MSC Cruises has agreed to purchase two huge new ships which will be able to carry 6,300 passengers.
The deal was signed at the STX shipyard in France during a ceremony to mark the start of construction of MSC Meraviglia, the company’s first new Meraviglia class vessel.
MSC Meraviglia is expected to be delivered in June 2017, and will be followed another Meraviglia class ship in 2019. The two new 177,000-ton Meraviglia-Plus vessels are scheduled to be delivered in October 2019 and September 2020, and will become the largest ships in the MSC fleet.
“Our long-standing cooperation with STX-France and the continued growth of our business allows me today to confirm well-ahead of time the existing options for two additional ships,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ executive chairman.
“The vessels will be even larger and longer as well as richer in features and amenities, thus confirming MSC Cruises as the industry’s boldest innovator when it comes to ship design and experiences we create for our guests.”
The MSC Cruises Meraviglia-Plus class vessels will measure 331 metres long and will feature 200 more cabins than the standard Meraviglia class ships. Interior features will include boutiques, restaurants and even fine art museums – a first for the industry. The interior promenades will include 111 metre-long LED “sky screens”.
Both the Meraviglia and Meraviglia-Plus ships will also offer a series of high-tech features, following a recent partnership with Samsung which will bring “smart” technology to guest cabins and public areas.
The two new ships will be worth EUR1.6 billion (US$1.7bn), taking MSC’s total investment for the two Meraviglia and two Meraviglia-Plus ships to a total of EUR3bn.
In addition, MSC is planning to launch three new vessels under its Project Seaside concept, with deliveries running from 2017 to 2021.
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