MSC Cruises and godmother Sophia Loren christened the 93,300-ton MSC Poesia at midnight Saturday in Dover, England, after a gala dinner and onboard concerts by Andrea Bocelli and KT Tunstall. Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises, hosted about 2,500 guests onboard for the celebration. The guests dined during two sittings and enjoyed the concerts in intimate surroundings. Bocelli performed in the 1,240-seat Teatro Carlo Felice and Tunstall in the 330-seat Moulin Rouge lounge. Then, shortly before midnight, Loren was joined by Vago and the captain on the bridge where she cut the ribbon that sent the champagne bottle smashing into the hull. The actual christening took just a few minutes and was aired live on TV screens throughout the ship as guests continued to party.

Vago said MSC Cruises decided to hold the christening in Dover -- the company's first such ceremony held outside of Italy -- to showcase the product to U.K. cruisers. "MSC has done a lot of growing in the last four years, and we think we have the product to the standards the British market wants," Vago said during a press conference. "So we are ready to present it to you and the market." MSC Poesia is the third in the Musica class of ships and the ninth for the company. Next out, this winter, is the 133,500-ton MSC Fantasia. "In seven years, MSC Cruises increased its berth capacity by seven times," said Domenico Pellegrino, MSC Cruises' managing director, at a press conference. "We will reach over one million passengers in 2009."

The Poesia was to depart Sunday on its maiden voyage to Venice, from where it will offer weekly cruises to Bari, Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul and Dubrovnik throughout the summer. Also at the press conference, MSC Cruises' Hotel Director Tim Skinner announced that the line has received ISO2200 certification from Bureau Veritas, the first international standard on food safety recognized worldwide. "Throughout the fleet, the food you eat, the water you drink, the air you breathe and the things you touch are as safe and clean as possible outside laboratory conditions," Skinner said.

Vago also announced that MSC has signed an agreement with officials from Shanghai to create a joint venture travel agency in China. The agency will be called MSC Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., and will promote cruise holidays to the Chinese market. MSC will have an office in the Shanghai cruise terminal, which is planning a grand opening of new multi-billion-euro facilities in August. Vago said MSC Cruises is considering basing a ship in Shanghai or Asia, but wouldn't reveal when that might happen. For more information, visit www.msccruises.com.