MSC Crociere (MSC Cruises) is an international cruise operator registered in Switzerland with headquarters in Geneva & Naples. Part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., MSC Cruises can trace its roots back to 1960 when founded in Naples, Italy, as Lauro Lines. The fleet consisted of the Angelina Lauro (24,377gt/built 1938) and the Achille Lauro (23,629gt/built 1949). In 1989 MSC acquired Lauro Lines and renamed it StarLauro Cruises with the identity changing again to MSC Cruises in 1995. Parent company MSC is one of the world’s leading container companies (privately owned & founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte) whilst MSC Cruises is now the world’s largest privately-owned cruise company. The first ships in the original MSC Crociere fleet were the 1951 built/15,889gt Symphony (ex-Enrico Costa), the 1952 built/20,000gt Monterey and the 17,095gt/1977 built Rhapsody (launched as the Cunard Conquest, later renamed Cunard Princess).

The Lirica Class quartet of ships became MSC Cruises’ first modern tonnage in the cruising fleet with two incomplete European Class representaives being built by Festival Cruises purchased and introduced as the MSC Lirica and MSC Opera in March 2003/March 2004 respectively. Festival Cruises had ceased trading and the slightly older sisterships, built as the European Vision (2001) and European Stars (2002), were also acquired by MSC Cruises as the MSC Armonia (May 2004) and MSC Sinfonia (March 2005). The MSC Armonia went on to operate the company’s first itinerary from Dover in May 2008 to Amsterdam/Bremerhaven/Olden/Alesund/Bergen/ Oslo. In 2014/2015 the Chantiers de l’Atlantique (St. Nazaire, France) built quartet were stretched and refitted under the Renaissance Programme at Fincantieri’s Palermo yard in Sicily. The 60,000gt/251m long ships re-emerged as 65,542gt/275m vessels with an extra 193 passenger cabins and 59 crew cabins. Four 92,409gt Musica Class newbuilds followed the Lirica Class 2006-2010, namely the MSC Musica/Orchestra/Poesia/Magnifica. All were built at St. Nazaire. Further fleet expansion followed with the 137,936gt Fantasia Class MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida in 2008-09 and the modified 139,072gt MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa in 2012-13. The St. Nazaire yard of STX Europe was once again the builder. Between 2003 and 2013 the company invested €5.7 billion in the construction of 12 cruise ships and has since commenced a €9 billion investment programme to build 11 ships, including three options, over the period of a decade to 2026.

Wonder & Beauty

The first product of this impressive rate of growth was delivered from STX France (now reverted to Chantiers de l’Atlantique following a takeover by Fincantieri) in May 2017. This, the first member of MSC Cruises’ Vista Project, was ordered on 20th March 2014, her keel was laid in October 2015 and the ship was launched 2nd September 2016 ahead of a service debut on 3rd June 2017. Allocated the title of Meraviglia Class, the first 171,598gt ship was christened MSC Meraviglia (meaning “wonder” in Italian and the name originally intended for the MSC Divina). This new generation of cruise ships has been designed to improve passenger services by incorporating the latest technology and design features to meet the needs of guests of all ages. Environmental technology installed includes an Advanced Water Treatment system, an Energy Saving & Monitoring System, exhaust Scrubbers and LED technology to reduce energy consumption.

