Sophia Loren is known most for her acting work, yet she also writes history in other areas. The actress will be naming her 16th MSC cruise ship, MSC Seashore, on November 18, 2021.
The naming ceremony will be held at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas. The first time a naming ceremony has taken place at one of the private islands in the Bahamas.
Sixteen Ships And a Private Island
Sophia Loren will be naming her sixteenth MSC cruise ship on November 18 at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas. The actress, who was born in 1934, named her first MSC ship, MSC Lirica, back in 2003.
Loren and the owners of the cruise line, the Aponte family, have had a special relationship for many years: “It’s family,” said Loren, “I’ve known this family since they had children. We live in the same city. It’s a lifetime relationship.”
MSC Seashore will sail from Miami on November 17 with a group of travel advisors, agents, special guests, and company stakeholders towards Ocean Cay. Guests will be able to have a first look at the company’s newest flagship, one of the newest and innovative ships to sail from the cruise port this year.
Festivities will be held onboard the ship and ashore; the vessel will remain overnight in the Bahamas while guests enjoy a gala dinner celebrating the newest vessel in the MSC fleet. Once Sophia Loren has christened the vessel, she will commence her cruises from Miami on November 20.
MSC Seashore will be sailing her inaugural 7-night cruise from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, before returning to Miami.
The vessel was also scheduled to be in the Cayman Islands after its call to Cozumel; what will happen with this call is unknown. The week after her inaugural voyage, the vessel will be calling in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for an overnight stay, Charlotte Amalie, and Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic.
MSC’s newest flagship is the first Seaside EVO ship, an evolution over the two other Seaside class ships, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview. MSC Seashore has been reimagined with brand-new features, venues, and experiences for the 4,540 passengers on board the 170,412 gross tons ship.
Ocean Cay Marine Reserve
MSC Cruises is also taking the opportunity during MSC Seashore’s christening for a formal inauguration of Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. The island was opened for the first time back in 2019 but closed again due to the pandemic. The island has since undergone several significant enhancements.
MSC has done its utmost to restore the island to its former glory after being used as an industrial sand extraction site. The area now features a flourishing 64-square mile marine reserve. The cruise line is heavily involved in restoring endangered corals and implementing other conservation and educational programs.
All MSC cruise ships that operate in Miami and Port Canaveral will be calling at Ocean Cay, with late-night or overnight stays not uncommon. Besides the Marine reserve, the island also features a large variety of water sports, shops to buy unique souvenirs, different bars, and food venues.
Also Read: MSC Cruises Approved to Restart Operations in Two More Countries
When MSC Seashore arrives in Miami, MSC Meraviglia will move to Port Canaveral for the rest of the season and MSC Divina will move to PortMiami. Guests who would like to sail aboard MSC’s ships will need to be fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine if they are 12-years-old or older.
Guests will also need to provide proof of a negative antigen or RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours of their cruise departure. All guests aged from 2 to 11 years will need to provide proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before their cruise departure.
