​MSC Virtuosa Prepares for Sea Trials

The second Meraviglia-Plus class cruise ship for MSC Cruises, the 181,000 gross tonne MSC Virtuosa is preparing to set sail on its first sea trials.
 
MSC Virtuosa is currently under construction at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The new ship is expected to undergo three days of trails in the Atlantic Ocean between 16-19 September 2020.

The ship was originally due to debut in November 2020, but its launch has been postponed until early-2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
In spring 2021, the new ship is scheduled to cruise Northern Europe and the Baltic, before re-positioning to Dubai in the autumn, where she will be based throughout the winter, sailing seven-night cruise itineraries in the Persian Gulf to the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
 
The 6334-passenger MSC Virtuosa will be a sister ship to MSC Grandiosa which launched in 2019. Both of the Meraviglia-Plus class ships are equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system that helps to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 80 percent, along with a closed-loop exhaust gas cleaning system that reduces ship sulphur emissions by up to 97 percent. MSC Virtuosa will also be capable of running on shore power when docked.