During the launch of the second of four Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) -powered Meraviglia class cruise ships in mid-June by Geneva-based MSC Cruises at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, it was announced that a fifth vessel of the same class has been ordered. Delivery of this latest LNG vessel is planned for 2023.
“Our fifth Meraviglia class cruise ship will bring a new generation of cutting edge environmental technology to the market, benefiting from a new generation of LNG-powered engines. This will help us further reduce our environmental footprint and advance in our journey of constant improvement. She will be joined at sea by up to four World Class LNG-powered ships as part of our overall commitment to environmental stewardship through this and other next-generation technologies and solutions deployed fleet-wide,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman.
With a design identical to MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa, (length = 331 metres, width = 43 metres, passenger cabins = 2400), this new unit sets itself apart from other ships in that it is propelled by natural gas stored in liquefied form. This technology was developed by the shipyard that was one of the pioneers at the start of this century, implementing it on LNG tankers.
About MSC Cruises’ fifth Meraviglia class ship
The new ordered ship will have the same dimensions as the two MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia-Plus vessels, with a slightly higher deadweight and displacement due to the heavier LNG-powered dual-fuel engines.
• Length overall 331.43m
• Length between perpendiculars 310.7m
• Breadth moulded 43m
• Design draught (moulded) 8.4m
• Scantling draught (moulded) 8.75m about
• Gross tonnage 183,500 GT about
• Air draft 65.1m
• Engines: LNG-powered, dual fuel engines
• Service speed 21.4 knots
• Passenger cabins: 2,408
• Maximum passengers: 6,335
• Crew: 1,704
• LSA: 8,039
About MSC Cruises’ first two World class cruise ships:
• Length/Beam/Height 333.3m/47m/68m
• Gross tonnage 205,700 GT about
• Engines LNG-powered, dual fuel engines
• Service speed 21.8 knots
• Passenger cabins 2,632
• Maximum passengers 6,774
• Crew 2,126
• LSA 8,900
Sources: MSC Cruises and STX France
Related article: MSC Signs STX for Four LNG-Propelled Cruise Ships
