MSC Cruises Agrees USD 1.7 Bn Loan for New Seaside EVO Ships

Cruise liner MSC Cruises has reached an agreement for an EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.74 billion) financing for two new Seaside EVO class cruise ships.

The financing was provided by a syndicate of lenders comprising BNP Paribas, Unicredit and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.P.A., with SACE SIMEST, the Italian ECA, fully backing the credit line and stabilising the interest rate.

Featuring a length of 339 meters, the new vessels are being built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. They are scheduled for delivery in May 2021 and February 2023, respectively.

With the addition of these new ships, MSC Cruises now has plans in place for up to ten new ships to be built by 2026.

As with the existing Seaside class ships, the new ships will be equipped with state-of-the-art environmental technology, ranging from recycling and waste management systems meeting the very highest industry standards to the latest generation of energy-saving devices among others.