When MSC Bellissima is christened on 2 MARCH, 2019 in Southampton, she will become the largest ship ever to be christened in the UK.

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately owned cruise company and leading cruise line in Europe and South America, has revealed that MSC Bellissima will be christened in Southampton, UK . The event that will take place on 2 March 2019 will be attended by more than 2,000 guests, including VIPs and British stakeholders. The ship will remain in the city for three days, giving the opportunity for over 3,000 UK & Irish travel partners and guests, to experience the addition to the MSC Cruises fleet.

Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, commented, “The crowning moment of the launch of any new ship is her Christening, a traditional maritime ceremony that holds great importance for us. For each new ship, MSC Cruises carefully selects a country and a port to host the Christening. We have chosen to host the Christening of MSC Bellissima in Southampton as a demonstration of our continued commitment to growth in the UK and Ireland. This is a truly beautiful ship, worthy of the name Bellissima and this Christening will be a truly beautiful moment for MSC Cruises and the UK.”

MSC Bellissima will become MSC Cruises’ fourth mega-ship to come into service in less than three years since 2017 and as part of a 12 new ship, ten-year €10.5 billion investment programme.

The new MSC Cruises flagship will feature an industry-first voice-enabled cruise personal assistant co-developed with HARMAN

The Company also announced another industry first with the introduction of a digital cruise personal assistant as a new feature of MSC for Me, the Company’s digital innovation programme. This new and ground-breaking guest service, developed in partnership with HARMAN International a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and leader in connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, will debut on MSC Bellissima, which is currently under construction at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Industry-Leading Digital Innovation

The virtual personal assistant for MSC Cruises guests is a conversational, voice-enabled Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation that can communicate, learn and intelligently predict guests’ needs to make relevant suggestions. This new offering will provide guests with tailored information to help simplify and enhance their MSC Cruises holiday experience by providing quick and easy answers to questions from the comfort of their own cabin.

The service is the latest feature of MSC for Me, a multi-channel digital experience that is designed to connect guests to their holiday experience with cutting-edge technology. It includes the MSC for Me App, in-cabin connected television, and the interactive information screens around the ship, amongst other features. MSC for Me was first launched on board MSC Bellissima’s award-winning sister ship, MSC Meraviglia.

MSC Bellissima will spend her inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean before moving to spend the winter in the United Arab Emirates, calling Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, Muscat and Khasab.