Just days ago MSC Cruises announced huge news, the cruise line had entered an agreement with STX France to build up to 4 new class cruise ships at over 200,000 gross tons.
Even though the news which was announced from Paris was literally big not much details were revealed. It is still early days for specific details as the first new “World” class cruise ship won’t be delivered to MSC until 2022. The three other ships would be delivered in 2024, 2025 and finally 2026.
When we get some new ship news for the first time it can be exciting but not as exciting as getting our eyes on the very first shiny new renderings. In this case, MSC Cruises did not release any renderings, so as a result cruise enthusiasts have been investigating possible designs.
The new World Class ships built by STX France could be similar to the renderings above. It’s known as the XP Tray and was first revealed as an STX Europe concept using Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) for fuel. The design is also over 200,000 gross tons and may have been used to show off the possibilities when STX first met with MSC Cruises when discussing the order.
The concept was put together many years ago but is still used by Meyer Turku which was previously known as STX Finland. The design does tick all the boxes with the details we know so far but hopefully soon MSC Cruises will reveal all.
The World Class ships will be at least 200,000 gross tons carrying 5,400 passengers. The order of the first 2 ships with an option for 2 more is costing the cruise line around $4.5 Billion. The ships will be made to sail in all seasons and will be like no other vessel within the cruise industry.
What do you think of concept?
