MSC Virtuosa
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MSC Virtuosa |
| Owner | MSC Cruises |
| Operator | MSC Cruises |
| Ordered | 1 February 2016[4] |
| Builder | |
| Cost | €800 million[6] |
| Yard number | H34[2] |
| Laid down | 27 February 2019[5] |
| Launched | 29 November 2019[1] |
| Acquired | 2021 (scheduled)[3] |
| In service | 2021 (scheduled)[3] |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Under construction |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Meraviglia Plus-class cruise ship |
| Tonnage | 181,000 GT[7] |
| Length | 331.3 m (1,087 ft)[7] |
| Beam | 43.0 m (141 ft)[7] |
| Height | 64.9 m (213 ft)[7] |
| Decks | 19 |
| Speed | 22.3 kt (21,900 long tons; 24,600 short tons)[7] |
| Capacity | |
| Crew | 1,704[7] |
MSC Virtuosa is a Meraviglia-Plus class cruise ship currently under construction for MSC Cruises at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. She will become the second Meraviglia Plus-class ship for the cruise line and will be the sister ship to MSC's current flagship, MSC Grandiosa.[8][4] Originally scheduled to debut on 8 November 2020, her delivery is postponed to early-2021.[9][3]
History
Construction
On 1 February 2016, MSC Cruises announced that they had converted their options for two new ships into firm orders, with the new vessels being a part of a sub-class that evolves from the cruise line's original Meraviglia-class platform, dubbed "Meraviglia Plus".[4][6] Each new vessel was designed to be larger than their older Meraviglia-class sisters, at 181,000 GT, with a maximum passenger capacity of 6,334 guests.[10]
On 14 June 2018, MSC Cruises celebrated the steel-cutting for the second Meraviglia Plus-class vessel and also announced her name as MSC Virtuosa at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard.[11] Her coin ceremony was performed on 27 February 2019.[5] She was floated out on 29 November 2019 and moved to a wet dock to complete construction.[1][12]
Debut
MSC Virtuosa was originally scheduled to be delivered in October 2020[13] and sail her maiden voyage on 8 November 2020 from Genoa.[9] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, construction delays arose at the shipyard and have slowed the ship's construction progress.The delivery has been postponed to early-2021 to help Chantiers de l'Atlantique and MSC better prepare the ship for debut.[3]
Operational career
MSC Virtuosa was scheduled to begin sailing weekly itineraries in the Western Mediterranean in fall 2020.[9] However, due to the construction delays, MSC Grandiosa will replace all of the ship's scheduled itineraries through the winter 2020-2021 season.[14] In spring 2021, she is scheduled to cruise in Northern Europe and the Baltic region,[1] before re-positioning to Dubai in the fall, where she will be based throughout the winter, sailing 7-day itineraries in the Persian Gulf to the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.[15]
Design and engineering
Like MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa will be equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system that helps to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent, along with a closed-loop exhaust gas cleaning system that reduces ship sulfur emissions by 97 percent.[1] She will also be capable of running on shorepower when docked at ports.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "MSC VIRTUOSA'S FLOAT OUT CAPS MONTH-LONG TRIPLE CELEBRATIONS FOR MSC CRUISES". MSC Press Area. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (30 January 2019). "Saint-Nazaire: Nouvelle mise sur cale en vue". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 30 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d Groizeleau, Vincent (5 May 2020). "Chantiers de l'Atlantique: delivery of MSC Virtuosa postponed by several months". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Stieghorst, Tom (1 February 2016). "MSC confirms $1.7B order for Meraviglia Plus ships: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Staff, C. I. N. (27 February 2019). "Coin Ceremony Held for MSC Virtuosa". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ a b Gibson, Rebecca (2 February 2016). "MSC Cruises orders two Meraviglia-Plus ships from STX France". CruiseandFerry.net. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h "Corporate Information & Media Room". MSC Press Area (Press release). MSC Crociere, S.A. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ Staff, C. I. N. (31 July 2019). "New Video Tour Highlights MSC Grandiosa". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "SALES OPEN FOR MSC VIRTUOSA, THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOURTH MERAVIGLIA GENERATION SHIP". MSC Cruises. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "MSC Cruises reveals name of first Meraviglia-Plus ship, lays keel for Bellissima". Seatrade Cruise News. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ "First Steel Cut for MSC Cruises' Meraviglia-Plus II". World Maritime News. 14 June 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "#MSCVirtuosa touched water for the first time this past Friday evening, as we celebrated her float out in Saint Nazaire, France". Twitter. 2 December 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "MSC Virtuosa's Float Out Caps Month-Long Triple Celebrations for MSC Cruises". MSC Cruises. 2 December 2019.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "MSC Announces Winter Program; New Protocols Onboard". Cruise Industry News. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Ebelthite, Shaun (11 December 2019). "MSC Cruises to homeport new Meraviglia Plus-class MSC Virtuosa in Dubai for 2021/22 season". cruisearabiaonline.com. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
