Two major ocean and two major river cruise ships made their debut this week.
At the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, MSC Cruises officially took delivery of its new flagship, the MSC Seaview. The second in the line’s Seaside-class, the new ship has a “beach condo” design that emphasizes large public spaces and letting guests get close to the sea. The new ship will now sail to its homeport in Genoa, Italy, for its official christening ceremony, after which it will spend the summer season in the Mediterranean and the winter season in South America.
In Seattle, Norwegian Cruise Line officially christened its newest ship, the Norwegian Bliss. The third in the line’s Breakaway Plus class, the new ship has a number of features designed specially for Alaska sailings, such as an expanded Observation Lounge, as well as other new amenities such as the brand’s largest go-kart race track and a laser tag course. The new ship will spend its inaugural summer season in Alaska, and in October, it will sail Mexican Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles.
In river cruise news, this week Crystal River Cruises officially welcomed the new Crystal Debussy to the fleet at a christening ceremony in Amsterdam. The new luxury ship will sail seven- and 10-day itineraries on the Rhine and Moselle rivers between Amsterdam and Basel.
Finally, this week AmaWaterways christened its newest river cruise ship, AmaLea, in Vilshofen, Germany. The 154-guest AmaLea sails with AmaWaterways’ twin balcony design, which offers guests panoramic views from both a French and outside balcony. A sibling ship to AmaViola, AmaStella and AmaKristina, AmaLea will sail seven-night cruises on the Danube between Vilshofen and Budapest during the summer and fall before concluding its first season with four Christmas market cruises.
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