MSC Grandiosa moves a step closer to completion in France

MSC Cruises’ first Meraviglia Plus-class ship, MSC Grandiosa, floated out of her dry building dock at Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France on 5 January 2019.

MSC Grandiosa was moved to a wet dock, where the shipyard’s team will carry out final building and outfitting work until her delivery on 31 October 2019. The vessel will start regular sailings from Genoa, Italy on 16 November.

MSC Grandiosa will be the third Meraviglia ship to enter MSC Cruises’ fleet, following on from MSC Meraviglia, which debuted in June 2017, and MSC Bellissima, which will be christened at the Port of Southampton, UK on 2 March 2019. The newbuild will also be the first of three Meraviglia Plus ships.

Although based on the design of the two Meraviglia ships, MSC Grandiosa has a greater tonnage and increased guest capacity (6,334 people), as well as a larger Mediterranean-style promenade with a longer (98.5-metre) LED Sky screen. Another new highlight will be a speciality bar and lounge named L’Atelier Bistrot, which will have a stage, dance floor, lounge seats, Parisian bistrot-style terrace seats and impressionist artwork.

Following MSC Bellissima’s launch in February 2018, MSC Grandiosa will become the second MSC Cruises ship to feature Zoe, a digital personal assistant that is part of the MSC for Me programme. Zoe will provide guests with information that is traditionally provided at the onboard guest relations desk.

MSC Cruises is scheduled to take delivery of another 12 next-generation cruise ships by 2027 as part of its expansion project.