The new cruise ship MSC Bellissima was christened in Southampton on Saturday 2 March 2019.
The new ship brings the latest advances in maritime design, state-of-the-art environmental features and cutting-edge customer-centric technology
On 27 February 2019 MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned cruise company, took delivery of MSC Bellissima from Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a =leader in cruise ship construction.
With three Meraviglia generation ships under simultaneous construction at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, the two parties marked a double celebration today, with MSC Virtuosa’s Coin Ceremony.
MSC Bellissima’s Delivery Ceremony took place in the presence of Gianluigi Aponte, MSC Group’s Founder and Executive Chairman.
Also present were Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, as well as other regional and local authorities and dignitaries.
Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman, said: ‘Today’s delivery marks another chapter in the story of our partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
‘Together we have already brought to life 14 highly-innovative cruise ships, paving the way for our Company’s initial growth.
‘Many more will be built together over the coming years to further deepen the reach of our fleet. Furthermore, MSC Bellissima’s elegance and beauty, as well as focus on the best and latest maritime and environmental technology at sea, bear testament to our restless pursuit for innovation.’
As with other ships in MSC Cruises’ fleet, MSC Bellissima pushes the boundaries of ship building and design.
Bearing testament to the Company’s commitment to protect the environment, she has been equipped with some of the latest environmental technologies available.
These include, amongst others, a cutting-edge exhaust gas cleaning system, an advanced wastewater treatment plant, systems for the prevention of oil discharge from machinery spaces, a ballast water treatment system, and various energy-saving improvements – from heat recovery systems to LED lighting.
MSC Bellissima is also the first MSC Cruises ship to feature ZOE, the world’s first virtual personal cruise assistant, which has been added to MSC for Me.
The voice-enabled virtual personal assistant will be found in every cabin and can answer hundreds of questions about the cruise.
MSC Bellissima has become the fourth ship to join MSC Cruises’ fleet in less than two years. As part of MSC Cruises’ newbuild programme, another 13 next-generation cruise ships are due to join its fleet by 2027.
These include four World class mega cruise ships capable of welcoming nearly 7,000 guests as well as four smaller ships that will serve the ultra-luxury segment.
MSC Bellissima is the second Meraviglia Class ship to join MSC Cruises’ fleet. As MSC Meraviglia, she is the ship for all seasons, with plenty of outdoor and indoor public spaces. With a length of 315m, she has been designed to be able to access most of the world’s cruise ports.
On 4 March she departed on her maiden voyage, heading to Genoa, Italy, where she will spend her inaugural season, offering Western Mediterranean cruises.
In November 2019, she will reposition to the Gulf, providing weekly sailings out of Dubai. In spring 2020 she will be deployed to Asia.