The Meraviglia Class offers the highest ratio of sea-view balcony cabins of any cruise ship plus the area of public space per guest is 10m2. A second new class of MSC ship also made its debut in 2017 in the form of the 153,516gt MSC Seaside in November of that year. The second Seaside Class vessel and 15th member of the cruise fleet, the MSC Seaview, followed in June 2018, both being built by Fincantieri. The second Meraviglia Class ship had the name MSC Bellissima bestowed upon her (Italian for “beautiful”) with her steel cutting ceremony taking place at St. Nazaire on 30th November 2016. The keel of what began life as Yard No. F34 was laid on 15th November 2017, the float-out took place on 14th June 2018 and delivery followed on 27th February 2019. Before departure from the shipyard, the coin ceremony was held for the next newbuild, the MSC Virtuosa. The latter’s namesake comes from the word virtuoso, meaning someone highly skilled in music, and every deck will be named after a musical instrument. The MSC Virtuosa will welcome her first passengers in November 2020. She will be the second Meraviglia Plus Class of ship, the first of which will be the MSC Grandiosa when delivered in November 2019. With guests and V.I. Ps aboard, the MSC Bellissima departed St. Nazaire on the evening of 27th February bound for Southampton where she arrived before 0800 beneath leaden skies on 1st March at the port’s City Cruise Termina. Here the ship came bow to bow with the 66,500gt/2001 built MSC containership MSC Vidhi, which was representing the parent company for the corporate naming event.

That same morning the new ship began welcoming guests from the U.K, Europe and overseas, including members of the media plus a CLIA conference was also held in the London Theatre onboard. The Meraviglia Class ships have an impressive, powerful and imposing profile and are 315.83m long with a 43m beam and a draught of 8.75m. The surface area of each vessel is an impressive 450,000m2 and this figure includes 33,000m2 of public areas. The ship is 67m tall and has 19 decks, 15 of which are accessible by guests. There is no Deck 17 as Italians consider 17 to be unlucky in the same way as Deck 13 or the 13th floor is avoided by other nations. At this point it must be highlighted that all 15 public decks on the MSC Bellissima are named after ships in the fleet. So, Decks 4-19 are named as follows: Lirica, Opera, Musica, Fantasia, Meraviglia, Seaside, Seaside Evo, Bellissima, Grandiosa, Magnifica, World Class (the next newbuild series), Preziosa, Seaview, Divina and Splendida. The forward lift lobby on Decks 8 (Meraviglia) to 14 (World Class) also feature a large, mounted and cased model of that deck’s namesake ship plus photos of said vessel. It is probably also worth mentioning at this stage that there are 32 lifts aboard including 17 standard and 2 panoramic examples for guests.

Upon boarding the MSC Bellissima on Deck 5, guests enter the Infinity Atrium, the lower level of a bright, glitzy and bustling 3-tier atrium that oozes Italian flamboyance. A shiny metal sculpture climbs the aft side of the atrium and, adding to the sparkle, three sets of stairways link the trio of atrium levels. Each step of these spectacular staircases contains 640 Swarovski crystals. So, just one Deck 6-7 staircase contains 12,800 crystals! The 21 seat Infinity Bar is located here along with a live music stage whilst situated astern is the 604 seat and 1,050m2 Posidonia Restaurant, one of three main restaurants. The Deck 5 level of the atrium offers the 60 seat Edge Cocktail Bar with the 155 seat Champagne Bar one deck higher. These are two of the 20 bars and lounges around the ship with four of the bars being outdoors. The MSC Bellissima has 12 dining venues, three of which are main restaurants. Besides that mentioned above, the other main venues are The Lighthouse (730-seats/1,000m2) overlooking the stern on Deck 6 and the adjoining sister venues of Il Ciliegio and Le Cerisier (828 seats/1,338m2 total). The largest eatery is the 3,650m2 Marketplace Buffet on Deck 15 aft. Walking towards the stern from the atrium on Deck 7 brings guests to the 600-seat/1,400m2 Imperial Casino with a 360 degree Bar as a centrepiece. Beyond here is the 295 seat/1,100m2 Carousel Lounge, the third largest entertainment area on the ship. The lounge is modelled around a 130m2, 360 degree rotating stage with 40m long LED screen and special rigging specifically designed to host the famous Cirque du Soleil At Sea shows. MSC Cruises’ has entered an agreement with the show company under which it performs its shows exclusively on the Meraviglia generation ships. Circus performers conduct two shows six nights a week and attending guests are provided with an exclusive pre-show dinner service for a €35 cover charge. Other entertainment aboard includes over 40hrs of live music per day.

