Cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises
MSC Meraviglia
|
| History |
|---|
 Malta |
|---|
| Name | MSC Meraviglia |
| Owner | MSC Cruises |
| Operator | MSC Cruises |
| Port of registry | Valletta,  Malta |
| Ordered | 20 March 2014 |
| Builder | STX Europe (St. Nazaire) |
| Laid down | October 2015[3] |
| Launched | 2 September 2016[1][2] |
| Sponsored by | Sophia Loren |
| Christened | 3 June 2017 |
| Completed | 31 May 2017 |
| In service | 3 June 2017–present |
| Identification | |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Class and type | Project Vista (MSC) cruise ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 315.83 m (1,036 ft 2 in)[4] |
| Beam | 43 m (141 ft 1 in)[4] |
| Draught | 8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)[4] |
| Decks | 15 passenger decks |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed |
- 22.7 knots (42.0 km/h; 26.1 mph) (maximum)
- 21.8 knots (40.4 km/h; 25.1 mph) (service)[4]
|
| Capacity |
- 4,428 passengers at double occupancy
- 5,642 passengers maximum[5]
|
| Crew | 1,536 crew |
MSC Meraviglia is a cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises, built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, by STX France. MSC Meraviglia is the lead ship of MSC's new "Vista Project" vessels, the Meraviglia class, with MSC Bellissima following in 2019. Each vessel has a passenger capacity of 4,500. When it entered service in June 2017, it was the sixth largest cruise ship in the world, behind Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class cruise ships and AIDAnova.
History
The ship initially operated in the western Mediterranean also cruised in Northern Europe as of summer 2019, but repositioned to the United States for the first time, to New York and Miami, in fall 2019, to sail to the Caribbean as part of a North American expansion program by MSC.[6]
Design and construction
The vessel's name was announced, and steel was cut, at a ceremony held at Chantiers de l'Atlantique on 20 April 2015.[7] The ship was formally named on 3 June 2017 by her godmother, Italian actress Sophia Loren[8] at a ceremony in Le Havre, which also featured French actor Patrick Bruel, musical group Kids United, and comedian Gad Elmaleh.[9]
The building of MSC Meraviglia was shown in the second episode of the Science Channel series, Building Giants, and titled "Monster Cruise Ship".[10]
The ship's facilities include a promenade with a long LED roof, a water park with water slides, a rope course and a theater. The ship overall has less passenger space and more passengers onboard than other similar cruise ships. The ship also has over ten dining areas and a spa.[7]
Incidents
COVID-19 pandemic
On 26 February 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, Mexican authorities granted permission for MSC Meraviglia, registered in Malta, to dock in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, because she carried a passenger presumed to be infected with COVID-19. The ship was previously denied access to ports in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.[11] Two cases of common seasonal flu were found.[12]
The CDC reported, as early as 22 April, that at least one person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had tested positive within 14 days after disembarking.[13]
There have also been many complaints from passengers and several law suits are pending. There have been several incidents of sexual harassment or even assault by a crew member, as well as cameras found inside a women's restroom on board. MSC Cruise Line has also had many recent (2023) issues with not stopping at planned ports, going to the wrong ports, and even one report of a cruise scheduled to port in the Bahamas that went to New England and Canada instead, with no prior notification to the passengers.
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