Fincantieri presents Silver Muse on the eve of its delivery

Joining Silversea chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and Fincantieri ceo Giuseppe Bono were Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the archbishop of Genoa, who blessed the ship, and Giovanni Toti, the governor of Liguria.

'Since the laying of the keel in December 2015, Silversea and Fincantieri have been working closely together to produce one of the finest ships to leave this shipyard and we look forward to welcoming our first guests on board,' Lefebvre said. He thanked Fincantieri for 'their tireless commitment to deliver Silver Muse to us on schedule and to such a high standard of craftsmanship.'

'Today marks another milestone for Silversea, our guests and our colleagues as we celebrate our new flagship, Silver Muse, joining the fleet,' added Silversea ceo Roberto Martinoli. 'The attention to detail throughout the ship is a reflection of our dedication, in conjunction with Fincantieri, to offer the ultimate luxury experience at sea.'

At 40,700gt with capacity for 596 passengers, Silver Muse represents an evolution of Silver Spirit, delivered in 2009 by Fincantieri's Ancona yard.

The new ship will provide more of the largest suites (Silver, Royal, Grand and Owner's), and the greatest number of connecting suites in the fleet. Silver Muse also offers more dining options, with eight varied restaurants.

This will be Fincantieri's second cruise ship delivery in just four days, following Majestic Princess from Monfalcone. The fact that the vessels are very different, from two yards and for different customers, demonstrates the builder's capabilities, Bono said.

'With the current record workload, Fincantieri guarantees full employment at its sites dedicated to cruise shipbuilding until 2025,' he noted, adding this will impact Italy's GDP by about 1% on average, annually.

Fincantieri has built 78 cruise ships since 1990, 55 of them since 2002. Twenty-nine other ships are currently being designed or built in the group's yards.