MSC Cruises Marks Major Milestone for Two New Ships

Meanwhile, back in France at STX shipyard, MSC Cruises celebrated back-to-back maritime events. The first steel was cut for a new class of MSC ship, Meraviglia-Plus, named for the innovative MSC Meraviglia and a new class of ship, launched earlier this year.

Accompanying the fanfare for the steel cutting, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, Pierfrancesco Vago, announced that the name for this newest the 6,334-passenger Meraviglia Plus ship would be  MSC Grandiosa. According to the chairman, “MSC Grandiosa will be the third of only four MSC Cruises ships to exclusively feature Cirque du Soleil at Sea, hosted in the uniquely complex, custom-built Carousel Lounge.”

Next up, MSC Bellissima for the traditional maritime event of placing two gold coins into a ship’s keel. Sailors of old, were (and some still are) a superstitious lot. This offering was meant to bring good luck to all who sailed aboard the ship, and capped the ‘MSC Cruises makes major milestone’ dual celebration event.

Check out this 116-night round-the-world cruise aboard MSC Magnifica.

Moving along at a brisk pace, the expansion of MSC Cruises includes four ships simultaneously under construction: MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Bellissima, and MSC Grandiosa. In December 2017, MSC Seaside will be delivered to Miami, the ship’s homeport.