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MSC Bellissima Christened

MSC Bellissima
MSC Bellissima

Published Mar 7, 2019 6:32 PM by The Maritime Executive

MSC Cruises' Godmother Sophia Loren officially named her 14th ship MSC Bellissima on March 2 in the port of Southampton. 

MSC Bellissima is the second Meraviglia class ship to come into service, designed as the ship for all seasons and including the new guest-centric technology with the introduction of the world's first virtual personal cruise assistant, ZOE. The voice-enabled tool will be located in every cabin and can answer hundreds of questions about the cruise.

The vessel will be fitted with a large number of environmental features and innovative technology to reduce her environmental footprint. Just like her sister ship MSC Meraviglia, she will be equipped with: an exhaust gas cleaning system for cleaner emissions; an advanced wastewater treatment system; smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to recover heat from machinery spaces; and LED lighting and smart devices to save energy. 

MSC Bellissima 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.

The 315-meter vessel was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique; the yard has three Meraviglia generation ships under simultaneous construction in Saint-Nazaire.

MSC Bellissima has become the fourth ship to join MSC Cruises’ fleet in less than two years. As part of MSC Cruises’ newbuilding program, another 13 cruise ships are due to join its fleet by 2027. These include four mega cruise ships capable of welcoming nearly 7,000 guests as well as four smaller ships that will serve the ultra-luxury segment.

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique also held a coin ceremony for MSC Virtuosa last week. Due to be delivered in November 2020, she will become the fourth Meraviglia Class ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet and the second of three Meraviglia-Plus ships, a larger and enriched version of the Meraviglia prototype with an increased number of cabins, more public space and additional features.