Hernesaari Dock opens mega-ship berth at Helsinki Port

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest private cruise company, and the Port of Helsinki on Tuesday inaugurated a berth at the Hernesaari Dock for mega cruise ships.

Senior leaders and officials of MSC Cruises and the Helsinki Port in a ceremony opened the berth jointly, said the port in a press release.

The new LHD pier at Hernesaari Dock has a capacity to accommodate vessels up to 360 metres long. All 215 metre or longer vessels and more than 90 per cent of all cruise passengers using the port will berth at the Hernesaari quarter.

Helsinki Deputy Mayor Pia Pakarinen greeted the MSC Meraviglia, a pioneer vessel of MSC Meraviglia, on its arrival at the port. MSC Cruises Senior Vice President Michele Francioni and Port of Helsinki CEO Ville Haapasaari formally inaugurated the new berth by jointly cutting a ribbon.

Launched in June 2017, MSC Meraviglia is one of the more innovative ships of the cruising company and is bestowed with the latest guest-centric, maritime and environmental technology. The ship complies with high international standards, for which it has already received a Golden Pearl award made of eight pearls from Bureau Veritas. The eight pearls recognise the ships contributions in eight separate domains of environment protection.

The environmental technology with which the ship is equipped with include an exhaust gas cleaning system, advanced waste water treatment, systems in place for prevention of oil discharge from machinery, and a ballast water treatment system, which are all guided by a comprehensive eenvironmental mmanagement plan.