MSC Cruises upcoming flagship, MSC Seashore, which will sail its inaugural season in the Mediterranean from August, before heading to PortMiami in November 2021 to sail The Bahamas and the Caribbean, says that it has elevated the guest experience to a whole new level, including in its retail offer.
Designed specifically for warmer weather and bringing guests closer to the sea, MSC Seashore features generous outdoor areas and public spaces. Some 65% of these public spaces have been completely re-imagined. The newly designed retail area introduces an industry-first dynamic, seamless space that is more than 72% larger than that of her sister ships and includes two extra shops.
Mall-style shopping in New York City-themed space
MSC Seashore’s unique and engaging shopping experience takes place in a massive New York-themed piazza covering 971 sqm of space across three decks.
The dedicated retail space is situated in the heart of the ship’s vibrant Times Square and features a seamless, open-space design that allows guests to flow effortlessly from shop to shop without physical barriers and with a multitude of interactive ways to experience the range of products.
The shops will offer a line-up of world-class brands enriched by a brand-new multi-sensory fragrance bar with videos and details about shoppers’ favorite perfumes, as well as a tasting bar in the Duty Free shop.
The dedicated jewelry area has more than tripled its size and will now feature three separate luxury watch and jewelry spaces, adding to an increased luxury element with renowned new brands
Deck 8 boasts further selling points in Liberty Plaza where guests will find a number of ‘discovery islands’ featuring rotating products and offerings, including those that benefit from further storytelling, such as recycled plastic sunglasses or coral-safe sunscreen
The new MSC Shop will also have a unique new design inspired by the shape of a snail shell, where guests can find MSC-themed merchandise, including a range of ship-specific products.
Adrian Pittaway, MSC Head of Retail, explains how the retail innovations connect with the onboard environment:
“In sync with the rest of the ship’s innovative ethos, we created a dynamic concept for MSC Seashore that is at ‘One with the Sea.’ Making the Seashore retail connect to the ocean in a fluid interconnected retail concept that seamlessly brings together the upscaled different retail concepts, the stunning entertainment spaces of the ship and the panoramic outside ocean vistas together by bringing in the most amount of natural light from the sea of any of our ships.”
Pittaway says that MSC uses large panoramic windows as natural hublots out to the ocean so that the newly increased spaces will bring all of their premium brands to life in a reflective and inspiring way.
“By maximizing the efficiency of the useable retail space inside and outside, we have been able to innovate with a truly open plan feeling that is entertaining inside and outside during trading hours, giving the guests a continuing sense of anticipation, storytelling and brand connection.
“We have created a number of exciting events and experiences during the cruise and use these new dynamic areas to present something new every day of the cruise, whilst keeping the guests entertained.
“As the seashore is the dynamic space between the land and the sea, so on MSC Seashore our retailing is also designed to bring retail excitement into a new open dynamic spaces closer to the sea than ever before,” he said.
MSC Seashore is the second ship in the company’s Seaside class of vessels. It follows the launch of MSC Seaside in late 2017.
