Cruise & Cruise Line

MSC Orders Fifth Meraviglia Class Ship

Image: The MSC Bellissima launches in 2019. (photo courtesy of MSC Cruises)

by Ana Figueroa
Last updated: 12:15 AM ET, Fri June 15, 2018

MSC Cruises has ordered a fifth Meraviglia class ship.

The announcement came today at a ceremony at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and was one of several milestones celebrated at the event. The others included the steel-cutting of the fourth Meraviglia Class Ship, now named MSC Virtuosa. The traditional coin ceremony for MSC Grandiosa, the first of the Meraviglia Plus class ships, also took place. And, the MSC Bellissima was floated out. The ship, the second in the Meraviglia class, enters service in March 2019.

In a first for STX, the yard is building three ships simultaneously for the same cruise brand.

The fifth Meraviglia class vessel is due for delivery in 2023. She'll feature engines powered by liquified natural gas (LNG).

"With the announcement of yet another new vessel, the 13th under our ten-year investment plan, we are affirming our commitment to sustainable growth for our company," said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises' executive chairman. "Our fifth Meraviglia class cruise ship will bring a new generation of cutting-edge environmental technology to the market, benefiting from a new generation of LNG-powered engines. This will help us further reduce our environmental footprint."

"She will be joined at sea by up to four world-class LNG-powered ships, as part of our overall commitment to environmental stewardship through this and other next-generation technologies and solutions deployed fleet-wide," Vago added.

MSC Bellissima will be christened in Southampton on March 2, 2019. MSC Grandiosa's christening is set for November 2019 in Hamburg.

MSC Bellissima will debut the industry's first digital cruise personal assistant, as a new feature of MSC for Me. The device is designed for use in staterooms and is available in seven languages. It will provide guests with information most frequently requested at the Guest Relations desk. MSC Grandiosa will also offer the digital cruise personal assistant feature.