MSC celebrates special family christening for MSC Zoe on her maiden call at the port of Hamburg

The first weekend in August was a very special one for MSC who welcomed close to 400 guests in the port of Hamburg to celebrate the christening of MSC Zoe, the third of MSC’s supersize ‘Oscar class’ series of 19,224 TEU vessels. The vessel is named after the daughter of MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Mr. Pierfrancesco Vago and MSC Group CFO Mrs. Alexa Aponte Vago.
MSC Zoe made her way up the Elbe River on Saturday to the cheering of crowds from locals who lined the shores to greet the biggest containership in the world on her maiden call at Hamburg.  The whole city was buzzing with the news of the arrival of MSC Zoe and everyone was thrilled to watch her manoeuvre gracefully into berth.

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny over the port of Hamburg as special guests and their families arrived to join MSC in celebrating the traditional christening ceremony together with the Aponte-Vago family.  After the traditional crest exchange ceremony Zoe joined her father, mother and brother Oliver on stage to present the bell to the ship’s Master, Captain Domenico Pica. Father Georg Bergner performed the traditional blessing and wished well to the vessel, her crew and the MSC family.  Captain Pica and his crew looked on proudly as four-year-old Zoe Vago cut the rope to break the champagne bottle against the ship as clouds of yellow and black confetti exploded into the air.  VIP guests were invited to join the ribbon cutting ceremony on the bridge and Zoe herself took great delight in sounding the ship’s horn.

There was something for everyone during the celebrations including live music, a Mediterranean-style buffet lunch, and even a bouncy castle and ice-cream for younger guests.    MSC Zoe’s christening was a truly memorable event, as much for the people of Hamburg as for the MSC family around the world.