French shipbuilder STX France has held a steel cutting ceremony for MSC Cruises’ newest Meraviglia-Plus II cruise ship.
The ceremony was held in Saint-Nazaire on June 14, 2018.
To be named MSC Virtuosa, the second Meraviglia-Plus ship is scheduled for delivery in 2020.
As its sister ship MSC Grandiosa, the newbuild will feature a length of 331 meters, a width of 43 meters and a maximum capacity of 6,300 passengers.
The two Meraviglia-Plus units are part of the company’s EUR 9 billion investment plan for eleven new next-generation cruise ships that will come into service by 2026. The Meraviglia-Plus ships are a further evolution of the Meraviglia class prototype, increasing their GRT to 177,000 with 2,450 guest cabins.
The Meraviglia-Plus class is said to be the next-level generation of ships for all seasons. Thanks to their “innovative maritime technology”, together with their Meraviglia class sister ships, they will be the only ones in their class able to call at all world cruise ports, according to the company.