Dubai-bound MSC Bellissima departs for sea trials as 2019 delivery date nears

MSC Bellissima has left the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard for her first set of sea trials ahead of her February 28^th, 2019 delivery to MSC Cruises.

The 171,598-gross ton mega ship departed the shipyard with 450 technicians and engineers aboard. During the coming few days every system and piece of equipment aboard the ship will be rigorously tested to ensure it functions as intended.

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MSC Bellissima will be sailed at full speed to test whether she can reach and maintain her 22.7-knot maximum speed, as well as her intended 21.8-knot service speed. She’ll also be subjected to a ‘crash stop’, whereby her 4 12 and 16 cylinder diesel engines will be put in full reverse at top speed.

The ship’s endurance at her intended service speed, seakeeping ability, and various maneuvering capabilities will also be tested, before MSC Cruises accepts delivery of its new ship, the second in the Meraviglia-class.

Unlike MSC Meraviglia, which will cruise in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Caribbean for the coming 2019 winter and summer seasons, MSC Bellissima will cruise her inaugural season in the Mediterranean during the summer, before repositioning to Dubai for the winter.

She will cruise roundtrip from Dubai in the Arabian Gulf from November, 2019 to March, 2020, before repositioning once more to China.

The 4,500-guest ship will be the largest, newest and most advanced cruise ship ever to homeport in the Middle East.

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When it comes to the environment, the ship will be designed for efficiency, with scrubber technology to neutralise carbon dioxide emissions and special equipment to eliminate water emissions.

When it comes to passenger tech, she’ll have an advanced interactive computer called Zoe that guests can use to make payments, book spa treatments and specialty restaurants. Parents will even be able to geo-locate their children.

MSC Bellissima will be home to Cirque du Soleil at Sea, which will create shows exclusively for the ship, and she’ll also feature a 80-metre indoor promenade with an LED ceiling projecting different scenes throughout the day.

This space will be the social heart of the ship with shops, cafes, restaurants and bars designed to give a ‘streetside’ feel to the experience. Every night, the ship’s troupe of performers will parade down the promenade.

She’ll have 12 restaurants, 20 bars, the largest MSC Yacht Club in the fleet, a 25-metre swimming pool up top, along with a full-size waterpark for kids, and entertainment spaces for toddlers, children and teens.

There’s even a full-size bowling alley, F1 simulators and a massive sports complex.