The beating heart of the ship (or rather the one that is not in the machinery spaces!) is the Galleria Bellissima, a 96m long/1,035m2 Mediterranean-style promenade located through the centre of the ship forward of the atrium on Deck 6 (Musica) and Deck 7 (Fantasia). This focal point features an 80m LED domed ceiling that creates an awe-inspiring atmosphere 24hrs a day. The display can feature stunning imagery, adverts, live video feed from the promenade or elsewhere onboard plus a crowd-stopping show three times daily. The illuminated ceiling is mounted on rubber dampers to allow it to flex with the movement of the ship to avoid damage. This promenade can also host many of the ship’s themed parties and was the venue for the ship’s naming ceremony featuring Sophia Loren, at 9.15pm on 2nd March. The Deck 6 level of the boulevard includes the new cuisine venues L’Atelier Bistrot (80 seats, French Bistro style) and 56 seat Hola! Tapas Bar plus the Jean-Philippe Crepes & Gelato and the Jean-Philippe Chocolatery (by Jean-Philippe Maury, 80 seats) that uses around 1.5 tonnes of chocolate per month. This also has a café area. Adjoining the Chocolatery is the 64 seat Bellissima Bar & Lounge. Retail outlets include Luxury Vetrina, Plaza Bellissima, Mini Mall, Boutique and Watch/Jewellery/Sunglasses kiosks. It should be noted that the retail space aboard the MSC Bellissima is the largest shopping area in the fleet at over 2,438m2. At the aft end of the Galleria is the aforementioned bar, MSC brand and Jewellery shops plus the photo gallery. At the forward end is the 975 seat, 1,000m2 London Theatre (spread across Decks 5 and 6) with a 217m2 stage area. The upper tier of the promenade consists of the Kaito Teppanyaki/ Kaito Sushi Bar, the 82 seat Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, the 81 seat Masters of the Sea English Pub and the 98 seat TV Studio & Bar. Forward of this area on Fantasia Deck is the 1,100m2 MSC Aurea Spa.

A plethora of activities on the MSC Bellissima are concentrated on Decks 15-19. The 1,500m2 outside pool deck and Atmosphere Pool can be found forward of The Marketplace on Deck 15. Adjoining this is the 1,000m2 and 140 seat Solarium, consisting of the Grand Canyon Pool, bar, an upper seating level on Deck 16 and sliding roof. A large video screen overlooks the pool deck and facing this on the aft accommodation block is the MSC gym. Beyond this exercise hotspot is a Virtual Games Arcade, Interactive XD Cinema, Virtual Reality Maze, Bowling Alley and double-height 390m2 Sportplex. An F1 Simulator can be found adjacent to the Bowling Alley consisting of two authentic F1 cars with MSC branding! Above on Deck 18 are amenities for the younger guests including the Attic Club, Teen Club, Juniors Club Lego & Baby Club Chicco. Forward of these is the sumptuous 160 seat/630sm2 Sky Lounge with large panoramic windows looking out over the ocean and pool deck. The upper level, Deck 19 aft, is home to the Top 19 Exclusive Solarium (adults only), the expansive 1,000m2 Arizona Aquapark and the Himalayan Bridge rope course. Overlooking the stern on Deck 16/18 is the 1,075m2 Horizon Amphitheatre for outdoor entertainment with the Horizon Pool also to be found here.

