for business, all MSC ships sailing from Miami and Port Canaveral will call at the island at least one each cruise, often until late at night or even overnight, ensuring guests have more than enough time to explore everything the island has to offer.