MSC Cruises’ Newest Ship Named ‘Belissima’ by ‘Godmother’ Sophia Loren

The MSC Bellissima at Southampton.

MSC Cruises’ newest state-of-the-art cruise ship was recently named Belissima by its “godmother” and Hollywood icon Sophia Loren, during a glamorous and traditional maritime naming ceremony, held the port of Southampton.

Present at the ceremony were celebrities, VIPs, key travel partners and international media; top management from MSC Cruises and its parent company MSC Group.

Also present were  Spyros Chambas, owner of Cruiseway Travel, the representative of MSC Cruises for Greece, and  sales manager Michalis Panagiotakopoulos. Cruiseway Travel offers high-quality services and competitive prices, through a wide sales network, representing some of the leading cruise companies worldwide.

MSC Bellissima Naming Ceremony – Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises Executive, Captain Raffaele Pontecorvo and Godmother Sophia Loren.

MSC Bellissima will spend her inaugural summer cruise season in the Western Mediterranean. Then she will set sail for the Middle East for the 2019-2020 winter season. Later in 2020, she will be deployed in China.

MSC Bellissima Naming Ceremony – Andrea and Matteo Bocelli on stage.

The ship can accommodate 5,686 passengers and is fitted with a large number of environmental features and innovative technology to reduce her environmental footprint including an exhaust gas cleaning system for cleaner emissions; an advanced wastewater treatment system; smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) to recover heat from machinery spaces; and LED lighting and smart devices to significantly save energy.

Furthermore, MSC Belissima offers advanced technology features to meet the needs of its guests. She is the company’s first cruise ship to feature ZOE, the world’s first virtual personal cruise assistant.

Meanwhile, MSC Cruises has announced its new partnership with one of the finest chefs in the world, Raymond Blanc, OBE. The two Michelin-starred chef, who has had a profound influence on Britain’s culinary landscape, will design a dish for MSC Belissima’s Elegant Dinner menu.