MSC Meraviglia FloatED Out

​MSC Cruises’ latest new build cruise ship, the MSC Meraviglia was floated out during a ceremony today at the STX shipyard in France.
 
The new ship will officially enter service in June 2017 and will sail the Western Mediterranean. At 167,800 gross tonnes, MSC Meraviglia will be MSC Cruises’ largest cruise ship so far, although larger ships are currently on order for the cruise line.

​Following the ceremony, MSC Cruises revealed the name for MSC Meraviglia’s sister ship. MSC Bellissima will enter service and join the MSC Cruises fleet in Spring 2019.
 
“MSC Bellissima is a name that embodies the beauty and the magnificence of this entire next generation of MSC Cruises ultramodern mega-ships, so rich with new features and amenities for guests of all ages and interests,” said Gianni Onorato, chief executive officer of MSC Cruises. “We are so pleased to be able to make this announcement on the very day that her sister ship MSC Meraviglia is touched for the first time by water, a moment that symbolizes the real ‘birth’ of a ship.”
 
"We are extremely proud to design and build MSC Cruises’ next generations of cruise ships,” said Laurent Castaing, president of STX France. “We are aware and thankful for the trust this amazing company has in our innovation ability. It’s been more than 12 years that our industrial partnership has started, and we are always excited by the challenges of fulfilling MSC ambitions.”