Switzerland-based cruise company MSC Cruises and French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique have celebrated the float out of MSC Grandiosa at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, where the ship is being built.
The newbuilding has now been moved to a wet dock, where work on the ship will continue until its delivery in October 2019.
MSC Grandiosa is due to become the third Meraviglia ship to enter MSC Cruises’ fleet, and the first of three Meraviglia-Plus ships, which feature larger tonnage and guest capacity than the first two Meraviglia ships – MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima.
It will also become the fifth ship to enter MSC Cruises’ fleet in just two and a half years. As part of MSC Cruises’ fleet expansion plan, the company is due to take delivery of another 12 next-generation cruise ships by 2027.
With a length of 331.43 meters and a width of 43 meters, the new ship will be able to accommodate 6,334 passengers and 1,704 crew members.
The 181,000 GT MSC Grandiosa will be delivered to MSC Cruises on October 31 and will start regular sailings from Genoa, Italy on November 16, 2019.
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