Extravagance and Technology

The Meraviglia Class ships continue the MSC Yacht Club “ship within a ship” luxury concept and this is located in the forward areas of Decks 14 to 19. There are 95 suites ranging in size from 33m2 to 97m2 with Butler service. The two MSC Yacht club royal suites have a surface area of 65m2 and a 40m² balcony. The interior rooms are 16m² whereas the ocean view rooms are between 15m² and 18m², and the balcony rooms are 19m². The Yacht Club also offers guests the 167 seat/423m2 panoramic Top Sail Lounge, a 120 seat/405m2 restaurant, a 115 seat/1,225m2 pool and a Solarium & Bar. The remainder of the 2,217 cabins for the 5,686 passengers are sited on Deck 5 (forward) and Decks 9-14 (full length). The variety of accommodation includes 1,282 balcony cabins, 136 Ocean View cabins, 650 Inside Cabins and 12 Interior Studio Cabins (single occupancy). The accommodation and facilities for the 1,564 crewmembers are predominantly located on Decks 3 and 4 with the 400m2 medical centre sited forward on Deck 4. The Meraviglia Class has also provided the debut for the company’s digital innovation programme, MSC for Me, devised in co-operation with a number of leading digital, technical and behavioural science experts, including Deloitte Digital, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Samsung Electronics. The host of ‘smart’ features on offer, using the MSC for Me app, includes an interactive digital navigator that helps guests find their way around the ship thanks to 3,050 Bluetooth beacons, access information about different onboard areas, venues and excursions, make bookings and service requests, and allow parents to geo-locate their children on the vessel, using smart phones, tablets, computers, stateroom TVs, interactive screens and ‘smart’ bracelets. The app also employs ‘intelligent’ facial recognition to help staff in passenger-related duties.

On 2nd March 2019 the industry’s first digital cruise personal assistant, Zoe, was officially launched aboard the MSC Bellissima as an extension of the MSC for Me concept. This bespoke device is in every cabin and guests just need to say “OK Zoe” and she will provide the info required, rather like the domestic interactive speakers such as the Amazon Echo. The MSC device can operate in 7 different languages, analyse 30 different accents and was trained in 2,200,000 questions by over 400 people and programmed with over 800 commonly asked questions. One area that Zoe was not trained for in advance was the machinery spaces in the bowls of the ship. The MSC Bellissima is powered by two 4T, 12-cylinder marine diesel engines and two 4T, 16-cylinder marine diesel engines with a power output of 38,400kW/52,174hp. Propulsion is provided by two 19,200kW ABB Oy Marine & Ports Solid Oil-Closed Azipod units with 10m diameter propellers. Manoeuvrability is aided by four transverse bow thrusters.

Celebrations & Freya

On 2nd March a huge celebratory party took place on the quayside at City Cruise Terminal, in what is the largest marquee in the U.K, from 6.15pm with the naming ceremony event for the MSC Bellissima beginning at 7.30pm. The ship’s Godmother, as with 13 previous MSC cruise ships, was Hollywood icon Sophia Loren (above). The event’s host was ITV’s Holly Willoughby and proceedings were opened by World-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo Bocelli, singing “Fall on Me.” MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, UK & Ireland MD Antonio Paradiso and MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato and members of Cirque de Soleil all took to the stage in turn as Storm Freja joined the proceedings in a rather loud manner around the roof of the marquee. The MSC Bellissima had already been moved forwards 50m to shelter the marquee but Mother Nature was having none of it. The ceremony was halted by Pierfrancesco Vago about half way through as weather conditions were deemed as being a little too extreme. The 3,000 or so guests calmly vacated the venue and returned to the ship. The naming ceremony was hastily relocated as mentioned earlier. Sadly, the makeshift arrangements meant that Nile Rodgers and Chic could not perform. A Gala Dinner on board then followed for all guests. The ship welcomed the Travel Trade on 3rd March but the overnight cruise to Guernsey and back was cancelled due to the stormy conditions. On 4th March the ship sailed with a 10 night itinerary bound for Barcelona, Marseille and Genoa, calling first at La Coruna.

