MSC Cruises christens MSC Grandiosa, its newest, most environmentally-advanced flagship, in the city of Hamburg on the fourth and final night of celebrations in the Blue Port, the company said in its release. Part of the cruise line’s largest and longest christening event ever, this part of MSC Grandiosa’s series of celebrations which span 27 days, 8 countries and 11 ports and will engage over 14,000 travel agents from around the world. Following on from the Christening, MSC Grandiosa will embark on a grand tour, visiting Southampton, UK, Lisbon, Portugal, Barcelona, Spain, Marseille France and Genoa, Italy, before commencing her usual 7-night cruises on 23 November.
It’s an extraordinary welcome for an extraordinary ship. Designed to ensure even cleaner air emissions and improved overall environmental performance both at sea and ashore, MSC Grandiosa is equipped with advanced cutting-edge technologies and sets a new standard for sustainability at sea.
On board, guests of all ages and interests will find something exciting waiting, including:
• Two original new shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea exclusive to MSC Cruises guests
• A 93-metre-long Mediterranean Promenade lined with international shops and restaurants
• An immersive art experience featuring etchings from Edgar Degas’ Danse Dessin series
• Dedicated children’s areas designed in partnership with Chicco and LEGO
• The world’s first virtual digital cruise assistant – ZOE – in every cabin
Since arriving in Hamburg on 6th November, MSC Grandiosa has been the subject and star of an immersive lightshow at the German city’s Blue Port. Spectacular light installations by renowned artist Michael Batz have bathed the port in shades of blue reminiscent of the sea to symbolise MSC Cruises’ long-standing commitment to the ocean, and MSC Grandiosa’s striking silhouette can be seen shimmering alongside the famous Elbphilharmonie on Hamburg’s Elbe river.
The traditional Christening ceremony will take place in different locations across the ship, and the proceedings will be hosted by talented actress, TV presenter, model and singer, Michelle Hunziker alongside co-host TV host & actor Jochen Schropp, one of Germany’s favourite entertainers.
The festivities don’t stop there – a purpose-built “MSC Village” on the banks of the River Elbe will bring the festivities to shore, welcoming 5,000 locals to experience the christening from land with live music and food trucks. Guests be joined by the popular German TV couple Annemarie & Wayne Carpendale who will act as presenters and hosts.
MSC Grandiosa will commence her regular 7-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean from 23rd November with six embarkation ports calling Genoa, Civitavecchia, Italy; Palermo, Sicily; Valetta, Malta; Barcelona, Spain and Marseille, France.
MSC Grandiosa and 10 other ships in MSC Cruises’ fleet of 17 ships are currently equipped for cleaner emissions with hybrid EGCS’ which remove 98 per cent of sulphur dioxide from a ship’s exhausts. The line’s six other ships will be retrofitted with the technology by the end of 2021 and until then will use low sulphur fuels and comply fully at all times with the strictest existing as well as new maritime regulations.
MSC Grandiosa is the first of three Meraviglia-Plus ships to join MSC Cruises’ fleet to be followed in 2020 by MSC Virtuosa and the LNG-powered World Class MSC Europa in 2022. It is MSC Cruises’ fifth new ship to enter into service in the past 30 months and is part of the Company’s plan to build a total of 13 highly-innovative and environmentally-sound cruise ships between 2017 and 2027, plus an additional four to operate under a yet-to-be named luxury cruise brand.
World Class is the sixth new prototype developed by MSC Cruises. The ships will be characterised by their revolutionary architecture, environmental performance and energy-efficient design, including a straight bow to improve further the stability of the ship and provide even greater guest comfort.