by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:25 AM ET, Mon February 1, 2021
Officials from MSC Cruises announced the company had taken the delivery of the 18th ship in its fleet, MSC Virtuosa, on Monday.
MSC Virtuosa will come into service on April 16 for the summer season, with four sailings in the Mediterranean before transitioning to her new homeport of Kiel, where she will commence her Northern Europe itineraries from May 8.
The new MSC Cruises vessel is part of the Meraviglia generation of ships characterized by their 331 feet long promenade with a massive LED skydome. The two-deck space features boutiques, restaurants and bars during the day and music, entertainment and more in the evening.
MSC Virtuosa is also the sister ship of MSC Grandiosa, which was the first vessel of any major cruise line to return to the seas this summer. Since returning to service, Grandiosa has hosted nearly 40,000 passengers on seven-night itineraries in the Western Mediterranean.
"My family and I could not miss this opportunity to welcome in person the newest member to our fleet," MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said. "The delivery of MSC Virtuosa at such a challenging time for our industry symbolizes how as a family company we continue to look at the longer term and build our future."
"We remain committed to building each time some of the most innovative ships in the world when it comes to their environmental performance, featuring nothing but the most advanced available technology at sea," Vago continued. "Just as importantly, with each new ship we continue to push boundaries and innovate our product, offering new and unique experiences for our guests."
In addition to the introduction of MSC Virtuosa, MSC Cruises will also see the launch of another next-generation ship, the MSC Seashore. The cruise line also revealed it would receive four additional vessels by 2025.
When it comes to the environment, MSC Virtuosa features some of the most advanced technology available, including hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems and cutting-edge selective catalytic reduction systems. She also received 11 Golden Pearls from Bureau Veritas for her range of innovative aspects.
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