The MSC Bellissima is currently the world’s 6th largest cruise ship and MSC’s fourth newbuild in two years. Next to come are the two 177,100gt and 6,297 passenger capacity Meraviglia-Plus ships (complete with 200 extra cabins) due for delivery in October 2019 and September 2020. A series of four 200,000gt, 6,850 guest and LNG powered World Class ships are on order for 2022-2026 with the future fleet further boosted in March 2019 when four ultra-luxury ships were confirmed at a cost of over €2 billion. Following her inaugural season in the Mediterranean, the MSC Bellissima will be deployed Dubai and then onwards to Asia where she will be mostly based in Shanghai to serve the Chinese home market as well as offering a number of sailings from Japan to cater for the growing demand for the MSC Cruises product from Japanese consumers. In addition, a number of Asia sailings will be reserved for international guests wanting to discover this popular region from an MSC Cruises ship.

Special thanks must go to Natalie Billington and team at MSC Cruises PR plus Aleona Krechetova and team at HK Strategies for all their invaluable assistance with information, imagery and a superb inaugural event aboard the ‘Bliss.

Technical Specifications

Builder:	Chantiers De L’Atlantique
Location:	St. Nazaire, France
Yard No.:	F34
Hull Material:	Steel
No. Watertight Compartments:	15
No. Continuous Decks:	18
IMO:	9760524
Ordered:	20th March 2014
Steel Cutting Ceremony:	30th November 2016
Keel Laid:	15th November 2017
Float Out:	14th June 2018
Delivered:	27th February 2019
Christened:	2nd March 2019
Flag:	Malta
Port of Registry:	Valletta
Ship Manager:	MSC CROCIERE SPA, Via Agostino Depretis 31, 80133 Naples
Registered Owner:	Vista 2 Compania Naviera SA, c/o MSC, Via Agostino Depretis 31, 80133 Naples
Maiden Voyage:	4th March 2019 – Southampton-Barcelona-Marseille-Genoa
Type:	Passenger Ship SRTP – Unrestricted Navigation
Class:	EGCS-SCRUBBER, COMF-NOISE-Pax 1,COMF-NOISE-Crew 2, COMF-VIB-Pax 1, COMF-VIB-Crew 2, AUT-CCS (SS), AUT-PORT (SS), SYS-NEQ (SS), BWT, NDO-2 days, AWT, CLEANSHIP, REF-STORE (SS), ERS-S, INWATERSURVEY, SDS
Gross Tonnage:	171,598
Deadweight:	12,200
Net Tonnage:	171,970
Length Overall:	315.83m
Length b.p.:	296.00m
Beam:	43.00m
Draught:	8.75m
Freeboard:	3,321mm
Cost:	£1 billion
Cruising Speed:	21.8 knots
Maximum Speed:	22.7 knots
Passenger Capacity:	5,686 passengers
Passenger/Crew Ratio:	30:1
Crew:	1,564
Crew Cabins:	820
Machinery:	2x 4T, 12-cylinder marine diesel engines 46cm x 58cm @ 600rpm 2x 4T, 16-cylinder marine diesel engines 46cm x 58cm @ 600rpm
Engine Power Output:	38,400kW/52,174hp
Propulsive Power Output:	2x 19,200kW at 120 rpm
Total Installed Power:	67,200kW
Propulsion:	2x ABB Oy, Marine & Ports Solid Oil-Closed Azipod units – 10m diameter
Emergency Generators:	1x 2525 kVA – 2020 kW – 2860 HP
Bow Thrusters:	Four
Stabilisers:	Yes – 2x fins
Boilers:	2x CHR Saacke Qingdao Marin 461.00m² 8.00 bar 2x CHO Saacke Qingdao Marin 158.60 m² 11.00 bar 2x CHR Saacke Qingdao Marin 335.00 m² 8.00 bar
Fuel Capacity:	1,804m³
No. of Passenger Decks:	15
Number of Passenger Cabins:	2,217
Suites:	137
Balcony Cabins:	1,282
Ocean View Cabins:	136
Inside Cabins:	650
Interior Studio Cabins:	12