MSC Cruises’ first Meraviglia-Plus class ship, MSC Grandiosa, has successfully completed her sea trials ahead of her planned delivery to the cruise line on October 31st, MSC has announced.
The three-day sea trials in the Atlantic were the first intensive systems tests at sea for the new ship, intended to confirm for both the shipyard and her future owners that all systems and items of equipment are working as they should.
Interestingly, the sea trials took place between 28-31 August in the Atlantic, as Hurricane Dorian was churning across the same ocean, but several thousand miles to the north west.
MSC Grandiosa is escorted back into port by tugboats following her sea trials
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MSC Cruises’ latest flagship will now receive her finishing touches at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France before being officially delivered to MSC Cruises.
With a gross tonnage of 181,000 and a total guest capacity of 6,334, MSC Grandiosa is the largest ship ever built for MSC and will feature some of the latest innovative marine technology and systems.
According to MSC Cruises’, this will also make her the most efficient and environmentally clean ship in its fleet.
MSC Grandiosa is equipped with two new and important technological innovations including a selective catalytic reduction system to decrease nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 per cent and transform it into pure water and nitrogen.
The ship is also fitted with a state-of-the-art advanced wastewater treatment system that will lead to nearly zero impact on discharges and allow her to operate in delicate environments such as the Baltic Sea and Alaska.
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The new environmental features add to other effective technologies deployed on MSC Grandiosa to further reduce her environmental impact including a cutting-edge exhaust gas cleaning system, systems for the prevention of oil discharge from machinery spaces, a ballast water treatment system and various energy-saving improvements such as heat recovery systems and LED lighting.
That’s not to mention her passenger facilities and public spaces, which are numerous and immense. An evolution of the Meraviglia-class, Grandiosa is even larger and features even more dining, entertainment and pampering experiences than Dubai-bound MSC Bellissima, the current largest ship in the fleet.
The christening ceremony for MSC Grandiosa takes place on November 9th in Hamburg ahead of an inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean with maiden calls from her Genoa homeport to Civitavecchia, Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona and Marseilles.
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